It is the largest 734 cm and best preserved of all the biblical scrolls, and the only one that is almost complete. Isaiah is the most quoted old testament prophet in the book of mormon volume, and this tome does justice to the essential role isaiah plays in the volume, with many essays dedicating to exegeting the nephite midrash of isaiah periocpe and whole chapters in the book of mormon text. Im currently going through the bom for the first time. Isnt the story of the 116 pages being lost unreasonable. This chart lists book of mormon passages that quote or paraphrase the words of isaiah, which held great meaning for the nephites and also apply to us today. Originally available in 1983, my isaiah variants in the book of mormon was. Doesnt it support the idea of fraud by joseph smith. By sharing a vast range of resources including study guides, articles, podcasts, and more, we hope to provide readers with ways to search the book of isaiah. Mt isaiah versus the great isaiah scroll 1qisa donald w. A fiscal bulla from the city of david, israel exploration. A question of book of mormon scholarship is whether the several chapters or passages of isaiah cited or paraphrased in the book derive from an ancient text or whether they have been copied with some revision from the king james version. This, in a nutshell, is the deuteroisaiah problem in the book of mormon. Exploring how the 7part structure themes flow through the narrative of the. May 27, 2011 the dead sea scrolls are the oldest hebrew texts of the jewish bible that we have today.
These three were later identified as a copy of the biblical book of isaiah. The book of mormon contains many linguistic similarities to the king james bible kjv. Byus maxwell institute published a paper by avraham gileadi where he advanced the thesis that isaiah is a key to understanding the book of mormon. I have no opinion on the bom and am letting it present itself. It was found in 1947 in a cave in qumran, near the dead sea. Ive read the bible and gone through the some of the dead sea scrolls. I will include a partial list of such similarities and parallels to mormon doctrine and practices that i have found in my studies of the various dead sea scrolls, and in books by many authors dealing with the subject of the scrolls. The book of isaiah is one of the most frequently cited prophetic works within lds scripture. Marks isaiah scroll from cave 1 of qumran, was found to be marked, mainly in the margins, sometimes between the lines, sometimes in hebrew written backwards, called atbash, and most often by the mark of the tau, an x, later perhaps incorporated in to xmas. Tvedtnes, john a the messiah, the book of mormon, and the dead sea scrolls. The book of isaiah is replete with references to the savior, often calling him the holy one of israel. Some of the isaiah variants from the dead sea scrolls support the book of mormon quotes from isaiah, while others support the massoretic text and still others support neither.
Always there is a call to repentance and loyalty to the savior. Parry, a member of the dead sea scrolls translation team and contributor to. Latter day saints were hopeful that these isaiah scrolls would bring some supportive evidence for the book of mormon. Book of mormon, isaiah and the prophets, edited by monte. With three volumes of eight lectures each, tap into the vastness of dr. Jul 05, 2008 im currently going through the bom for the first time. In my next article, although not officially part of the series, i will share how the book of mormon was an instrument in gathering me unto christ. Dead sea scrolls manuscript dead sea, ancient scroll. Chiasmus conference speakers book of mormon central. I read in the book of isiah, a passage that for told a child being born to a virgin. The isaiah scroll, designated 1qlsa a and also known as the great isaiah scroll, is one of the seven dead sea scrolls that were first discovered by bedouin shepherds in 1946 from qumran cave 1. The peoples of the dead sea scrolls, also the family of lehi was messianic israelites.
Now when i had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. One can easily object to the influence of isaiah 52, noted above, as source for dustrelated imagery and language in the book of mormon. Answers to questions about alleged problems in the book of mormon. One of the major criticisms of the book of mormon isaiah texts is that they contain parts of what have come to be termed first isaiah and deuteroisaiah by bible scholars. Why is it that the quotes from isaiah contained in the book of mormon have the same translation errors contained in the king james version. Next to the book of mormon references in this chart are corresponding references in the book of isaiah. My question regards how the bom quotes isaiah compared to the bible and dss. The only book that was found in its entirety is the book of isaiah, currently on display in a museum in israel.
Is there a break between isaiah 39 and 40 in the dead sea. A subtle difference between the bible and the book of mormon is the use of the phrase land of jerusalem by nephi and his descendants. Doing this visualizes a significant division in how isaiah is used. Parry is a professor of the hebrew bible and the dead sea scrolls at brigham young university. The dead sea scrolls backs up the lxx version, not our masoretic bibles.
Many scholastic studies tell us that the book of isaiah was divided into two parts. Archaeological and historical evidence why is there some of. The dead sea scrolls version of isaiah and jeremiah. The discovery of the dead sea scrolls have had dramatic implications for the study of jewish history, providing scholars with a large and diverse mostly religious literary corpus from the hellenisticroman period. Opening isaiah provides what has never before been provided to lds readers. Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 volume 16number 2 article 11 612004 isaiah in the bible and the book of mormon john a. Book of mormonrelationship to the dead sea scrolls fairmormon.
The book of mormon explicitly quotes the prophet isaiah. Remarkably, the only fully intact scroll displayed at the shrine of the book is the great isaiah scroll 1qlsa, which contains the entire book of isaiah that we. I spent some time reading about the running water coming from the temple, going down into the desert, and then running into the sea, and healing its waters. The messiah was keenly a part of the focus of the writers of the dead sea scrolls as also lehi and his family, and isaiah as well.
I have my the book of isaiah a new translation with interpretive keys from the book of mormon by avraham gileadi open this book contains a new translation by a wellknown scholar that stays as closely as possible to the hebrew text of isaiah. Dreams, visions, and near death experiences compared to the prophecy of isaiah. Mistranslations of the king james version of isaiah have been corrected using the isaiah version found with the dead sea scrolls. What makes the dead sea so unique however, is the hypersalinity of the water. Some people criticize the fact that isaiah is quoted in the book of mormon. Take isaiah 29 as an example, it tells in some detail about the coming forth of the book of mormon and is. A second reason why the book of mormon isaiah passages differ from similar passages in the dead sea scrolls is that the translation of the book of mormon may not always reflect a minute and highly detailed analysis of every word on the gold plates. Naturally, he begins by pointing out that both books teach us a lot about each other and the better we grasp the one, the more thoroughly we will know the other. However, i feel that the book of mormon can not only withstand the challenge, but the issue can actually be used to illuminate the nature of isaiah and shed light on why this is such a profound book.
The gathering of israel and the book of mormon search. Why do the book of mormon selections from isaiah sometimes. And in that day living waters will flow out of jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea. When the book of mormon people left jerusalem, they carried records on plates of brass that contained many old testament books predating 600 b. During the kingdom age about bc and onwards, the land of naphtali bordered the sea of galilee to the west. This book of mormon is brought to you for free and open access by the all journals at byu scholarsarchive. The dead sea isaiah scroll, which dates probably from the second century b. Finally, the incredibly popular dreams, visions, and near death experiences compared to the prophecy of isaiah online courses are available in audio format. One of the major criticisms of the book of mormon isaiah texts is that they contain parts of what have come to be termed first isaiah and deutero isaiah by bible scholars. It doesnt take long with a timeline to figure out that anything written after the destruction of jerusalem could not have been on the brass plates of laban, which nephi and his brothers seized before the destruction of jerusalem. Insights into patterns of isaiah in the book of mormon.
In the light of modern biblical criticism these quotations raise problems that have a serious bearing on the integrity of the nephite record as a whole. This shows a remarkable understanding of israelite history which joseph smith could not have had. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon. Discussing the socalled isaiah problem in the book of mormon.
Book of mormonrelationship to the dead sea scrolls. However, by applying various interpretive tools, the authors of the nineteen articles in isaiah in the book of mormon offer readers a clearer understanding of the function and message of isaiah as presented by the book of mormon authors. The book of mormon quotes twentyone complete chapters of isaiah and parts of others. I split the book of mormon into its two main sections, the small plates of nephi and mormons abridgment. In my next article, although not officially part of the series, i will share how the book of mormon was. These examples of variant readings in which the isaiah passages in the book of mormon agree with the isaiah scroll but not with the kjv could be multiplied.
But the absence of isaiah 5666 in the book of mormon is not evidence. Should they not be considered as valid as, say, the dead sea isaiah texts. Read dead sea scrolls, part 1 first dead sea scrolls the book of isaiah over 200 fragments from the dead sea scrolls are housed at the shrine of the book museum in jerusalem. We see in the quotations that we find of isaiah in the book of mormon, some of the key themes that are mentioned by isaiah. The discovery of the dead sea scrolls prompted great interest among scholars of the antiquities.
Since jerusalem is only a city, and not a land, in the bible, some have even criticized this detail in the book. Smoot professorship, which honors his work as a scholar and teacher. Exploring the apocrypha from a latterday saint perspective. Shown here is a portion of the dead sea scroll of isaiah 1qis a that is believed to date from 125 to 100 b. The main nephite prophets who quoted isaiah were nephi, jacob, and abinadi. Avraham gileadis new capstone book endtime prophecya judeomormon analysis is finally now available in ebook format. Comparing the book of mormon references to avraham gileadis 7part. The individual sheets that make up this scroll were sewn together with linen thread.
The isaiah passages in the book of mormon a non aligned text the above title and link refers to a 2001 masters thesis. The book of mormon contains twentyone chapters of the book of isaiah. The book of mormon qualifies the reference to way of the sea in isaiah, and makes it the red sea. Nevertheless, the simple response remains that it was a 19th century creation, maybe inspired, by. We western christians may worry about that, but eastern christians wont. Indeed, the book of mormon is the book of books, as parley p. But when we look at the entire description in isaiah 9. He is the author and editor of many works related to the dead sea scrolls and the old testament. The dead sea scrolls possible parallels to mormon doctrine. One benefit from mormon including some of the book of isaiah in the book of mormon is the correction of some errors in our english translation, the king james version. I later read that the dead sea scrolls also have this passage and were written well before the times or jesus of nazareth, so does this prove the virgin births authenticity. But evidence from ancient records and archaeology now confirm that the region surrounding the holy city could be called the land of jerusalem. Why does the book of mormon talk about a land of jerusalem. A textual comparison of the isaiah passages in the book of.
The scroll is written in hebrew and contains the entire book of isaiah from beginning to end, apart from a few small damaged portions. In this interview, stephen ricks explains how the dead sea scrolls can help us to understand the book of mormon and isaiah. Ds groundbreaking research and analysis of the book of isaiah provides the ideal medium for publishing isaiahs message to the world. The next portion of my study involved taking a chronological look at the book of mormon and identifying all of the references to isaiah. A mustread, precepts of men doctrines and ideas misleading the masses that lack scriptural support are here exposed in all their beguiling hues. Search isaiah is a resource for members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints to dive into the book of isaiah. Chapter 3 of the book evidences of the true church by dennis k. Jun 26, 2018 brother zach, thanks for your kind comments. In addition to writing six books on isaiah, parry brings twentyone years of work on the dead sea scrolls. Why do the book of mormon selections from isaiah sometimes parallel the king james version and not the dead sea scrolls text. In a 20 interview with dr peter flint, who is an editor on the isaiah scroll, he had the following to say about the issue. A study of the dead sea scroll of isaiah led brownlee to propose that. Concerning this record, the prophet joseph smith, who translated it by the gift and power of god, said, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book see the introduction at the. Donald parrycombining the promise offered by the dead sea scrolls with the richness of the book of isaiahhas provided in this volume.
Nestled between the borders of jordan and palestine, the dead sea is a large salt lake measuring 429 meters below sea level, a fact which establishes it as the lowest point on earth. The 54 columns contain all 66 chapters of the hebrew version of the biblical book of isaiah. My newest book, romes audacious claim, was released december 1. Dec 20, 2018 a subtle difference between the bible and the book of mormon is the use of the phrase land of jerusalem by nephi and his descendants.
The isaiah text in the book of mormon is an inspired rendering of text taken originally from the brass plates of laban and which consequently predates our current isaiah texts by. He has been a member of the international team of translators of the dead sea scrolls since january. First isaiah by isaiah of jerusalem chapters 9 and second isaiah by a writer living after the hebrews returned from captivity in babylon chapters 4066. The reference to the waters of the dead sea being healed was from ezekiel 47. It is the oldest complete copy of the book of isaiah, being. The book of mormon narrative says that the jews who left jerusalem for the new world had with them the scriptures written up until that point 600 b. It is important to note that the book of isaiah is one of the most frequently attested biblical books in dead sea scrolls collection. As one of the scrolls international team of translators. Gileadis fourty years of research on isaiah compared to accounts such. Most orthodox christians use the lxx for their old testament. Geza vermes, the complete dead sea scrolls in english new york, ny. The gathering of israel and the book of mormon search isaiah. Archaeological and historical evidence why is there some.
Overviews, the first of four parts in the volume, presents four essays. The isaiah institute was created in the year 2000 by the hebraeus foundation to disseminate the message of the prophet isaiah circa 742701 b. The messiah, the book of mormon, and the dead sea scrolls. He learned later that he would be the saviors instrument in restoring the ancient church of jesus christ to the earth in these latter days. Why is it that the quotes from isaiah contained in the book of mormon have the same translation errors contained in the king james version instead of matching the original. Exploring the isaiah scrolls and their textual variants dan. Joseph smith received the first vision of god the father and jesus christ in 1820. Notably, the dead sea scroll also says almah young woman. That the book of mormon quotes from isaiah is not a problem, except that joseph smiths 1830 translation reads nearly verbatim to the 1611 king james translation. Does the book of mormon incorrectly change isaiah 9. The isaiah problem in the book of mormon chap 11 shields. The book of mormon and the king james bible wikipedia. The dead sea scrolls are a collection of 9721 texts consisting of biblical manuscripts from what is now known as the hebrew bible and extrabiblical documents found between 1946 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the dead sea, from which they derive their name. In part 1, after discussing the book of mormon s clever use of isaiah 52 in the context of several ancient hebrew motifs, i turn to the deutero isaiah problem.
807 999 1095 718 1089 115 700 240 1072 71 375 274 1117 946 683 587 1431 1466 332 1027 226 261 162 47 611 287 1049 1066 709 757 152 1076 273 882 214 881 702 1069 841 1481 1145 1383 859