Hello. The book of Ether has no year and dates like the other chapters in the Book of Mormon, but most people seem to belive that It spans a period of about 1500-2000 years, from the tower of babel to when the mulekites found coriantumr?
But in the book of Ether they list 30 generations from Jared to Ether – isnt that way too few generations for such a long period of time?
Daniel,
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One Response to “Hello. The book of Ether has no year and dates like the…”
Lucas Bravo
2013-06-02 20:54:55
Since it was first published in English in 1830, the Book of Mormon has been fully translated into 72 languages.
Hi Daniel. I'm happy you're reading the Book of Mormon so carefully. :) The dates listed in the Book of Mormon are not part of the scripture itself. They are merely meant to be helpful study aids. I wouldn't put too much importance on them.
The actual dates of ancient events are difficult to pinpoint. I've seen estimates for Coriantumr's encounter with the Mulekites range from 600 B.C. to 200 B.C. Lot's of scholars think the Tower of Babel described in the Bible is the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to Marduk in the city of Babylon. The Etemenanki may have been built as early as the second millennium or as late as the ninth century B.C. Assuming you're correct in stating that 30 generations passed between Jared and Ether, and that each generation lasted about 30 years, then the entire span of Jaradite civilization would be about 900 years. If we assume 400 B.C. as representative of Ether's time, then we might expect the Tower of Babel to have been built in 1300 B.C. This projected date is well within the range of dates given for the construction of the Etemenanki.
In the end, though, these details are really not important. The value of the Book of Mormon lies in its theological truth, not its historical truth. I hope this answer helps.
The actual dates of ancient events are difficult to pinpoint. I've seen estimates for Coriantumr's encounter with the Mulekites range from 600 B.C. to 200 B.C. Lot's of scholars think the Tower of Babel described in the Bible is the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to Marduk in the city of Babylon. The Etemenanki may have been built as early as the second millennium or as late as the ninth century B.C. Assuming you're correct in stating that 30 generations passed between Jared and Ether, and that each generation lasted about 30 years, then the entire span of Jaradite civilization would be about 900 years. If we assume 400 B.C. as representative of Ether's time, then we might expect the Tower of Babel to have been built in 1300 B.C. This projected date is well within the range of dates given for the construction of the Etemenanki.
Interestingly, in researching this question I learned that Native Americans have many Tower-of-Babel traditions, perhaps consistent with the Book-of-Mormon narrative.
In the end, though, these details are really not important. The value of the Book of Mormon lies in its theological truth, not its historical truth. I hope this answer helps.