Description
The Book of Mormon and the Book of Jasher – What is the Connection?
In 1839, an ancient pure rabbinical Hebrew manuscript was recovered in the ruins of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., subsequently translated into English in 1839, in Liverpool, England, then published in 1840 in New York City. The work was titled, “Sefer haYashar,” or “Book of the Upright,” or the “Book of Jasher.” Significantly, ten years earlier, the Book of Mormon, an ancient record written in reformed Egyptian, was recovered from an ancient Hebrew people, translated by Joseph Smith in 1829 then published in 1830. Both books contain Old Testament events that are similar, but are not found, to date, in other ancient records. Other revelations by Joseph Smith recorded in the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham and the Doctrine and Covenants, that were received prior to the 1840 English publication of the Book of Jasher are substantiated in the Book of Jasher. An overview of the history of the discovery of the lost Book of Jasher, as referenced in the books of Joshua and 2 Samuel, with specific events contained therein and substantiated by modern revelation, will be presented that validates Joseph Smith, Jr. as a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. An introduction to the “Annotated Edition of The Book of Jasher, The Annals of the Early Hebrews” will be presented. David R. Hocking, Author of The Annotated Edition of the Book of Mormon
This Annotated Edition of the Book of Jasher seems to have struck a resonant chord among readers of this ancient parallel Biblical history spanning a timeframe from the creation of Adam and Eve to the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. From the gorgeous cover to the gilded pages filled with scores of Master painters of Biblical art, annotations, insights and a comprehensive Index, the book’s unique appeal stems, in part, from the fact that it is the first edition to feature a literary treatment of the many Hebraisms in the text. Another aspect is the changing font colors throughout the text: red for the voice of Deity, blue for angels and blue for the voice of Satan.
The familiar 1840 English text has been treated in three unique dimensions:
1st, a LITERARY treatment of the text;
2nd, addition of “INSIGHT” pages;
3rd, use of vast amounts of COLOR in a variety of forms.
The content has not been altered, but the formatting and literary presentation of the text has. e.g. verses are combined into coherent paragraphs; new descriptive headers appear within chapters over each new thought. Verse numbers are superscripted; poetical stanzas shown in their Hebraic forms; quotation marks, indentation and BOLD text identify voices of speakers, and much more; Ancient Hebraic writing forms such as psalms, parallelisms, etc. are shown in-context along with font colors which establish textual hierarchy.
Over ten years in the making, this edition gives powerful testimony to the fact that the Book of Jasher is indeed a rich Hebrew literary masterpiece centered on the founding and early history of the Hebrew Nation.
The editor of this annotated edition, David R. Hocking of Raleigh, North Carolina, began the project as a way of enhancing his own study of the Book of Jasher to determine if it related an authentic parallel history as contained in the Hebrew Old Testament Scripture. His findings reveal that modern revelations prior to the English translation in 1840 corroborate specific events in the Book of Jasher that are not found in the Old Testament, and will, therefore, enhance your understanding of how this volume can be helpful as it supplements the Old Testament history of the founding of the Hebrew nation.
Jeff Downs –
Note: My review will specifically focus on Hocking’s Annotated Book of Enoch but could just as easily apply to his Annotated Book of Jasher (which I thoroughly enjoyed as well).
Traditionally The Book of Enoch and The Book of Jasher are avoided since these books are not considered “canon”. But, after reading David Hocking’s treatment of the texts, THAT would be a tragic mistake! When it comes to apocryphal writing, the Lord himself advised that “there are many things contained therein that are true . . . for the Spirit manifesteth truth; and whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom.” (D&C 91:2-5)
In fact, 1 Enoch 104:12-13 states; ” . . . books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. And to them shall the books be given, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them.”
Hocking’s two apocryphal volumes, without question, accomplish this!
To anyone with reservations, please know that Hocking gently guides the reader through the texts adding insight pages to help enlighten and instruct. Sources come from many different backgrounds, though Hocking is faithfully mindful of how a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints might benefit, draw meaning, and learn from the text. Hocking is never heavy-handed but allows the reformatted structure of the text to GUIDE you in your exploration and allow you to reach your own meaning and conclusions. I can’t say enough regarding his formatting of the material. Often HOW a section has been presented gives amazing insight and clarity that words cannot. His insight notes and pages are just as powerful. I had a question that bothered me all throughout the text of The Book of Enoch but FINALLY found my answer on the second to last page. It was well worth the struggle! Talk about a payoff!
Hocking doesn’t spoonfeed. He enlightens and highlights aspects of the text and then allows you to put forth the effort to learn and grow from the experience. Some of the original text has been corrupted and can seem a bit “out there.” Hocking acknowledges this. Such is the case with any book of scripture. Not all difficult to interpret passages will be resolved until further light and knowledge are given. But, I am grateful for what Hocking’s books have to offer and how they support and corroborate what scripture we DO have. We have been promised more scripture in the future. This gives me a taste of what reading such scripture will be like. And, who knows if the bringing to light of such material isn’t already the beginning of the fulfillment of that very promise. Will we value it? Will we appreciate it?
As I read these books, I kept in the back of my mind a thought I have always valued from gospel scholar David J. Ridges: “Whenever we see something which appears on the surface to be a contradiction, we know that it is our understanding which is flawed, rather than the word of God. Therefore, whenever we come to a word or phrase we may not understand there is wisdom in looking at other possible meanings for it, especially paying attention to the context in which it is set.”
Hocking helps provide the context and bring clarity to the intended message. You must still sift through much of the parable/symbolic/metaphorical material for meaning, but the increase in your learning, understanding, and appreciation of scripture, in general, is worth the effort!
Mindy Mcgreen –
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