12 replies to this topic

[Kjev]

Hello. I'm new to the board, and it seems to be an ideal place to ask a question I've pondered for years.

I'm a blacksmith by hobby, and as I've read and re-read the Book of Mormon, I've often wondered what Laban's sword looked like. I can gather from Nephi's description and Laban's status that it was probably more elaborate than your common foot soldier's weapon, but my area of expertise is not the ancient middle east. I tried to google it, and I got pictures of everything from an Egyptian kopesh to President Obama (no kidding. I'm not sure what Google's search engine is up to, but it blew that one).

My opinion is that is was probably a very nice sword, but built in the style common to swords in ancient Israel around 600 BC. Can anyone point me to some pictures of what their swords looked like around then?

[CASteinman]

I think very few steel weapons from that time have survived to modern times, so you won't find many good examples.  It would have had to have been a very rare and precious sword -- more precious than gold -- and would have likely been modeled after the also rare but more common Iron or Bronze swords of the time.  It might have had some sort of basic blade constructed in Africa or Turkey and then had other more elaborate and attractive components added at home.

Maybe it started as something like this

http://www.liveaucti...nze-short-sword

Or this

http://www.christies...5/d4585533x.jpg

Edited by CASteinman, 29 July 2012 - 09:59 PM.

[Ron Beron]

Kjev, on 29 July 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

Hello. I'm new to the board, and it seems to be an ideal place to ask a question I've pondered for years.

I'm a blacksmith by hobby, and as I've read and re-read the Book of Mormon, I've often wondered what Laban's sword looked like. I can gather from Nephi's description and Laban's status that it was probably more elaborate than your common foot soldier's weapon, but my area of expertise is not the ancient middle east. I tried to google it, and I got pictures of everything from an Egyptian kopesh to President Obama (no kidding. I'm not sure what Google's search engine is up to, but it blew that one).

My opinion is that is was probably a very nice sword, but built in the style common to swords in ancient Israel around 600 BC. Can anyone point me to some pictures of what their swords looked like around then?

Short, either bronze or iron.  Something like this...

[Pa Pa]

Kjev, on 29 July 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

Hello. I'm new to the board, and it seems to be an ideal place to ask a question I've pondered for years.

I'm a blacksmith by hobby, and as I've read and re-read the Book of Mormon, I've often wondered what Laban's sword looked like. I can gather from Nephi's description and Laban's status that it was probably more elaborate than your common foot soldier's weapon, but my area of expertise is not the ancient middle east. I tried to google it, and I got pictures of everything from an Egyptian kopesh to President Obama (no kidding. I'm not sure what Google's search engine is up to, but it blew that one).

My opinion is that is was probably a very nice sword, but built in the style common to swords in ancient Israel around 600 BC. Can anyone point me to some pictures of what their swords looked like around then?

No pictures...it did own to a very rich man. So I guessing it nicer that a common man's sword.

[Pa Pa]

Ron Beron, on 29 July 2012 - 10:57 PM, said:

Short, either bronze or iron.  Something like this...

Then not what BoM teaches, and would not have survived in a stone book for more than 100 years.

[ERMD]

Handle on one end, pointy on the other.

[Ron Beron]

Pa Pa, on 30 July 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

Then not what BoM teaches, and would not have survived in a stone book for more than 100 years.

Apparently the one I posted did.

[blackstrap]

It also had to be very sharp.I tried to cut the head off a turkey with a dull knife once. Not a pleasant experience for either of us!!

[Ron Beron]

blackstrap, on 30 July 2012 - 09:44 PM, said:

It also had to be very sharp.I tried to cut the head off a turkey with a dull knife once. Not a pleasant experience for either of us!!

Especially the turkey.  Yikes!

[Pa Pa]

Ron Beron, on 30 July 2012 - 08:46 PM, said:

Apparently the one I posted did.

SInce not a picture of the actual sword...not sure how. Could be if the Liahona did and the U&T. The U&T we hay still have they had it in Nauvoo.

[volgadon]

As a high-ranking official, Laban would have had a long sword. Here are some good visuals.
http://www.myarmoury...pic.php?t=22529

[Ron Beron]

volgadon, on 31 July 2012 - 10:24 PM, said:

As a high-ranking official, Laban would have had a long sword. Here are some good visuals.
http://www.myarmoury...pic.php?t=22529

Long swords ala Vikings and knights were much later in the evolution of the sword.  These were only about 18 inches long.  The major weapon was the lance or spear.

[Kjev]

Ron Beron, on 01 August 2012 - 10:15 AM, said:

Long swords ala Vikings and knights were much later in the evolution of the sword.  These were only about 18 inches long.  The major weapon was the lance or spear.

As I understand it, longer swords were difficult to make in the bronze age because of the softness of the metal used. When steel forging became more developed, longer swords were possible. Also something to take into account is the size of the user. Many peoples of ancient times were shorter, so longer weapons would have been awkward.

Thank you all for the help and input.