Astonishing Corroboration Of The Book Of Mormon

[consiglieri]

Last night, as part of my preparation for Sunday school class dealing with Abinadi, I came across something that has left me somewhat astonished.

One of the strongest arguments against the Book of Mormon has been the insertion of post-Christian Pauline theology in a pre-Christian context; specifically the Pauline doctrine that it was no longer necessary to keep the law of Moses after the Messiah came. Remarkably, however, the same concept is found in the pre-Christian Dead Sea Scrolls.

An example of the Book of Mormon teaching is found in Abinadi's speech:

Mosiah 13:27 And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses.

28 And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.

Another example is found in the words of Nephi:

2 Nephi 25:24--And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.

25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away.

Of interest in this regard is the fact that, in no less than three passages from the pre-Christian Dead Sea Scrolls, it appears a similar view was held by that group of pious Jews; i.e., that they should keep the strict law until the Messiah should come:

They should not depart from any counsel of the law in order to walk in complete stubborness of their heart, but instead shall be ruled by the first directives which the men of the Community began to be taught until the prophet comes, and the Messiahs of Aaron and Israel.--The Rule of the Community, 1QS IX, 9-11.

And in accordance with this regulation shall the seed of Israel walk and it will not be cursed. And this is the rule of the assembly [of the ca]mps. Those who walk in them, in the time of wickedness until there arises the messiah of Aaron and Israel.--The Damascus Document, CD XII, 21-23; XII, 1.

And this is the exact interpretation of the regulations by which [they shall be ruled] [until there arises the messiah] of Aaron and Israel. He shall atone for their sins.--The Damascus Document, CD XIV, 18-19.

[All DSS quotes from Florentino Garcia Martinez, The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans; Grand Rapids, MI, 1996), pp. 13, 43-44.]

Perhaps especially remarkable is this last quote from the Damascus Document, in which the idea that the "exact interpretation of the regulations" shall be followed "until there arises the messiah of Aaron and Israel" who "shall atone for their sins."

This bears such a striking resemblance to the passage from Mosiah quoted above that I will reproduce it here for comparison:

Mosiah 13:27 And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses.

28 And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.

What to make of this? At a minimum, it appears that Paul's teaching that the law of Moses need not be followed after the Messiah had come was not original to him, but was shared in some respect by the Qumran Community before Christ. Hence, the criticism that the Book of Mormon contains this same teaching in a pre-Christian context no longer packs the same punch it once did.

And dare I even breathe the word "bull's-eye"?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[Kevin Christensen]

Very nicely observed. Thanks for sharing.

Kevin Christensen

Pittsburgh, PA

[consiglieri]

Very nicely observed. Thanks for sharing.

Kevin Christensen

Pittsburgh, PA

I must give credit to my source, which is Hugh Nibley from his second volume of the Book of Mormon Honors Class transcripts.

I had read this all before some years back, but didn't really stop to take the time to digest it; or to look it up for myself in my copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (Actually, I didn't have a copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls the first time I read it!)

There is something about stopping, pondering, re-reading, checking the references, and thinking through the implications, that really brought the significance of this home to me.

That and the fact that I have always felt this particular aspect of the Book of Mormon somewhat anachronistic.

But if it is anachronistic in the Book of Mormon, what shall we say of its appearance in the pre-Christian Dead Sea Scrolls?

Some may be surprised to find out that Hugh Nibley's references were spot on!

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[juliann]

JS had read the DSS, everybody knows that. Check some of the BOM words and you will find them there too.

[LifeOnaPlate]

I must give credit to my source, which is Hugh Nibley from his second volume of the Book of Mormon Honors Class transcripts.

Page #?

[LifeOnaPlate]

JS had read the DSS, everybody knows that. Check some of the BOM words and you will find them there too.

Actually, I think E. T. A. Hoffmann had read the Dead Sea Scrolls, included the portions in his Golden Pot story, and Joseph got the idea from there.

[Luigi]

And dare I even breathe the word "bull's-eye"?

I don't know consiglieri, I feel like you might be painting an awful big bull's-eye on this one. Didn't the Essenes believe they were preparing to usher in the end of the world? If so wouldn't an end of the world essentially bring an end to practicing the law and begin life in heaven? Also the first passage you quoted to me seems to indicate that they will live under the directives of the community (which included a lot of things not considered part of the law of Moses from what I understand) until a messiah would come. I admit I am no expert on the Essenes or the Dead Sea Scrolls but I don't see a strong link here.

[LifeOnaPlate]

I don't know consiglieri, I feel like you might be painting an awful big bull's-eye on this one. Didn't the Essenes believe they were preparing to usher in the end of the world? If so wouldn't an end of the world essentially bring an end to practicing the law and begin life in heaven? Also the first passage you quoted to me seems to indicate that they will live under the directives of the community (which included a lot of things not considered part of the law of Moses from what I understand) until a messiah would come. I admit I am no expert on the Essenes or the Dead Sea Scrolls but I don't see a strong link here.

Interesting that the Essenes may have had millennial expectations in conjunction with actual prophecies about a change in law, new dispensation, etc. That sounds familiar, too.

[Aquilifer]

The Kinderhook plates undermine any and all such lucky guesses.

[Luigi]

Interesting that the Essenes may have had millennial expectations in conjunction with actual prophecies about a change in law, new dispensation, etc. That sounds familiar, too.

That one would expect major changes after God brought the world to an end seems rather unsurprising.

[consiglieri]

That one would expect major changes after God brought the world to an end seems rather unsurprising.

Perhaps you can educate me on this. The Old Testament has a lot of material in it, but I am unaware of anything in any of those 39-books that would indicate a similar belief that there would come a time when the law of Moses would no longer be observed.

More specifically, I am not aware of any statement in the Old Testament that the law of Moses would be kept until the coming of the Messiah, as in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Mormon.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[SolarPowered]

And this is the exact interpretation of the regulations by which [they shall be ruled] [until there arises the messiah] of Aaron and Israel. He shall atone for their sins.--The Damascus Document, CD XIV, 18-19.

Just a nit, but if I am not mistaken, the brackets mark lacunae that were interpolated by the translator? If that is the case, the "until there arises the messiah" is not particularly probative, because it's just the translator's guess, not what was actually written before Christ came.

Other than that, this is very interesting stuff! Thanks for posting it!

[consiglieri]

Just a nit, but if I am not mistaken, the brackets mark lacunae that were interpolated by the translator? If that is the case, the "until there arises the messiah" is not particularly probative, because it's just the translator's guess, not what was actually written before Christ came.

Other than that, this is very interesting stuff! Thanks for posting it!

You may be right about that, but I think that lacunae are marked by [...] rather than brackets with text inside of it. I think that what we have here is a place where the text is damaged but not completely absent, as in a lacuna. I confess I am no expert.

I think that the reconstruction of the language in the brackets in CD XIV is supported by identical language in CD XII, as also quoted in the OP.

At any rate, nobody is arguing that Florentino Garcia Martinez is a closet Mormon.

Unless he is in the same closet with Margaret Barker.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[Luigi]

Perhaps you can educate me on this. The Old Testament has a lot of material in it, but I am unaware of anything in any of those 39-books that would indicate a similar belief that there would come a time when the law of Moses would no longer be observed.

More specifically, I am not aware of any statement in the Old Testament that the law of Moses would be kept until the coming of the Messiah, as in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Mormon.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

I don't know that it's in the Old Testament, I just know that the Essenes anticipated an end of the world in their lifetime and that they would expect practices to change with such an end doesn't seem that surprising.

[consiglieri]

I don't know that it's in the Old Testament, I just know that the Essenes anticipated an end of the world in their lifetime and that they would expect practices to change with such an end doesn't seem that surprising.

Does it seem surprising to you that the Dead Sea Scrolls community would associate the end of such practices with the coming of the Messiah who would atone for their sins, precisely as we have it in the Book of Mormon?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[Bill Hamblin]

I don't know that it's in the Old Testament, I just know that the Essenes anticipated an end of the world in their lifetime and that they would expect practices to change with such an end doesn't seem that surprising.

The DSS version of Essene movement lasted from the mid-second century until sometime around AD 70. That's over two hundred years, or around eight generations. Obviously they didn't expect the "world to end" in "their" lifetime, since the movement encompassed at least eight lifetimes. It is true, on they other hand, that they were an eschatological movement.

Given the standard contemporary concepts of torah (Law of Moses) and halacha (Legal interpretations of Law of Moses)--such as the preexistent and eternal nature of the Torah--the DSS ideas in this regard are rather radical.

At any rate, anti-Mormons can have it both ways. They can't claim the BOM manifests uniquely Christian ideas, but as soon as we find them in pre-Christian literature start claiming that such ideas are "not surprising".

Talk about moving the goal-post after the ball has been kicked!

[Alf O'Mega]

The DSS version of Essene movement lasted from the mid-second century until sometime around AD 70. That's over two hundred years, or around eight generations. Obviously they didn't expect the "world to end" in "their" lifetime, since the movement encompassed at least eight lifetimes.

How does that follow? Mormonism has spanned at least half a dozen generations, depending on how you count them, and Mormons from each generation (including the current one) have believed that Christ would come during their lifetime.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Perhaps you can educate me on this. The Old Testament has a lot of material in it, but I am unaware of anything in any of those 39-books that would indicate a similar belief that there would come a time when the law of Moses would no longer be observed.More specifically, I am not aware of any statement in the Old Testament that the law of Moses would be kept until the coming of the Messiah, as in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Mormon.All the Best!--Consiglieri

Exactly.

Does it seem surprising to you that the Dead Sea Scrolls community would associate the end of such practices with the coming of the Messiah who would atone for their sins, precisely as we have it in the Book of Mormon?All the Best!--Consiglieri

Exactly.

[consiglieri]

Talk about moving the goal-post after the ball has been kicked!

Here's to Captain Hamblin, the African explorer!

[thesometimesaint]

Alf O'Mega:

We are to prepare as if it were to happen in our lifetimes. But in all likelihood to may be a little longer.

One thing is for certain however we will meet Him in the next.

[consiglieri]

How does that follow? Mormonism has spanned at least half a dozen generations, depending on how you count them, and Mormons from each generation (including the current one) have believed that Christ would come during their lifetime.

WARNING!

THREAD DERAILMENT IN PROGRESS!

MUST . . . NOT . . . LOOK AT EVIDENCE THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE!

[Bill Hamblin]

You may be right about that, but I think that lacunae are marked by [...] rather than brackets with text inside of it. I think that what we have here is a place where the text is damaged but not completely absent, as in a lacuna. I confess I am no expert.

I think that the reconstruction of the language in the brackets in CD XIV is supported by identical language in CD XII, as also quoted in the OP.

At any rate, nobody is arguing that Florentino Garcia Martinez is a closet Mormon.

Unless he is in the same closet with Margaret Barker.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

The text is the square brackets is restored lacunae based on parallel passages.

It should be noted that the "prophet" mentioned in these texts is the "prophet like unto Moses" mentioned in Dt 18:15 (cf. Is 63:11, Acts 3:22; 1 Ne 22:20-21).

Also the idea that the Messiah will atone for the sins is probably the belief that the Messiah will perform a valid Day of Atonement ritual, which the Essenes believed was no longer legitimately performed because an apostate priesthood controlled the Temple. This, of course, parallels the idea in Hebrews that Christ is the Great High Priest who performed the perfect Day of Atonement ritual.

There are therefore a number of interlocking concepts that were once thought to be uniquely Christian which are now know to have pre-Christian parallels.

[Bill Hamblin]

Here's to Captain Hamblin, the African explorer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCvz8y_DUSY...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbyzTI0M8eo

[Alf O'Mega]

WARNING!

THREAD DERAILMENT IN PROGRESS!

MUST . . . NOT . . . LOOK AT EVIDENCE THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE!

Just questioning some reasoning in an on-topic post in this thread. If that's off-topic, then brethren, adieu.

[consiglieri]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCvz8y_DUSY...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbyzTI0M8eo

The captain is a very moral man!