The text of the Book of Mormon provides more detail about the Nephite territory, particularly regarding communities near the River Sidon. Much of the action in Alma (2 and 43) takes place along this river. Several archaeological sites dating to this time period have been found in the area; the shifting rivers have likely flooded or buried many other sites.
The following picture depicts a few known mound sites and shows the relative location of Zarahemla and Nauvoo. See my blog about more mounds in Iowa and vicinity.
“Most of the occupied areas would have been along the rivers. The Nephites and Lamanites would have stationed guards along the border-the narrow strip of wilderness-between their two lands, but they would have had areas of wilderness in which no one lived.” Moroni’s America page 144
See amazing map at the end of this blog, from the Office of the State Archaeologist The University of Iowa; Iowa City, IA 52242 319-384-0732 [email protected] Nephites and Jaredites lived in Ohio!!
Dr. Lefgren living in the middle of all types of “WAR” colleges, talks about battle strategies.
The Battle of Zarahemla of 87 BC in Alma 2
“Today I also began to work on a video that is based entirely on the details for the Battle of Zarahemla of 87 BC in Alma 2. Alma gave an incredible firsthand account for the two-day battle near Zarahemla that was on both the east and the west sides of the River Sidon. The terrain for every battle is unique and has a great impact on the movement of forces. There is only one place in the world where the Civil War’s greatest battle was fought — Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 1863. There is only one place where history’s largest battle was fought — Stalingrad, Russia 1943. It is impossible to relocate these battles onto alternative sites. So it is for the Battle of Zarahemla in 87 BC. We have more details about this battle than another battle in the Book of Mormon. Because the country’s largest river is flowing down the middle of the battlefield and because both armies walked across the River Sidon, I will show how the Hill Amnihu and the Valley of Gideon are connected and that after the encounter of the armies on the first-day battleline for both armies moved to the place on the Des Moines Rapids that Robert E. Lee identified in his 1837 Survey. That is the place where the depth of the river’s water from one bank to another bank is shallow enough for an army to cross over 5,600 feet. Thousands of soundings from Robert E. Lee’s 1837 Survey shows us this place After the morning battle on the Hill Amnihu, both armies went 4.5 miles down through the Valley of Gideon. That valley ends on the east side of the River Sidon. At that place, armies walked across the river. The Des Moines Rapids was 11 miles long and its elevation dropped 22 feet over hard limestone. All this was happening where the Valley of Gideon and the River Sidon came together. One army crossed on the evening of the first day. The other army crossed in haste on the morning of the second day. Their spies had heard that the Lamanites were coming from the west and Alma’s armies had to move quickly to help their defenseless families in Zarahemla. The terrain is so specific to the battlefield that there is no other place in the world where the Battle of Zarahemla in 87 BC could have happened as it is described in Alma 2. To my mind, this will become the compelling reason for us to scan the fields of Zarahemla to search for the ancient fires of that city. Stand by. We will all keep this project moving.” John C. Lefgren Email to Rian Nelson 4/30/20
Zarahemla
In The Lost City of Zarahemla, I discussed the origin of the name and its relevance to Book of Mormon geography. I concluded that the Nephites inherited the name from the Mulekites, who in turn were influenced by the Phoenicians who presumably brought them to America.(See blog about Phoneticians here). The name Sidon (River of Fish) recognizes the river for its properties as a source of food, and also for its utility as a border, the same way the ancient city of Sidon was used to mark a border in the Old Testament. I proposed that references to the river Sidon in the Book of Mormon amount to references to the river border, particularly in connection with the narrow strip of wilderness.
I also pointed out that the phrase “head of Sidon” cannot mean the source, but instead means the confluence of rivers. Figure 1 illustrates where the Mississippi joins the Missouri and Ohio Rivers. The Illinois River joins just north of the Missouri River. Somewhere in that area, or perhaps the entire section from the Missouri to the Ohio River, is the head of Sidon.
Alma 2
The next reported challenge Alma faced came in the fifth year of his judgeship. A follower of Nehor named Amlici desired to be king and demanded an election. When he lost, his supporters made him their king and he started an armed rebellion against the government in Zarahemla.
Alma, as chief judge and governor, led the Nephite armies against the Amlicites, who had come “upon the hill Amnihu, which was east of the river Sidon, which ran by the land of Zarahemla” (Alma 2:15). The text does not give north/south directions relative to the city of Zarahemla, but the later context suggests the hill Amnihu was south. How far south is unknowable. (See Map Below)
- Lamanites approach from the south
- Amlicites attack; Alma prevails and chases them
- Spies follow Amlicites, then return and tell Alma
- Amlicites join Lamanites in Minon and attack
- Battle in the River Sidon
- Amlicites and Lamanites scattered
The account in Alma 2 seems to say that the entire battle lasted one day, but I think this is an erroneous conclusion.
17 And they began to slay the Amlicites upon the hill east of Sidon. And the Amlicites did contend with the Nephites with great strength, insomuch that many of the Nephites did fall before the Amlicites.
18 Nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites, that they slew the Amlicites with great slaughter, that they began to flee before them.
19 And it came to pass that the Nephites did pursue the Amlicites all that day, and did slay them with much slaughter,
According to verse 19, the Nephites killed 12,532 Amlicites while losing 6,562 Nephites. These are massive numbers for a single day of battle, especially using swords, cimeters, bows, arrows, stones and slings. Even at Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in the Civil War, only 3,650 people were killed (2,100 Union and 1,550 Confederate).[i] The practical reality of such a battle leads me to propose that the battle at Amnihu lasted for several days, and it was only when the Amlicites began retreating that the Nephites pursued them for an entire day.
Presumably Alma pursued the Amlicites southward, because the Amlicites joined up with the Lamanites, who would have been coming from the land of Nephi to the south. Alma stopped in the valley of Gideon and his people pitched their tents for the night. One wonders how the army brought tents when they were engaged in hand-to-hand combat all day, chasing the enemy. Tents were not mentioned in their preparation (Alma 2:12). I infer their supplies were brought to them from the rear.
The next few verses have engendered a common misconception about this geography, so I’ll quote them in full.
21 And Alma sent spies to follow the remnant of the Amlicites, that he might know of their plans and their plots, whereby he might guard himself against them, that he might preserve his people from being destroyed.
22 Now those whom he had sent out to watch the camp of the Amlicites were called Zeram, and Amnor, and Manti, and Limher; these were they who went out with their men to watch the camp of the Amlicites.
23 And it came to pass that on the morrow they returned into the camp of the Nephites in great haste, being greatly astonished, and struck with much fear, saying:
24 Behold, we followed the camp of the Amlicites, and to our great astonishment, in the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi, we saw a numerous host of the Lamanites; and behold, the Amlicites have joined them;
25 And they are upon our brethren in that land; and they are fleeing before them with their flocks, and their wives, and their children, towards our city; and except we make haste they obtain possession of our city, and our fathers, and our wives, and our children be slain.
This all happened at night, so it is not clear how the spies observed this. Perhaps there was a full moon, or maybe the Amlicites and the Lamanite army had torches.
Figure 2 shows the relative position of the named sites.
The main geographic clue is “in the course of the land of Nephi.” As discussed previously when Ammon did not know the course to go up to the land of LehiNephi (Mosiah 7:4), a course is a way or path. In this case, “the course of the land of Nephi” would have been the river Sidon itself, which was the path or way out of Zarahemla, leading toward the land of Nephi. This tells us the spies followed the Amlicites south along the river.
The phrase “above the land of Zarahemla” is unique in the text; no other geographic information refers to one place being “above” another. When used to describe land, the term is always used qualitatively; e.g., “a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20). If the term is used consistently here, it would mean Minon was a “more choice” land than Zarahemla, which might be one reason the spies were so astonished to see it being plundered. Alternatively, it could be a unique usage, intended to mean that the land of Minon was higher in elevation than the land of Zarahemla, which is why I placed it in the hilly area between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers on the map above.
Another possibility is that the land of Minon was on the west side of the river Sidon and that the spies made their observations by looking across the river. There are hilly areas on that side, as well.
When the spies told Alma he needed to “make haste,” they could have meant make haste to reach the city and set up defenses, or make haste to intercept the Lamanites. The next verses suggest the Nephites were going to try to outrun the Lamanites, but couldn’t do it.
26 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi took their tents, and departed out of the valley of Gideon towards their city, which was the city of Zarahemla.
27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them. (See blog about the shallow Mississippi River)
Because the Lamanites “came upon” the Nephites as the Nephites were crossing the river, the Lamanites had to be behind the Nephites, following them into the river.
An interesting feature of the Mississippi River is the numerous islands that form in the channel. Here’s an example. Figure 3
Mississippi River crossing
This section of the river, located just north of my proposed Gideon, is 2.5 miles wide, from bank to bank. The island in the channel is about 1.5 miles wide at its widest point. What is now farmland to the east (right) of the current river is part of the historic channel, which is over five miles wide. (Now the river is controlled by dams and locks.)
With this in mind, the description in Alma of a battle taking place while crossing the river makes perfect sense. Alma, strengthened by his faith, killed Amlici with his sword. The scripture describes what happened next.
32 And he also contended with the king of the Lamanites; but the king of the Lamanites fled back from before Alma and sent his guards to contend with Alma.
33 But Alma, with his guards, contended with the guards of the king of the Lamanites until he slew and drove them back.
34 And thus he cleared the ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west of the river Sidon, throwing the bodies of the Lamanites who had been slain into the waters of Sidon, that thereby his people might have room to cross and contend with the Lamanites and the Amlicites on the west side of the river Sidon.
35 And it came to pass that when they had all crossed the river Sidon that the Lamanites and the Amlicites began to flee before them, notwithstanding they were so numerous that they could not be numbered.
36 And they fled before the Nephites towards the wilderness which was west and north, away beyond the borders of the land; and the Nephites did pursue them with their might, and did slay them.
37 Yea, they were met on every hand, and slain and driven, until they were scattered on the west, and on the north, until they had reached the wilderness, which was called Hermounts; and it was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts.
Since Nebraska is west of Iowa and Minnesota is north, I found the following information about the types of animals from these states.
Mammal Identification
Nebraska is home to 80 species of mammals. Some of these animals include: white-tailed deer, pronghorns, coyotes, bob cats, pocket gophers, swift fox, and river otters. NEBRASKA EXTENSION WILDLIFE
Mammals in Minnesota (a partial list)
- American (Pine) marten
- Badger
- Bats
- Beaver
- Bison
- Black bear
- Bobcat
- Canada lynx
- Chipmunk
- Cougar (Mountain Lion)
- Coyote
- Elk
- Elk hunting
- Fisher
- Gray fox
- Red fox
- Gray wolf (Timber wolf)
- Groundhog/Woodchuck
- Mice, voles and rats
38 And it came to pass that many died in the wilderness of their wounds, and were devoured by those beasts and also the vultures of the air; and their bones have been found, and have been heaped up on the earth.
Vultures
There are two types of vultures in North America, the ever expanding Turkey Vulture, which is showing up farther north into Canada every year. This bird is seen right across the USA. Then there is the Black Vulture, which lives in the southeastern states and into Mexico.
The Turkey Vulture is able to find carrion with its excellent eyesight or with its sense of smell, unlike the Black Vulture that is only able to find its food visually.
(Left) Effigy of a hawk/vulture claw cut from sheet mica, Ohio Hopewell culture, 100 BC-500 AD. Excavated from Hopewell Mound Group, Ross County, Ohio ca. 1922-1925. The Hopewell obtained mica from western North Carolina. Archaeologists are not certain how they used mica cut outs. This object is held in the Ohio History Connection Archaeology Collection.
There are a lot of strange aspects of this account. The Lamanites and Amlicites originally attacked from the south, having come from the direction of “the course of the land of Nephi.” Yet when they start losing the battle, the Lamanites and Amlicites are chased to the west and north—exactly the opposite direction. It’s understandable that the Nephites would want to chase them to Hermounts, where the wild beasts would help finish them off, but why would the Lamanites not just retreat back from where they came?
As I read this, Alma was crossing the river when the Lamanites attacked. The battle ensued on the river; i.e., on one of these islands in the middle of the river. Alma then cleared the west bank of the island so his people could “have room to cross and contend with the [enemy] on the west side of the river” (Alma 2:34). This fits the text, which distinguishes between the “ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west of the river”—the ground Alma cleared—and the “west side of the river,” where Alma wanted to fight the battle.
The scripture says “when they had all crossed the river Sidon,” which I take to mean all the combatants, not just all the Nephites. Alma wisely saw that he had to lure the Lamanites to the west side; the last thing he would want is the Lamanites and Amlicites to return where they came from. Once he got them on the west bank, he could prevent them from returning home. Instead, he scattered them on the west and north.
The sequence and location of these events are shown on the map below.
Figure 5 Alma 2 – Amlicite battles
The scattering and death of the Amlicites and Lamanites who attacked Alma’s army was not the end of the wars caused by Nehor’s teachings. Nehor and Amlici developed a following prior to their deaths, and this became one of the main causes of the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites.” Moroni’s America page 145 to 150
Here is the amazing map at the end of this blog, from the Office of the State Archaeologist The University of Iowa; Iowa City, IA 52242 319-384-0732 [email protected] Nephites and Jaredites lived in Iowa and Missouri!!
https://archaeology.uiowa.edu/woodland-period-0
Watch John Lefgren’s video from last week titled, “Thank you Robert E. Lee for helping us find Zarahemla”
The ability to cross the mighty Mississippi during Joseph’s time is as real as the crossing of a mighty river named Sidon in the BofM in Alma 2 and Alma 43. Other secondary evidence that the River Sidon has similar traits as the Mississippi is interesting and COOL. The River Sidon being the same river as the Mississippi is a strong possibility.
Our friends Wilson and Jennice Curlee live among the mounds where we believe Alma 2 happened. See the article here of a blog about them. The map below shows where the Curlees feel the various cities are of the Book of Mormon.
Comments from the Curlee’s in the comment section below:
“Thanks for posting the additional Map Rian. We all are privileged to receive personal revelation and confirmation. We do not say that our feelings are the only right ones, but we have had some very tender experiences. We believe that the City of Jershon is about 30 miles to the north and east of present day Nauvoo, Illinois. But in addition, we also believe that the LAND of Jershon within the LAND of Zarahemla stretches far to the North and east, possibly as far as Lake Michigan (which would have been much larger), and as far east as the Spoon and Illinois Rivers. The Arrogant Zoramites drove out their humble poor who were invited to live within the Land Jershon, which then made the Zoramites angry with the People of Ammon who also lived there. We believe the Zoramites lived close to the Illinois River, and the border seems very easy to cross as they went back and forth. This anger caused a tremendous battle when the Zoramites joined with the Lamanites to seek their revenge on the People of Ammon and the Nephites who protected them. The Land of Jershon was large enough that several times in the scriptures Lamanites who were taken prisoner were sent there to live after they would surrender in battle and give an oath not to fight anymore.” Wilson and Jennice Curlee
