Yosef Jewish BofM

7/29/2019 Yosef Jewish BofM

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31 1 Ne. 2-426 1 Ne. 2:1015 1 Ne. 3:31-4:13 1 Ne. 16:10,

24 1 Ne. 16:3425 1 Ne. 16:34-363 1 Ne. 17:55 2 Nephi 2:21-26

10 2 Ne. 25:527 2 Ne. 2528 2 Ne. 252 Mosiah 1-6

11 Mosiah 1-68 Mosiah 2:20

19 Mosiah 3:151 Mosiah 5:10, 12

35 Mosiah 1116 Mosiah 11-1723 Mosiah 11-1720 Mosiah 12

21 Mosiah 1233 Mosiah 15:10-1334 Mosiah 16:7-913 Mosiah 18:10-1318 Mosiah 18:139 Alma 28:6-7, Alma 44:24-45:2

38 Alma 28:6-7, Alma 44:24-45:2 (expansion on 9)4 Alma 366 Alma 36-423 Alma 37:38

32 3 Ne. 4:2812 3 Ne. 10:1817 3 Ne. 13:2236 3 Ne 15:539 3 Ne. 20:1-22:177 Ether 3

17 Mormon 8:14-1514 ?22 ?40 addtnl to 2229 ? - jewish lit forms in bfom30 ? - jewish poetry in bofm37 repeat deleted41 ? - kjv english in bofm

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1 Mosiah 5:10, 122 Mosiah 1-63 1 Ne. 17:5

1 Ne. 16:10, Alma 37:384 Alma 365 2 Nephi 2:21-266 Alma 36-427 Ether 38 Mosiah 2:209 Alma 28:6-7, Alma 44:24-45:2


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10 2 Ne. 25:511 Mosiah 1-612 3 Ne. 10:1813 Mosiah 18:10-1314 ?15 1 Ne. 3:31-4:116 Mosiah 11-1717 3 Ne. 13:22 & Mormon 8:14-1518 Mosiah 18:1319 Mosiah 3:1520 Mosiah 1221 Mosiah 1222 ?23 Mosiah 11-1724 1 Ne. 16:3425 1 Ne. 16:34-3626 1 Ne. 2:1027 2 Ne. 2528 2 Ne. 2529 ? - jewish lit forms in bfom

30 ? - jewish poetry in bofm31 1 Ne. 2-432 3 Ne. 4:2833 Mosiah 15:10-1334 Mosiah 16:7-935 Mosiah 1136 3 Ne 15:537 repeat deleted38 Alma 28:6-7, Alma 44:24-45:2 (expansion on 9)39 3 Ne. 20:1-22:1740 addtnl to 2241 ? - kjv english in bofm

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King Benjamin's speech contains a bit of humor in Mosiah 5:10,12.Here the text reads:

And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not takeupon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name;therefore, he finds himself on the left hand of God....

I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain thename written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the

left hand of God...

In the Hebrew this is a bit "Punny" you see, because BenYamin (Bejamin)means "son of the right hand." That's right, an audiance listening tothisexposition would have had in mind that Benjamin's own "name" had themeaning "son of the right hand." This would likely have raised areverentbut humored chuckle from an audience.


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SUKKOT AND KING BENJAMIN'S MESSAGE

It is apparant that the occasion of King Benjamin's sermon(Mosiah 1-6) was that of Sukkot (the Festival of Booths/Tabernacles seeLev.23).

Now what are the parallels of the occasion of Benjamin's sermon, andSukkot?

1:10, 1:18, 2:1 - "...the people gathered themselves togetherthroughout all the land that they might go up to the Temple..."Pointing to one ofthe three pilgrimage feasts (Dt. 16:16).

2:3 "...the firstlings of their flocks..." At the Sukkot "fourteenlambs

of the first year" were to serve as a burnt offering (Num. 29:13).

2:4 "...to keep the commandments of God, that thereby they mightrejoice..." This indicates that an actual Torah commandment was beingfulfilled by the gathering. This included a commandment to "rejoice."This fits Sukkot, about which the Torah commands: "... and you shallrejoice before YHWH your God seven days." (Lev. 23:40). "Rejoicing" isan important theme throughout Benjamin's sermon.

2:5 "...pitched their tents..." one of the Hebrew words for "tent" is"sukkah" which can be translated "tent, booth or tabernacle." Duringthis festival Hebrews dwelt in "sukkot" (plural of "sukkah") (Lev.23:42).

Ok lets look at the text of King Benjamin's sermon in the bookof Mosiah, especially as it relates to Sukkot (the feast ofTabernacles):

2:20 closely parallels the Jewish prayer known as the Shehecheyanu:

Shehecheyanu Mosiah 2:20

Praised are you ...render all the thanks andpraise...

YHWH our God, King of the to that Goduniverse,

who has kept us, who has created you and haskept you

and has preserved us, and preserved you

and enabled us to reach and has caused that you should

this season. rejoice.


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This Jewish prayer is spoken on special occasions and holy days.This is significant because this event was a Sukkot celebration.

2:37 "...he dwelleth not in unholy temples." Each of the biblicalTemples were dedicated at Sukkot (1Kn. 8:2, 65; Neh. 8:13-18; 2Macc.10:5-8).This also brings us to a Sukkot theme, that of our bodies asTabernacles.

3:3 "...behold, I am come to declare to you glad tidings of great joy."This passage, like its NT parallel (Lk. 2:10-11) echoes the ancientliturgy for tabernacles. This is because Yeshua was born duringTabernacles.

As Messianic Jewish writer Joseph Good writes:

It is interesting to note that when the Messiah was born,angels appeared to shepherds of Bethlehem declaring theMessage of the Messiah's birth which echoes the ancientliturgy of Sukkot.

(ROSH HASHANNA AND THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM TO COMEby Joseph Good; p. 22)

3:5 "...the Lord... shall come down... and shall dwell in a tabernacleof clay." One of the major themes of Sukkot is that of the Messiahdwelling withus in a human tabernacle. For this reason the Messiah was born onSukkot.The birth of Yeshua on Sukkot has been shown by Messianic Jewish writerJoseph Good in his book ROSH HASHANNA AND THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM TO COMEby Joseph Good pp. 77-81.

Now there is also Book of Mormon evidence to support thisposition:

Yeshua was crucified on Thursday April 6th, 30 C.E. (14th ofNisan; Passover). The Book of Mormon places 34 years between the birthofYeshua and his death. If Yeshua was born at Sukkot of 4 B.C.E. (in theFall)and died on April 6th of 30 C.E., then we have 33 1/2 years, ordepending onhow the dates fall on the calendar, rounded up to 34 years.

The Book of Mormon also places the Birth of Yeshua at 600 yearsafter Lehi left Jerusalem (2Ne. 11:35). Now Zedekiah began his reign in598 or early 597 B.C.E.. Now according to John Sorenson 600 Maya tuns

(longcount years of 360 days each) equal 591.4 solar years (rememberlong count years are not adjusted to agree with a solar calendar, theysimplyfall one day after another), almost the exact number of Long count yearsfrom Zedekiah to the birth of Yeshua if Yeshua was born at the time Ipropose. This is because 597 minus 4 is 592. Moreover 600 Maya 360 daylongcount years are 591.7 365 day years (The Egyptian and Mayan Solarcalanders are 365 days)

3:6 "...evil spirits dwell in the hearts of men." - Again... man as a


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tabernacle.

3:9 "...and say that he hath a devil..." this prophecy was fulfilledcentuies later at another Sukkot (Jn. 7-8 esp. 7:2; 8:48)

3:15 "types and shadows" According to Paul the feast days are a "shadowof things to come" (Col. 2:16 see also Heb. 10:1) Benjamin is speakingofTabernacles as a type and shadow of his coming. (3:5, 15)

4:18 "...Kingdom of God..." One of many prophetic meanings ofTabernacles deals with the Messiah tabernacling or dwelling with us inthe Kingdom(see Zech. 14:16). The Kingdom of God and Kingdom living are alsoimportanttopics in Benjamin's message (3:20; 4:13, 18)

4:19 "Do we not all depend upon... God, for all the substance which wehave." Another theme to Sukkot is in rememberance of the 40 yearsdwelling in

Tabernacles in the wilderness. During which time Israel was totallydependant on YHWH for food, water etc.

4:20 "...he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that yourhearts should be filled with joy..." Another parallel to Yeshua'svisitto the Temple at Sukkot (Jn. 7-8). On each day of the feast a ceremonywasconducted in which water was poured out upon the alter as a drinkoffering (m.Sukkot 5:1f). (compare Jn. 7:37-39).

4:22 Another parallel to Yeshua's visit to the Temple at Tabernacles inJn. 7-8 (This points to Jn. 7:24)

4:22 a Kal V'khomer thoughtform

5:10, 12 "the left hand of God" a wordplay on the Hebrew name Benjaminwhich means "a son of the right hand"

5:5-6; 6:1-2 "enter into a covenant" Tabernacles is a time for renewingof covenants. The feast commemorates the 40 years in the wilderness.Following these 40 years all the males were circumcised before enteringthe promised land (Josh. 5:2-8) thus renewing the Abrahamic covenant(SeeGen. 17). For this reason each of the Biblical Temples was dedicatedatSukkot. For this reason also Sukkot symbolicly teaches us about the

dedicationof our tabernacles to the Lord as well as our entrance into a covenantrelationship with the Lord.

Two other points:

1) Sukkot is the feast of ingathering. Following Benjamin'ssermon in the BOM the people of Lemhi and the people of Alma areingathered to Zarahemla. (also remember, Zarahemla means "thescattered ones are gathered")


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2) At the initial message the people only make a covenant,however with the ingathering of the people of Alma, theyare water immersed. This parallels the water liabationceremony of Sukkot mentioned above.

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I originally posted this a while back but there are so many newpeople I thought it should be posted again:

Thought this would intrest all:

>>Some other terms that have made me wonder include Ireantum (which theBOM>>states means many waters)

probably a variation from Egyptian:

Ir (river) re (mouth) na (many) tehem (water)

>and Liahona.

Liahona is very good Hebrew. As the context indicates it is likely aterm the Nephites coined, but the following are related variations ofthe same root:

LIAHONA (lamed-yud-hey-vav-nun-alef)ball, director or compass.

LIA (lamed-yud-hey) strongs 3914, something round; a wreath

LAWAH (lamed-vav-hey) strongs 3867, to bind around; to wreathe; tostartor stop.

LON (lamed-vav-nun) strongs 3885, from LAWAH; to abide, to dwell, toremain or to continue.

I am sure you can see what good Hebrew this is, and how well thesethreevariations of the Hebrew root above fit as a description of the LIAHONA.

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In The Book of Mormon Book of Alma, there is a haggadah, or "thetelling," informing the reader how the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobdelivered Israelites from Egyptian bondage, delivered Lehi and hisfamily from bondage, delivered Alma Senior and his followers frombondage, and delivered Alma Junior from bondage. The haggadah patternis unmistakable. And why shouldn't it, since the Egyptian haggadah wasto be annually observed forever lest this event fade from the


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Israelite's memory. Alma Junior's delivery from bondage impactedhis mind so intensely that he composed Alma, chapter 36, in the settingof "a telling," in a most intricate and beautiful CHIASTIC word format.This literary master work has no equal in all of known secular orreligious writings. And yet there are some who would dismiss thevalidity of The Book of Mormon with a few hasty comments. There isnothing hasty about the composition of Alma chapter 36. Try it!

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2Nephi 2:21-26:

21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to thewill of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore,theirstate became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened,according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the childrenof men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showedunto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their

parents.

22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not havefallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And allthingswhich were created must have remained in the same state in which theywere after they were created; and they must have remained forever, andhad no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would haveremained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew nomisery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him whoknoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeemthechildren of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed fromthe fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to actfor themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishmentofthe law at the great and last day, according to the commandments whichGod hath given.

Some thoughts from a Jewish perspective:

On the issue of so-called "original sin" Judaism maintains abelief that instead of inheriting actual sin from Adam meninherit what is called the YETZER RA' (the evil inclination).[That] is merely the inclination to sin. The Talmud says :

Rabbi Yose said, "If you want to know about thereward of the righteous in the world to come,


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consider Adam. He was given one single negativecommand. He violated it, and see how many deathshave been decreed for him and for all hisgenerations forever. Now which is greater, theattribute of goodness or that of punishment?Surely the attribute of reward is greater. So ifthe attribute of punishment, which is less, causeso many deaths, then think how much more theperson who repents from sin and fasts on Yom-Kippurwill cause z'khut [being declared innocent] tohimself and to all his generations forever."(b.Sifra 27a)

Now the question may arise as to whether any good may comefrom the fall. The Midrash Rabbah presents:

Nachman said, In the name of Rabbi Shmu'el: "andbehold it was very good" (Gen. 1:31) refers tothe YETZER RA'. But can the YETZER RA' be "very

good"? Amazingly enough, yes-- were it not forthe YETZER RA' no man would build a house, takea wife and father children, or engage in buisness;as Solomon said, "I considered all labor andexcellence in work and concluded that it comesfrom a man's rivalry with his neighbor" (eccl. 4:4).(Gen. Rabbah 9:7)

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Pesach (Passover) is one of the most important holy days of theJewish calendar. The institution of Passover is found in the Torahitself in Exodus 12. Messianic Jewish writer Eddy Chumney describesPesach this way:

G-d declared Passover (Pesach) to be a permanant celebrationfor all eternity (Exodus [Shemot] 12:2, 6, 13-14).

Historically,

Passover (Pesach) celebrates G-d's deliverance of the childrenof Israel from bondage in Egypt (Mitzrayim), where they wereslaves to the Egyptians (Exodus [Shemot] 2:23-24; 6:5-8;

13:3-14).(THE SEVEN FESTIVALS OF THE MESSIAH by Eddy Chumney p. 23)

One of the most important focal points of Passover is the ritual mealdescribe in the Torah in Exodus 12 and in the Mishna in m.Pesahim 10.Messianic Jewish writers Ceil and Moshe Rosen describe the Sader likethis:

He [the Lord] commanded the annual re-enactment of the firstPassover night, a ceremony that would appeal through thesenses to each person of every generation.(CHRIST IN THE PASSOVER by Ceil and Moishe Rosen p. 25)


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One of the more interesting elements in this ritual meal is the storyofthe four sons. The four sons express four types of questions askedabout Pesach, and for attitudes that go with them. In his PASSOVERHAGGADAH Messianic Jewish writer Stanley L. Eisenberg writes of thisportion of the sader:

On the subject of the Passover, the Torah, in four differentpassages, emphasizes that parents are to tell their childrenthe story of our miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Thesepassages are interpreted by the Rabbis as indicating fourbasic attitudes of children which the Rabbis explain in thestory of the four sons. The wise son, the indifferent son,the simple son, and the young son who does not know enoughto ask.(PASSOVER HAGGADAH by Stanley L. Eisenberg p. 26)

Now the story of the seven sons so closely parallels Alma's admonitionsto his three sons in Alma 36-42 as to make it clear to the Jewishreader

that these events did in fact transpire during a Passover Sader.

Eisenberg describes the first son as follows:

The wise son asks; "What is the meaning of the testimonies,the statutes, and the ordinances which the Lord our Godhas commanded you?" (Deuteronomy 6:20)

This son is thought to be wise, because he asks about thesethings which we have been commanded to do and includes himselfwith his people by saying "...the Lord our God..."(PASSOVER HAGGADAH by Stanley L. Eisenberg p. 26)

Alma's admonition to Helaman in Alma 36-37 emphasises the meaning ofGod's Torah and mitzvot (commandments). Helaman is the wise son, andinfact the word "wisdom" appears no less than eight times during Alma'sadmonition to his son Helaman. Alma begins the adminition:

My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, thatinasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shallprosper in the land. I would that ye should do as I havedone, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for theywere in bondage, and none could deliver them except it wasthe God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God ofJacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions...O my son Helaman... I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear

my words and learn of me...(Alma 36:1-3)

Eisenberg gose on to describe the second son:

The indifferent son asks; "What do you mean by this service?"(Exodus 12:26)

He is thought to be indifferent because he emphasizes "you"


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and does not identify himself with his people. By excludinghimself, he denies the God of Israel. The sharpness of hisquestion can be dulled by saying; "It is because of that whichthe Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt." (Exodus13:8). For me and not for him. He is to know that if hehad been there, by denying his brothers he could not have beenredeemed.(ibid p. 27)

Alma's admonition to his son Corianton (Alma 39-42) clearlyparallels that of the indifferent son. Alma begins this admonitionwith:

...have ye not observed the steadiness of your brother, hisfaithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the commandmentsof God?... But behold, ye cannot hide your crimes from God;and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony againstyou at the last day...(Alma 39:1, 8)

Next Eisenberg tells us of the simple son:

The simple son asks; "What is this" (Exodus 13:14).

To him you shall answer; "By strength of hand theLord brought us out from Egypt, from the house ofbondage. (Exodus 13:14)(ibid)

Alma's admonition to Shiblon (Alma 38) parallels that of thesimple son. Alma tells Shiblon:

My son,...inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of Godye shall prosper in the land;... as much as ye shall put yourtrust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of yourtrials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shallbe lifted up at the last day.(Alma 38:1, 5)

Finally of the young son Eisenberg writes:

But as for the young son, who does not know how to ask, youmust begin to tell him the story of Passover as it is written;"And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: "This isdone because of that which the Lord did for me when I cameforth out of Egypt" (Exodus 13:8).(ibid)

Based upon the evidnece shown above, it is quite clear thatAlmagave his admonition to his three sons in Alma 36-42 as part of thetradition of the admonitions to the four kinds of sons during thePassover Sader.

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One example of how a Jewish perspective can open up onesunderstanding of the Book of Mormon can be found in the story of thesixteen shining stones which lit the Jaredite barges.

According to the Book of Mormon the brother of Jared wascommanded by God to build eight barges which were to be "tight like adish" (Ether 2:16-17). The brother of Jared built the barges but thenpointed out to the Lord that they would have no light in them:

And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I havedone even as you have commanded me; and I have prepared thevessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them.Behold, O Lord, will you suffer that we shall cross this greatwater in darkness?(Ether 2:22)

The Lord responded by asking the brother of Jared to propose a solutionhimself:

And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will you that

I should do that you may have light in your vessals?(Ether 2:23a)

The brother of Jared's reaction seems puzzeling:

[He].. did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones;and they were white and clear, even as transparant glass...(Ether 3:1)

The brother of Jared took these to the Lord with the following petition:

...touch these stones, O Lord, with your finger, and preparethem that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shallshine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, thatwe may have light while we cross the sea.(Ether 3:4)

The Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones as the brotherof Jared had asked (Ether 3:6) Jared then placed these in each end ofeach barge (Ether 6:2-3) thus providing light for the barges.

Now at first this story leaves us with many enigmaticquestions.Why would the Lord ask the brother of Jared to suggest how the bargesmight be lit? Was this something that the Lord expected the brother ofJared should already know? Why did Jared react by bringing clearstones to the Lord and asking Him to touch them and make them shine?

Had the brother of Jared been aware of a vessel being lit in thismannerin the past?

Now approaching the Book of Mormon from a Jewish perspectiveclarifies these points. Now the Book of Mormon makes it clear that theJaredites had among them a record which parallels the early portion ofour book of Genesis (Ether 1:3-4). Now the answer to our questionsliesin the Jewish understanding of Gen. 6:16a:


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A TZOHAR shall you make to the ark,

The Hebrew word TZOHAR (translated "window" in the KJV) is a very rareHebrew word. This word comes from the Hebrew root TZAHAR meaning "toshine." Now Midrash Rabbah explains the passage this way:

XXXI:XI1. A. "Make a light for the ark" (Gen. 6:16):

B. R. Hunia and R. Phineas, T. Hanan and R. Hoshiah did not explainthe matterC. R. Abba bar Kahana and R. Levi explained it.D. R. Abba bar Kahanna said, "It was a window."E. R. Levi said, "It was a precious stone."

2. A. R. Phineas in the name of R. Levi: "During the entire twelvemonths

in which Noah was in teh ark, he had no need for the light of thesun by

day nor for the light of the moon by night.

B. "Rather, he had a precious stone, which he suspended. When thestone dimmed, he knew that it was day, and when it glowed brightly,

heknew that it was night."

And Rashi writes on the word TZOHAR in Gen. 6:16:

Some say this is a window. Others say it was a preciousstone that supplied them with light.

Thus according to our Jewish tradition, Noah's ark was lit by apreciousstone which shined with light called the TZOHAR. The brother of Jared,having a parallel record to Gen. 6:16 would have been aware of this.This would explain why God would ask the brother of Jared to suggesthowthe ark might be lit, since the brother of Jared would have been awareof how God had provided light for Noah's ark. This would also explainwhy the brother of Jared would be prompted to bring clear stones to theLord and ask the Lord to touch them and make them shine. Thus whenthisstory is viewed in light of Jewish tradition, the elements of the storysuddenly make perfect sense.

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The elements of prayer described in the Book of Mormon aredestinctly Jewish and not those of Protestant America in the 1830's.This is important because it helps to show the clearly Jewish nature ofthe book. Some of the examples of Jewish prayer elements in the recordare:

* The Book of Mormon prescribes that one should pray beforeperforming a mitzvah so that the act may be consecrated to God.

But behold, I say to you that you must pray always, and not


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faint; that you must not perform any thing to the Lord savein the first place you shall pray to the Father in the nameof Christ, that he will consecrate your performance to you,that your performance may be for the welfare of your soul.(2Ne. 32:9)

In reference to this Jewish practice THE COMPLETE BOOK OFJEWISH OBSEVANCE by Leo Trepp (page 45) states:

Before we perform a Mitzvah, we put ourselves "in tune" byspeaking:

Barukh attah Adonai Elohenu Melekh ha-Olamasher kid-shanu be-mitzvotav vetzivanu...Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, You areHe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded

us...

This is followed by the Mitzvah we are about to perform, forinstance, on putting on the Tallit:

lehitatef ba-Tzitzitto wrap ourselves in Tzitzit.

* BoM records post-meal prayer:

And it came to pass that Alma ate bread and was filled; andhe blessed Amulek and his house, and he gave thanks to God.(Alma 8:22)

The giving of thanks after meals is also a Jewish practice, asTHE COMPLETE BOOK OF JEWISH OBSERVANCE by Leo Trepp (p. 62) states:

All the Berakhot were instituted by the Rabbis, but Graceafter Meals is ordained in Torah, as the Rabbis explain.

The tradition of giving thanks after meals is also mentioned inthe Dead Sea Scrolls in a hymn entitled "Invitation to Grace AfterMeals" (THE DEAD SEA SCRIPTURES 3rd edition; Theodore Gaster; pp.219-221) as well as in the Talmud (b.Berakhot 47b-49a) and is based onDeut. 8:10.

* The Book of Mormon prescribes prayer three times a day:morning, mid-day and evening:

Cry unto him in your houses,

yea, over all your household,both morning, mid-day, and evening.(Alma 34:21)

This is also a Jewish practice, as we read in THE COMPLETE BOOKOF JEWISH OBSERVANCE by Leo Trepp (pp. 45-49):

The Rabbis instituted three prayers for every day,as we have seen:Shaharit, Minhah, and Maariv... Shaharit, the Morning


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Prayer... Minhah, the afternoon prayer... [and] Maariv...is offered after night has fallen...

And as Messianic Jewish writer David Stern writes:

According to one Talmudic source (B'rakhot 26b) the threeprayer services were instituted after the fall of the FirstTemple to replace the [three times of] sacrifices... The threeservices are called Shacharit ("morning"), Minchah

("afternoon"; the word means "gift, offering") and Ma'ariv("evening").

(THE JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY by David Stern; p. 228;comment on Acts 3:1)

* Mosiah 2:20 closely parallels the Jewish prayer known as theShehecheyanu:


Praised are you ...render all the thanks and

praise...YHWH our God, King of the to that Goduniverse,who has kept us, who has created you and has

kept youand has preserved us, and preserved youand enabled us to reach and has caused that you shouldthis season. rejoice.

This Jewish prayer is spoken on special occasions and holydays.This is significant because this event (Mosiah 1-6) was a Sukkotcelebration.

From the above examples it is quite clear that the Book ofMormon teaches destinctly Jewish forms and patterns of prayer and iscertainly a Jewish book.

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The most sacred season of the Jewish year is that which beginswith Rosh HaShanna and ends with Yom Kippur. This season is describedby Messianic Jewish writer Joseph Good this way:

Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, is also calledRosh haShanna (literally) "Head of the Year", theJewish New Year... Yom Kippur,the Day of Atonement,is considered the holiest day in the Jewish year...The interval between Rosh haShanna and Yom Kippur is knownas Yamin Nora'im (the Days of Awe).

(ROSH HASHANNA AND THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM TO COMEby Joseph Good; pp. 19-20)

And as Messianic Jewish writer Edward Chumney writes:


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Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, comes on the tenth day ofthe Jewish month of Tishrei (September/October). It is thelast day of the Ten Days of Repentance, and it is the mostsolemn day of the Jewish calendar. It is believed that thosewho have not been good enough to be written in the Book ofLife immediately on Rosh HaShanna are given ten days torepent, pray for forgiveness, and do good deeds until YomKippur, when their fate will be decided. The entire day ofForgiveness (Yom Kippur) is spent fasting and praying.(THE SEVEN FESTIVALS OF THE MESSIAH by Edward Chumney; p. 142)

Now while it is true that these Holy days and this season isnever mentioned by name in the Book of Mormon, it is quite clear in theBook of Mormon that it was, in fact, being celebrated. For example, inthe transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth year of theNephiteJudges we read:

And thus ended the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges

over the people of Nephi....Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi wereexedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered themout of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gavethanks unto God; yea and they did fast much and pray much,and they did worship God with exceding great joy. And itcame to pass in the nineteenth year of the reign of the judgesover the people of Nephi...(Alma 44:24-45:2)

Now to the Jewish reader, the transition of the new year accompanied byrejoicing, giving thanks to God, fasting, praying and worshiping Godbecause he had given deliverance, points quite clearly to thecelebration of Rosh HaShanna, Yom Kippur and the Ten Days of Awe.

Another example of the observance of the Rosh HaShanna and YomKippur season can be found at the end of the fifteenth year of theNephite judges:

And now, surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time ofsolemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer. And thusended the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges...(Alma 28:6-7)

The habit of the Nephites to observe the transition of the yearwith a "time of fasting and prayer" again points clearly to theobservance of Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur. Thus while the Book of

Mormon never mentions these Jewish Holy Days by name, the Jewish readermay clearly recognize that they are being mentioned and observed.

10)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the Jewishness of the Book of Mormon listserver. Inrecent years they has been a great movement toward recognizing theJewishness of the New Testament. This recognition has been acompaniedby


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the rise of Messianic Judaism, a movement of Jewish people to embracethe New Testament as a Jewish book and Yeshua (Jesus) as the JewishMessiah. On this website we will often quote from and refer to severalMessianic Jewish and other Judao-Christian writers. These quotationsarenot meant to imply that these authors endorse theBook of Mormon.

The time has also come to recognize the Jewishness of the Book ofMormon as well. Many do not realize that the Book of Mormon, like theTanak and New Testament, "consists of the learning of the Jews" (1Nephi1:2). The Book of Mormon was written by descendents of Jews (2Nephi33:8) who worshipped in synagogues built after the manner of the Jews(Alma 16:13).

The Book of Mormon teaches that the Scriptures must be understoodin light of their inherent Jewishness, in light of Jewishhermeneutics:

...the Jews do understand the things of the prophets,

and there is none other people that understandthe things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them,save it be that they are taught after the manner of the Jews.

(2Ne. 25:5b)

According to the Book of Mormon the Bible "proceeded forth fromthe mouth of a Jew; and WHEN it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jewit contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord..." (1Ne. 13:24) and"...these things go forth from the Jews in PURITY unto the gentiles..."(1Ne. 13:25). However the passage goes on to say "...AFTER they goforth... from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation ofthat great and abominable church... they have taken away from thegospelof the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious;..." (1Ne.13:26)

Finally, one of the primary purposes of the Book of Mormon, asstated on the colophon (title page) is:

And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentilethat Yeshua is the Messiah..

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SUKKOT AND KING BENJAMIN'S MESSAGE

It is apparant that the occasion of King Benjamin's sermon(Mosiah1-6) was that of Sukkot (the Festival of Booths/Tabernacles see Lev.23).

Before examining the occasion of King Banjamin's sermon, it isimportant to note that the Yuchi tribe of American Indians celebrate afestival almost identical to Sukkot, and they still observe thefestival


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tothis very day. The Yuchi tribe once lived in Georgia, but were in 1836resettled in Oklahoma.

Both the Yuchi's and the ancient Hebrews celebrate:

1) an eight-day festival.

2) starts on 15th day (or full moon) of holy harvest month.

3) live in temporary "booths"

4) at the cultic center where:

5) they nurture a sacred fire.

6) form procesions in which foliated branches are shaken.

(For more on this see BEFORE COLUMBUS by Dr. Cyrus Gordon pp. 89-90)

Now what are the parallels of the occasion of Benjamin's sermon, andSukkot?

1:10, 1:18, 2:1 - "...the people gathered themselves togetherthroughoutall the land that they might go up to the Temple..." Pointing to one ofthe three pilgrimage feasts (Dt. 16:16).

2:3 "...the firstlings of their flocks..." At the Sukkot "fourteenlambs ofthe first year" were to serve as a burnt offering (Num. 29:13).

2:4 "...to keep the commandments of God, that thereby they mightrejoice..." This indicates that an actual Torah commandment was beingfulfilled by the gathering. This included acommandment to "rejoice." This fits Sukkot, about which the Torahcommands: "... and you shall rejoice before YHWH your God seven days."(Lev. 23:40). "Rejoicing" is an importanttheme throughout Benjamin's sermon.

2:5 "...pitched their tents..." one of the Hebrew words for "tent" is"sukkah" which can be translated "tent, booth or tabernacle." Duringthis festival Hebrews dwelt in "sukkot" (plural of

"sukkah") (Lev. 23:42).

Ok lets look at the text of King Benjamin's sermon in the bookofMosiah, especially as it relates to Sukkot (the feast of Tabernacles):

2:20 closely parallels the Jewish prayer known as the Shehecheyanu:



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Praised are you ...render all the thanks andpraise...

YHWH our God, King of the to that Goduniverse,who has kept us, who has created you and has

keptyou

and has preserved us, and preserved youand enabled us to reach and has caused that you shouldthis season. rejoice.

This Jewish prayer is spoken on special occasions and holy days.This is significant because this event was a Sukkot celebration.

2:37 "...he dwelleth not in unholy temples." Each of the biblicalTempleswere dedicated at Sukkot (1Kn. 8:2, 65; Neh. 8:13-18; 2Macc. 10:5-8).This also brings us to a Sukkot theme, that of our bodies asTabernacles.

3:3 "...behold, I am come to declare to you glad tidings of great joy."This passage, like its NT parallel (Lk. 2:10-11) echoes the ancientliturgy for tabernacles. This is because Yeshuawas born during Tabernacles.

As Messianic Jewish writer Joseph Good writes:

It is interesting to note that when the Messiah was born,angels appeared to shepherds of Bethlehem declaring theMessage of the Messiah's birth which echoes the ancientliturgy of Sukkot.(ROSH HASHANNA AND THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM TO COMEby Joseph Good; p. 22)

3:5 "...the Lord... shall come down... and shall dwell in a tabernacleof clay."One of the major themes of Sukkot is that of the Messiah dwelling withus in a human tabernacle. For this reason the Messiah was born onSukkot. The birth of Yeshua on Sukkothas been shown by Messianic Jewish writer Joseph Good in his book ROSHHASHANNA AND THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM TO COME by Joseph Good pp. 77-81.

Now there is also Book of Mormon evidence to support thisposition:

Yeshua was crucified on Thursday April 6th, 30 C.E. (14th ofNisan;Passover). The Book of Mormon places 34 years between the birth ofYeshuaand his death. If Yeshua was born at Sukkot of 4 B.C.E. (in the Fall)anddied on April 6th of 30 C.E., then we have 33 1/2 years, or depending onhow the dates fall on the calendar, rounded up to 34 years.


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The Book of Mormon also places the Birth of Yeshua at 600 yearsafter Lehi left Jerusalem (2Ne. 11:35). Now Zedekiah began his reign in598 or early 597 B.C.E.. Now according to John Sorenson 600 Maya tuns(longcount years of 360 days each) equal 591.4 solar years (rememberlongcount years are not adjusted to agree with a solar calendar, they simplyfall one day after another), almost the exact number of Long count yearsfrom Zedekiah to the birth of Yeshua if Yeshua was born at the time Ipropose. This is because 597 minus 4 is 592. Moreover 600 Maya 360 daylongcount years are 591.7 365 day years (The Egyptian and Mayan Solarcalanders are 365 days)

3:6 "...evil spirits dwell in the hearts of men." - Again... man as atabernacle.

3:9 "...and say that he hath a devil..." this prophecy was fulfilledcentuies later at another Sukkot (Jn. 7-8 esp. 7:2; 8:48)

3:15 "types and shadows" According to Paul the feast days are a "shadowofthings to come" (Col. 2:16 see also Heb. 10:1) Benjamin is speaking ofTabernacles as a type and shadow of his coming. (3:5, 15)

4:18 "...Kingdom of God..." One of many prophetic meanings ofTabernaclesdeals with the Messiah tabernacling or dwelling with us in the Kingdom(see Zech. 14:16). The Kingdom of God and Kingdom living are alsoimportant topics in Benjamin's message(3:20; 4:13, 18)

4:19 "Do we not all depend upon... God, for all the substance which wehave."Another theme to Sukkot is in rememberance of the 40 years dwelling inTabernacles in the wilderness. During which time Israel was totallydependant on YHWH for food, water etc.

4:20 "...he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused thatyour hearts should be filled with joy..." Another parallel to Yeshua'svisit to the Temple at Sukkot (Jn. 7-8). Oneach day of the feast a ceremony was conducted in which water waspoured out upon the alter as a drink offering (m.Sukkot 5:1f).

(compare Jn. 7:37-39).

4:22 Another parallel to Yeshua's visit to the Temple at Tabernacles inJn.

7-8 (This points to Jn. 7:24)

4:22 a Kal V'khomer thoughtform


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5:10, 12 "the left hand of God" a wordplay on the Hebrew name Benjaminwhich means "a son of the right hand"

5:5-6; 6:1-2 "enter into a covenant" Tabernacles is a time for renewingofcovenants. The feast commemorates the 40 years in the wilderness.Following these 40 years all the males were circumcised before enteringthe promised land (Josh. 5:2-8) thusrenewing the Abrahamic covenant (See Gen.17). For this reason each of the Biblical Temples was dedicated atSukkot.For this reason also Sukkot symbolicly teaches us about the dedicationof our tabernacles to the Lord as well as our entrance into a covenantrelationship with the Lord.

Two other points:

1) Sukkot is the feast of ingathering. Following Benjamin's

sermon in the BOM the people of Lemhi and the people of Alma areingathered to Zarahemla. (also remember, Zarahemla means "thescattered ones are gathered")

2) At the initial message the people only make a covenant,however with the ingathering of the people of Alma, theyare water immersed. This parallels the water liabationceremony of Sukkot mentioned above.

12)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Messiah died on Nissan 14 (Passover) which was the first month, thefourth day of the 34th year on the Nephite calendar (3Ne. 8:5). Nowsince the Hebrews used a lunar calendar, Passover always coinsidedclosely with a full moon (which proves the darkness was not a solareclipse which can never occur near a full moon). This means that theNephites dates mentioned are being calculated with a solar calendarrather than a lunar calendar (passover/full moon is always around the15th of the month on a Lunar calendar). The Messiah appeared to theNephites almost (but not quite) a solar year later (3Ne. 10:18). Ibelieve this date was the following Passover for three reasons:

1. It was just less than a Solar year laterand a Lunar year is just short of a Solar year.

2. The people were gathered at the Temple (3Ne. 11:1) as they

would be for a festival such as Passover.

3. The Messiah celebrates the portaking of the [unleavened]bread and the wine of the Passover sader with them(3Ne. 18:1-14) and explains the Passover elements to them.

13)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the elements of the Book of Mormon which seems almost


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unbelieveable to the average Christian reader is the proposition of theritual of baptism (Hebrew: T'vilah) taking place in Old Testamenttimes.Most Christians have been trained to believe that John the Baptistintroduced this ritual in the first century, and that this ritual didnot exist in Old Testament times. The Jewish reader, however, is wellaware of the fact that t'vilah (baptism) is a Jewish ritual of theMosaic law and that it can be traced back to the Torah itself.

Ritual washings for uncleanness are first mentioned in theTorahitself (see Lev. 13-15). The Psalms also speak of "washing" to cleanseone from sin (Ps. 51:2, 7). The ritual of t'vilah (baptism) as itexisted in early Judaism is described this way by Messianic Jewishwriter Moishe Rosen:

Another use of symbolic purification by water became partof early Jewish tradition. It was immersion or tevilah,for Gentile converts to Judaism. "Baptism" is the Greek-derived equivalent of tevilah from the Greek verb baptizo;

hence, we may speak of such converts as being immersed orbaptized. Although the only biblical requirement forentrance into the covenant was circumcision, baptism becamean added requisite. No one knows exactly when or by whomthe requirements were changed to include baptism, but itwas before the time of Jesus, as we learn from the debateson the subject of prosolyte baptsim between the rabbinicschools of Shammai and Hillel, both contemporaries of Jesus.(Y'SHUA THE JEWISH WAY TO SAY JESUS; by Moishe Rosen p. 79)

As Rosen states there was a debate on the topic between Hillel andShamai, who taught when Yeshua was but a child. The Talmud recordsthatthese two Jewish teachers debated over the issue of at what point aGentile prosolyte becomes a Jew. Shamai argued at the point ofcircumcistion, but Hillel argued at the point of t'vilah (baptism)(which occurs after circumcision) lest we be left without a rule forfemale prosolytes (b.Yebamot 47a).

Further evidence that John's baptism was merely the Jewishritual of "washings" may be found in the writings of the first centuryJewish historian Josephus. Josephus states that John "...commanded theJews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another,and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism for that the washingwould be acceptable..." (Josephus; Ant. 18:5:2).

Final evidence for the existence of baptism as a practice in

OldTestament times may be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. According to theScrolls, the Qumran community engaged in the practice of baptism forritual cleansing and for entance into the covenant as early as 150 C.E.(Manual of Discipline iii, 4f; v, 13; Damascus Document x, 10-13).

Now the Book of Mormon also speaks of baptism as a practicethatexisted in Old Testament times. For example in Mosiah 18:10, 13baptism


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occurs prior to New Testament times (around 147 B.C.E.) and is part ofentering the covenant. To the Jewish reader this is quite natural, butto the non-Jewish reader it may not be so easily understood.

14)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIDRASHIC EXOGESIS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON

Two prominant types of Homiletic Mirashic Exogesis are Proem andYalammedenu.

"Proem" is a Greek word meaning prelude. In Proem HomileticExogesis an introdutory text is geven, a sermon is built on thisintroductory texts often using additional texts. The sermon closeswithafinal text wich usually repeats or alludes to the initial text. Thisprocess usually involves Hillel's second rule, G'ZARA SHEVA (equivelntexpresions) thru which catchwords or keywords link the sermon together,

being found in the initial text, the final text, often in the additionaltexts, and in the exposition itself.

The Yalammedenu Homiletic Midrash is much the same, but itbeginswirth a question or problem which the exposition answers.

The first form of midrash we shall examine in the Book ofMormonisProem Homiletic Midrash.

An example of Proem Homiletic Exogesis can be found in the NewTestamentinRomans 9:6-26:

Keywords: seed, children/son & called.Initial Text: Gen. 21:12 = Rom. 9:6-8Second Text: Gen. 18:10 = Rom. 9:9Exposition: Rom. 9:10-28Final Text: Is. 1:9 = Rom. 9:29

A Book of Mormon example is:

Keywords: midst, cut off, gather, people, together, Father &covenant.

Initial text: Micah 5:8-9; 4:12-13 = 3Ne. 20:16-19Exposition: 3Ne. 20:20-21:11Final Text: Micah 5:8-15 = 3Ne. 21:12-21

Longer forms of the Proem homily are known as Extended Commentary forms.Such an extended form appears in the Book of Mormon:

Keywords: mountain, secret, revealed, nation, knowledge &sealed.

Initial Text: Is. 2-14 = 2Ne. 12:1-24:32


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Exposition: 2Ne. 25:1-26:15Additional Text: Is. 29:3-5 = Ne. 26:15-18Exposition: 2Ne. 26:19-27:1Additional Text: Is. 29:6-24 = 2Ne. 27:2-35Exposition: 2Ne. 28:1-30:8Final Text: Is. 11:4-9 = Ne. 30:9-18

Another form of Midrashic Exogesis is called YelammedenuHomileticMidrash. This form of midrash is very similar to the Proem Midrash,butitbegins with a question or problem. A New Testament Example is:

Keywords: tradition, commandment & honorQuestion/Problem: Mt. 15:1-3Initial Texts: Ex. 20:12; 21:17 = Mt. 15:4Exposition: Mt. 15:5-6Final Text: Is. 29:13-14 = Mt. 15:7-9

A Book of Mormon example is:

Keywords: means, words, taught, beautiful, mountains, feet,good tidings, peace, salvation, people, redeam,earth & arm [of the Lord]

Question: Mosiah 12:20Initial Text: Is. 52:7-10 = Mosiah 12:21-24Exposition: Mosiah 12:25-13:35Additional Text: Mosiah 14 = Is. 53Exposition: Mosiah 15:1-15:13Final Text: Is. 52:7-10 = Mosiah 15:14-31

Another Book of Mormon example:

keywords: commandments, savedInitial text:1Ne. 20-21 = Is. 48-49Question: 1Ne. 22:1Exposition: 1Ne. 22:2-31aFinal text: 1Ne. 22:31b alludes to the initial text

Now it is very helpful to look at the exposition in terms of theinitial,additional and final texts, and especially pay heed to the keywords astheyreveal the main topic. One should look at each of the texts and seekto

findout what they have in common and how their keywords relate in meaning toeach other, and as to how this helps us understand the exposition. Wemustrealize that the purpose of the exposition is to interpret these sets oftexts in light of one another.

15)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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KAL V'KHOMER IN THE BOOK OF MORMON

Kal v'khomer is one of the Seven Rulles of Hillel. A NazareneJudaismauthor writes concerning Kal v'khomer:

Kal v'khomer is one of the seven rules for understanding thescriptures written by Hillel. Hillel did not invent the rules,in fact they are so old we see them used in the Tenach.

The kol v'komer thoughtform is used to make an argument fromlesser

weight based on one of greater weight. It may be expressed as:

If X is true of Ythen how much more X must be true of Z(Where Z is of greater weight than Y)

A kol v'khomer argument is often, but not always, signalled bya phrase like "how much more..."

(KAL V'KHOMER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by a Nazarene Judaism author)

The author cites several examples of kal v'khomer in the Tanakh.For example:

Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth:much more the wicked and the sinner.(Prov. 11:31)

And:

If you have run with footmen and they have wearied you,then how can you contend with horses?(Jer. 12:5a)

Other Tanakh examples to look at:

Dt. 31:27; 1Sam. 23:3; Jer. 12:5b; Ezkl. 15:5; Esther 9:12

The author also cites several examples of kal v'khomer in theNew Testament:

If a man recieves circumcision on the Sabbath,so that the Law of Moses should not be broken,are you angry with me because I made a man completely wellon the sabbath?

(Jn. 7:23)

And:

What man is there among you who has one sheep,and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not layhold of it and lift it out?Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.(Mt. 12:11-12)


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Other NT examples are:

Mt. 6:26, 30 = Lk. 12:24, 28Mt. 7:11 = Lk. 11:13Mt. 10:25 & Jn. 15:18-20Mt. 12:12 & Jn. 7:23Rom. 5:8-9, 10, 15, 17; 11:12, 241Cor. 9:11-12; 12:222Cor. 3:7-9, 11Philip. 2:12Phil. 1:16Heb. 2:2-3; 9:13-14; 10:28-29; 12:9, 25

Now the kal v'khomer thoughtform is also found on severaloccasions in the Book of Mormon. The following are some examples:

And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wroughtso many miacles among the children of men, how is it that hecannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?

(1Ne. 17:51)

And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should haveneed to be immersed by water, to fulfil all righteousness,O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to beimmersed, yes, even by water!(2Ne. 31:5)

Other Book of Mormon examples are:

1Ne. 3:31; 4:1; 7:8-12Mosiah 4:22Alma 32:18-193Ne. 13:26; 14:11

16)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHAVUOT AND ABINADAI

Seven weeks following the Sabbath of Pesach (Passover) markstheJewish holy day known as Shavuot or Pentecost. This day on the Jewishcalendar is a celebration, both of the Spring harvest, and the givingofthe Torah on Mt. Sinai. The actual giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai

occurred on a Shavuot.

Messianic Jewish writer Edward Chumney describes the day thisway:

From the crossing of the Red Sea (Nisan 17) to the day Moses(Moshe)

met G-d on Mount Sinai were 47 days....(Exodus [Shemot] 19:1).G-d instructed the people through Moses (Moshe) to sanctify

them-


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selves before He visited them three days later on Mount Sinai,which would be the sixth day of the third month of Sivan (Exodus[Shemot] 19:10-11). This day would be the fiftieth day

followingthe crossing of the Red Sea... This day... would be the Feast ofWeeks (Shavuot), or Pentecost.(THE SEVEN FESTIVALS OF THE MESSIAH by Edward Chumney; p. 15)

Now to the Jewish reader it becomes apparant that the events ofMosiah 11-17 also occured on a Shavuot. There are several evidencesthatpoint in this direction.

First, the events Mosiah 11-17 recall the events of the firstShavuot. Abinadai uses Exodus type terminology, refering to "bondage";"deliver[ance]" abd "burdens lashed upon their backs" (Mosiah 11:21, 23;12:2, 5; compare with Exodus 1:11). Abinadai repeats the tencommandments(Mosiah 12:34-36; 13:12-24) moreover, following this his "face shonewith

exceeding luster, even as Moses' did while in the mount of Sinai, whilespeaking with the Lord." (Mosiah 13:5; compare Exodus 34:29-30).

Another important element which demonstrates the Shavuotconnectionis that Abinadai, in keeping with the harvest festivalk theme of theholiday, cursed the crops od King Noah's people (Mosiah 12:6). Thiswouldhave made great impact at the feast of Shavuot.

Yet another importsnt connection between the events of Mosiah11-17and Shavuot is that Mosiah 11-17 coontains several parallels with theShavuot liturgy, most particularly Psalm 50. For example:

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence (Ps. 50:3)

YHWH will come down in the sight of all the people (Ex. 19:11)

God himself shall come down among the children of men (Mosiah15:1)

In Psalm 50:13-14 indicates that God prefers thanksgiving to sacrificeswhile Mosiah 13:11 calls for God's commandments to be "written in yourhearts." Psalm 50:16-21 like Mosiah 11-17 is a strong rebuke to keeptheTorah of God. Both Psalm 50:16, 22 and Mosiah 11:23; 12:29 call us tokeepthe Torah not just proclaim it.

Finally Abinadai would have chosen an oportune time to reenterthecity. Two years earlier Abinadai had been exiled from the city (Mosiah11:28-12:1). A festival occasion would have given Abinadai a largeaudiance, making it an optimum time to enter the city and give hismessageto a large number of people.

When the above evidence is considered it becomes clear that theevents of Mosiah 11-17 most likely occured during a celebration of the


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festival of Shavuot.

17)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Good eye" in 3Ne. 13:22 & Mormon 8:14-15

The Hebrew idiomatic expresion "good eye" ["single eye" n KJV]appears on two occasions in the Book of Mormon. The first of these is3Ne. 13:22-23 which parallels Mt. 6:22-23. In his introduction to theJEWISH NEW TESTAMENT (p. x) Messianic Jewish writer David Stern writesconcerning Mt. 6:22-23:

...much of what is written in the New Testament isincomprehensible apart from its Jewish context. Hereis an example, only one if many. Yeshua says in theSermon on the Mount, literally, "If your eye be evil,your whole body will be dark." What is an evil eye?Someone not knowing the Jewish background might suppose

Yeshua was talking about casting spells. However, inHebrew, having an 'ayin ra'ah, an "evil eye", meansbeing stingy; while having an 'ayin tovah, a "good eye",means being generous.

Now the Book of Mormon shows a clear awareness of the Jewishbackground of thie Hebrew idiom. In its second usage (Mormon 8:14-15)of this idiom the Book of Mormon reads:

And I am the same who hides up this record to the Lord;the plates thereof are of no worth, because of thecommandment of the Lord. For he truly says that no oneshall have them to get gain; but the record thereof isof great worth; and whoever shall bring it to light,him will the Lord bless. For none can have power tobring it to light save it be given him of God; forGod wills that it shall be done with an eye single tohis glory, or the welfare of the ancient and dispersedcovenant people of the Lord.

Now here the "single eye"/"good eye" idiom is used in itscorrect context showing a clear Jewish background to the book. TheBookof Mormon, like the New Testament is incomprehensible apart from itsJewish context.

18)--------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------

There is a concept in Judaism called "s'mikhah" which is thepassing on of authority by laying on of hands. In order to officiatereligiously Judaism teaches thatr one should have s'mikhah. The Rabbistrace their line of authority (allegedly) back to Moses.

Now there is a similar concept found in the Book of Mormon. Thisconcept seems to be addressed in Mosiah 18:13, 17-18. In thesepassagea


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Alma has s'mikhah and passes that s'mikhah on to others.

19)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A major key to understanding the Hebrew calendar and the JewishFeastsis to understand two Hebrew words: MIKRAW and MOED.

The Hebrew word MIKRAW is genrally translated "convocation" andrefersto a "rehersal." Throughout the Torah the Jewish feasts are calledMIKRAW meaning that they are a time for a convocation, or a rehersal ofsomething yet to come. Paul said that these Feasts were "a shadow ofthings to come" (Col. 2:16-17). Note that in Paul's day these Feastsstill foreshadowed things yet to come. Interestingly King BenYamin(Benjamin) gives a similar statment in his speach given at acelebration

of SUKKOT (Tabernacles/Boothes) (Mos. 3:15).

The Hebrew word MOED is an important word in the Torah. MOEDistranslated "feasts" and "set time" or "apointed time." MOED is used todescribe the workings of the Hebrew calendar, and the feasts, which are"landmarks" in time on that calendar and which prefigure "appointedtimes" yet to come. All of this is tied to the Hebrew calendar. TheHebrew calendar is governed by the sun and moon, as Gen. 1:14 takenliterally from the Hebrew: "...and let them be for signs and MOEDIManddays and years" So the MOEDIM are determined by the Son and Moon. TheHebrew calendar is regulated by the Sun and Moon, often via the JewishFeasts (MOEDIM).

Now the way the Hebrew calendar works is that from evening tothe nextevening makes a day. Each new moon crescent begins a new month. Now apure lunar calendar only produces a 360 day year. As a result an extramonth must be added to the Hebrew calendar every so often to keep italigned with the solar year. This is done by adding an extra monthwhenever Passover is going to occur before the Spring Equinox. TheHebrew calendar was revealed to Abraham in Abr. 3 which culminates inAbr. 3:6:

...it is given unto thee to know the times of reckoning,and the set time (MOED),

yea, the set time (MOED) of the earth upon which thou standest,and the set time (MOED) of the greater light which is set to rule

the day,and the set time (MOED) of the lesser light which is set to rule

the night.

That is the "times of reckoning" (The Hebrew calendar) are "governed"(see Ab. 3:3) by:

The MOED of the earth (a 24 hour day)


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The MOED of the sun (the solar year)The MOED of the moon (the lunar month)(also the MOED of Kolob; 1,000 years)

It is as if the author of Abraham knew the Hebrew of Gen. 1:14 and tiedthe phrases "the greater light which is set to rule the day" and "thelesser light which is set to rule the night"to the Hebrew word MOED meaning literally "set time" even though theKJV of Gen. 1:14 translates MOED as "seasons" here. How could theauthor of Abraham 3 know that MOEDis the word in Gen. 1:14 or that this is a key passage in theregulating of the Hebrew calendar. It is also clear that the author ofAbraham 3 understood how the Hebrew calendarworks.

Now the MOEDIM (Feasts) are determinde by the new moon (MOED ofthemoon) and the MOEDIM (Feasts) in relation to the Spring Equinox, tellushow to regulate the MOEDIM according to the MOED of the sun.

The seven MOEDIM (feasts) of the Hebrew calendar are:

1. Passover2. Unleavened bread3. Shavuot (Pentecost/weeks)4. Trumpets (Rosh Hashanna)5. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)6. Tabernacles/Boothes (Sukkot)7. The last great day (Lev. 23:34, 36)

These MOEDIM not only help regulate the calendar but they are shadowsof things yet to come.

The seven MOEDIM (feasts) of the Hebrew calendar are:

1. PassoverShadow of: Death of Messiah the "lamb" and marking of 144,000firstfruits/firstborn.

2. Unleavened breadShadow of: Resurection of Messiah as firstfruits offerring.144,000 as firstfruits offerring.

3. Shavuot (Pentecost/weeks)Shadow of: Completion of the firstfruits offerring. Giving of theRuach

HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)

4. Trumpets (Rosh Hashanna)Shadow of: Comeing forth of the Book of Mormon

(10 days of repentance- Latter-Days)

5. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)Shadow of: Return of Messiah and coming forth of sealed portion.


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6. Tabernacles/Boothes (Sukkot)Shadow: Birth of Messiah; Messiah dwelling with us in 1,000 yearKingdom.

7. The last great day (Lev. 23:34, 36)Shadow: Messiah's circumcision. Entry into New Covenant.

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I am hoping to become more active with the list. I would liket tocreate a thread about AviNadi (Abinadi "My Father is Nadi") and hisdrash (speech) during the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost).

AviNadi's drash was an example of Yelammedenu Homiletic Midrash.This form of midrash is very similar to the Proem Midrash, but itbegins with a question or problem. A New Testament Example is:

Keywords: tradition, commandment & honorQuestion/Problem: Mt. 15:1-3

Initial Texts: Ex. 20:12; 21:17 = Mt. 15:4Exposition: Mt. 15:5-6Final Text: Is. 29:13-14 = Mt. 15:7-9

AviNadi's drash goes like this:

Keywords: means, words, taught, beautiful, mountains, feet,good tidings, peace, salvation, people, redeam,earth & arm [of the Lord]Question: Mosiah 12:20Initial Text: Is. 52:7-10 = Mosiah 12:21-24Exposition: Mosiah 12:25-13:35Additional Text: Mosiah 14 = Is. 53Exposition: Mosiah 15:1-15:13Final Text: Is. 52:7-10 = Mosiah 15:14-31

The primary key to AviNadi's Midrash is that he is interpreting Is.52:7-10 with Is. 53.

AviNadi gives his midrash during the Jewish feast of Shavuot so weshould also read his drash in light of that feast.

This also creates a second thread regarding the Feast of Shavuot(Pentecost) in the Tenach (Old Test.) New Testament and Book of Mormon.What is the spiritual meaning of Shavuot and how does it help usunderstand AviNadi's drash (speech)

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I read the drash (speech) of AviNadi with great intrest.

AviNadi is being held by the evil Noach HaMelek (King Noah) and isbeingquestioned by Noach and his priests (12:19). One of the priests quotesfrom Is. 52 and asks AviNadi who is being spoken of (12:20-24).AviNadi


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answers by saying that Noach's priests do not themselves understand thepassage (12:25-27) and then asks them what they teach [regarding thispassage] (12:27b) they say "We teach the Torah of Moses" (12:28).

This reveals several points. Remember, it is Shavuot, the aniversaryofthe giving of the Torah at mt. Sinai. The priest was motivated by theoccasion to ask AviNadi to expound Is. 52 for two reasons:

1. It pertained to his mind to the occasion of Shavuot (it seems thatthe priests of Noach understood the individual in Is. 52 to be Moses;the mountain to be Mt. Sinai and the goodnews to be the Torah)

2. The priest thought this would force Avi Nadi to confess thatShavuotwas a time to confess goodnews not bad news and that the Torah (MosaicLaw) was to be all goodnews and without any badnews.

AviNadi uses the phrase "arm of [YHWH]" in Is. 52:10 and Is. 53:1 toprove that the individual in Is. 52 is clearly the suffering servent

Messiah of Is. 53 and not Moses at all.

Although his drash was rejected, at least one of the priests (AlmaAramaic: "eternal") seems to be impressed by it and recorded it.(This Aramaic name has turned up in the Bar Kokhba letters)

I think that Alma may well have been the priest who asked the question,since his question shows that he was really thinking, and becauseAviNadi answered it very well.

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THE BOOK OF MORMON AS A FULFILMENT OFROSH HASHANNA AND YOM KIPPUR

There has been much discusion in Messiaic Jewish circles abouttheprophetic fulfiment of the Jewish Holy Days. What has been missed isthatthe Jewish Holy Days of Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur are fulfilled inthegiving of the Book of Mormon. To set the stage for this I quote froma Nazarene Judaism author:

In Hebrews 8 through 10 Paul gives a midrash involving The

Messiah and the Yom Kippur ceremony (described in Lev. 16).We can be certain that the subject is Yom Kippur because itis only on this day that the golden censor is placed in theholy of holies (Heb. 9:4 & Lev. 16:12) and that the High Priestenters the holy of holies. Now Hebrews tells us that theearthly holy of holies is a shadow of the heavenly holy of

holies(see Heb. 8:2, 5). In the earthly holy of holies is the arkof the Covenant, book of the covenant and tablets of the

Covenant.


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These are symbols of the Old/Mosaic Covenant. In the heavenlyholy of holies then is kept the New Covenant (see Heb. 8:2, 5-6;9:11-15also Heb. 8:8-11 quotes Jer. 31:31-34 on the New

Covenant).

Now there is an important parallel between Lev. 16; Heb. 8-9and Rev. 5. In Heb. 8 and Rev 5 the Messiah is at the righthand of the throne in the heavenly holy of holies. In bothHebrews 8-9 and Rev. 5 the Messiah is also able to do somethingbecause of his death and blood. In Rev. 5 he opens the 7 sealedbook, in Heb. 8 he becomes mediator of the New Covenant

(compareRev. 5 & 6 with Heb. 8:3, 6; 9:12, 15). Moreover in Lev. 16:14blood is sprinkled on the mercy seat 7 times, while in Rev. 5 &

6Messiah opens seals 7 times because of his blood. It would seemthen that te opening of the sealed book in Rev. 5 is ssynonymouswith the becoming mediator of the New Covenant in Heb. 8-9 and

thefulfilment of the meaning of the Yom Kippur ceremony of Lev. 16.

Now let us look in more detail at the sealed book in Rev. 5.The Book of Revelations often draws material from the prophets

ofthe Tenakh. In this case the "sealed book" seems to be a

referenceto a book mentioned in Is. 29:

For YHWH has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep...The whole vision has become to you like the words of a bookthat is sealed...therefore, behold I will again do a marvelous work among thispeople, a marvelous work and a wonder...In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, andthe eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out ofdarkness.(Is. 29:10, 11, 14, 18)

Thus with the revealing of this sealed book, the apostasy ends.This parallels what we learn in the olive tree parable (Rom.11:16-27).This parable speaks of the apostasy of Israel as a"deep sleep" (Rom 11:8 = Is. 29:10). This olive tree parablegoes on to say that this apostasy will end at a time called THEFULLNESS OF THE GENTILES (Hebrew MILO HAGOYIM = "a multitude ofnations" (Gen. 48:19) refering to Joseph's seed ). This is thetime of the making of the New Covenant (compare Jer. 31:31, 34& Rom. 11:27).

In Rev. 5& 6 we learn that the book is sealed with seven seals.These are seven things which must happen before the book can beopened. These 7 seals corespond to the curses which Israel isto go thru for not having kept the Law (Deut 28-29; Lev. 26).These seven seals also parallel the material in Mt. 24 as

follows:____________________________________________________________________SEAL Mt. 24 Deut. 28 Lev. 26____________________________________________________________________


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1 Rev. 6:1-2 Mt. 24:52 Rev. 6:3-4 Mt. 24:6-7a Dt. 28:49 Lev. 26:17-253 Rev. 6:5-6 Mt. 24:7b Dt. 28:18,38,51 Lev. 26:16,20,264 Rev. 6:7-8 Mt. 24:7c Dt. 28:21-22; Lev. 26:16, 21,

26-27,35,52,22,25,31,55,57

5 Rev. 6:9-11 Mt. 24:8-246 Rev. 6:12-17 Mt. 24:29-31 Dt. 28:23-24 Lev. 26:19

62, 647 Rev. 7______________________________________________________________________

Now just as the Yom Kippur ceremony of Lev. 16 makesatonement for the sins of the children of Israel(Lev. 16:16-21), the Messiah in Rev. 5, passes judgementon Israel for having violated Torah. These judgements arethe seals. Once the judgements of Dt. 28-29 are made,then we can come to Dt. 30:1-4

Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon

you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you,and you call them to mind among all the nations where YHWHyour God drives you, and you return to YHWH your God andobey his voice, according to all that I have commanded youtoday, you and your children, with all your heart and withall your soul, And YHWH your God will bring you back fromcaptivity, and have compasion on you, and gather you againfrom all the nations where YHWH your God has scattered you.

Then we reach a parallel to Mt. 24:31=Mk 13:27 (rememberMt. 24 parallels the seven seals):

If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts underheaven, from there YHWH your God will gather you, and fromthere he will bring you.(Dt. 30:4)

Then the text goes on to parrallel Jer. 31:31-34 (which speaksof the New Covenant:

Then YHWH your God will bring you to the land which yourfathers possesed, and you shall possess it. He will prosperyou and multiply you more than your fathers. And YHWHyour God will circumcise your heart and the heart of yourdescendants, to love YHWH your God with all your heartand with all your soul, that you may live.(Dt. 30:5-6)

All of this is further demonstrated in Rev. 10:1-11 wherethe sealed book is revealed. Here the voice of the seventhangel points to the seventh trumpet and the beginning of theKingdom of the Lord (Rev. 10:7 & 11:15) just as in Rev. 22:12Messiah comes with his reward... i.e. the sealed book he wasworthy of in Rev. 5 also the New Covenant.(YOM KIPPUR AND THE NEW COVENANT, by a Nazarene Judaism author)

Now the Book of Mormon elaborates on these things. 2Ne. 27


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givesus a midrash on Is. 29 which reads in part:

5 For behold, YHWH has poured out upon you the spirit of deepsleep. For behold, you have closed your eyes, and you haverejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers has hecovered because of your iniquity.6 And it shall come to pass that the Lord YHWH shall bringforth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be thewords of them which have slumbered.7 And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall bea revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to theending thereof.8 Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, thethings which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of thewickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore thebook shall be kept from them.9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shalldeliver the words of the book, which are the words of thosewho have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these

words unto another;10 But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neithershall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by thepower of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall bekept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that theymay come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from thefoundation of the world unto the end thereof.11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which weresealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall beread by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealedunto the children of men which ever have been among thechildren of men, and which ever will be even unto the end ofthe earth.12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be deliveredunto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hidfrom the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold

itsave it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power ofGod, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; andthey shall testify to the truth of the book and the thingstherein.13 And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a fewaccording to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word untothe children of men; for the Lord YHWH has said that the wordsof the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead.14 Wherefore, the Lord YHWH will proceed to bring forth thewords of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as

seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be untohim that rejecteth the word of God!15 But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord YHWH shallsay unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take thesewords which are not sealed and deliver them to another, thathe may show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I prayyou. And the learned shall say: Bring here the book, and I willread them.16 And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gainwill they say this, and not for the glory of God.


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17 And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it issealed.18 Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.19 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord YHWH willdeliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is notlearned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I am notlearned.20 Then shall the Lord YHWH say unto him: The learned shallnot read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able todo mine own work; wherefore you shall read the words which Ishall give unto you.21 Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring themforth in my own due time; for I will show unto the children ofmen that I am able to do mine own work.22 Wherefore, when you have read the words which I havecommanded you, and obtained the witnesses which I havepromised unto you, then shall you seal up the book again, andhide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which youhave not read, until I shall see fit in my own wisdom to revealall things unto the children of men.

From this midrash we learn that the book of Is. 29 is revealed in twostages. The first is the Book of Mormon as revealed in 1827 (2Ne. 27:9)the second is the sealed portion (2Ne 27:8, 11)

Mormon 8:23 and Moroni 10:27 tie the Book of Mormon to thespeechfrom out of the dust in Is. 29:4 (remember Is. 29 goes on to discuss thesealed book in verses 11 & 18). Mormon 8:23-24, 27, 40-41 goes on totiethis speech from the dust to the prayers of the martyrs in the fifthsealof the sealed book (Rev. 6:9-11 see also Psalm 74). Mormon 8:23-24 alsoties this to YHWH remembering his covenant . Additionally, Mormon 8:29closely parallels Mt. 24:5-7 which we have already shown paralles thefirstthree seals of the sealed book of Reveleations. Finally, Mormon 9:2parallels the sixth seal of the sealed book of Revelations. (see also1Ne.19:12 & 2Ne. 10:6-7 which also parallel the seven seals).

1Ne 14:7-8; 22:8-9; 2Ne. 29:1 & 3Ne. 20:1-22:1 also ties thesealed book to the renewal of the covenant. These passages refer to the"marvelous work" of Is. 29:14 (remember, Is. 29:11, 18 refer to thesealedbook) and tie it to the revealing of the Book of Mormon, the renewal ofthecovenant and the regathering of Israel.

3Ne. 29:1-9 Confirms all of the above teachings. This text

tellsus that the coming forth of the words of the Book of Mormon co-insidewiththe renewal of the covenant and regathering of Israel (see also Mormon5:14). 3Ne. 29:4 refers to "sword... in his right hand" we know from theNew Testament that the sword is God's word (Eph. 6:17 & Heb. 4:12) inrighthand (Rev. 5:1 Heb 8:1) Note also it is a 2 edged sword (Heb. 4:12) andthesealed book is written on both sides (Rev. 5:1; Ezkl 2:10; Zech 5:1-4).


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3Ne. 29:1 also states that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon marksonly the "beginning" of the children of Israel being restored to thelandsof their inheritance. It would seem then, that the revealing of thesealed portion, will mark the culmination of this restoration. (see alsoEther 4:1-7, 15-16)

These things demonstrate that the Book of Mormon is afulfilmentofthe typology of Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur. Two important Hebrewwordsare used to describe the Jewish holidays in the Tenakh. The first oftheseis mikraw which is commonly translated "convocation" but may also betranslated as "rehersal." The other important Hebrew word which isappliedto the Jewish holidays is moed which is commonly translated as "feast"butwhich is better translated "appointed time." Furthermore Paul writesthat

the holydays are a "shadow of things to come." (Col. 2:16-17) andspecificly speaks of Yom Kippur as such a shadow (Heb. 8-10). So howdoesthe Book of Mormon fulfil the appointed times of Rosh HaShanna and YomKippur?

Rosh HaShanna is also called the feast of trumpets. On RoshHaShanna the trumpet is blown. Three of the reasons given in RabbinicJudaism for the blowing of the trumpet are:

1. To call Israel to regather to the Land. (see Is. 27:13)

2. To call Israel to repentance.

3. To remind God of his covenant with Israel.

The blowing of the trumpet on Rosh HaShanna begins a period of ten daysknown as "the days of repentance." These days last until Yom Kippur.NowJoseph Smith recieved the Book of Mormon on Sept. 22, 1827 it is nocoinsidence that this day was Rosh HaShanna that year. It is also nocoisidence that the same year marks the birth of Zionism . The givingofthe Book of Mormon on Rosh Hashanna in 1827 marked the beginning of therestoration of the children of Israel to the Land. It also marked thebeginning of the days of repentance leading to the fulfilment of YomKippurwith the revealing of the sealed portion. At Yom Kippur another

trumpetissounded. This trumpet will mark the final regathering of Israel to theland (see Is. 27:13; Mt. 24:31; 1Thes. 4:16-17; 1Cor. 15:50-55 and Rev.10:1-11 where 10:7 points to Rev. 11:15). This parallels the giving ofthe sealed portion, or the final opening of the sealed book when theMessiah will return and make a New (Renewed) Covenant with the House ofIsrael and the House of Judah.

All of this gives greater meaning to the title page (colophon)of


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the Book of Mormon, which reads:

The Book of Mormon

An account written by the hand of Mormon,upon plates taken from the plates of Nephi.

Wherefore, it is an abridgement of the record of Nephi,and also of the Lamenites--

A. Written to the Lamenites, who are a remnant ofthe House of Israel,

B. and also to the Jew and Gentile--

Written by way of commandment,and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation--

C. Written and sealed up,D. and hid unto the Lord, that they might not be

destroyed--E. To come forth by the gift and the power of GodF. unto the interpretation thereof--

C. Sealed by the hand of MoroniD. and hid up unto the Lord,E. to come forth in due time by way of the GentileF. The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

(An abridgement taken from the Book of Ether also, whichis a record of the people of Jared, who were scatteredat the time the Lord confounded the language of the people,when they were building a tower to get to heaven.)

A. Which is to show unto the remnant of the Houseof Israel what great things the Lord has donefor their fathers; and that they may know thecovenants of the Lord, that they are not castoff forever.

B. And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentilethat Yeshua is the Messiah, the Eternal God,manifesting himself unto all nations--

And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men;wherefore, condemn not the things of God,that you may be found spotles at the judgement-seat of

Messiah.

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SHAVUOT AND ABINADAI

Seven weeks following the Sabbath of Pesach (Passover) marks theJewish holy day known as Shavuot or Pentecost. This day on the Jewish


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calendar is a celebration, both of the Spring harvest, and the giving ofthe Torah on Mt. Sinai. The actual giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinaioccurred on a Shavuot.

Messianic Jewish writer Edward Chumney describes the day thisway:

From the crossing of the Red Sea (Nisan 17) to the day Moses(Moshe)

met G-d on Mount Sinai were 47 days....(Exodus [Shemot] 19:1).G-d instructed the people through Moses (Moshe) to sanctify

them-selves before He visited them three days later on Mount Sinai,which would be the sixth day of the third month of Sivan (Exodus[Shemot] 19:10-11). This day would be the fiftieth day

followingthe crossing of the Red Sea... This day... would be the Feast ofWeeks (Shavuot), or Pentecost.(THE SEVEN FESTIVALS OF THE MESSIAH by Edward Chumney; p. 15)

Now to the Jewish reader it becomes apparant that the events ofMosiah 11-17 also occured on a Shavuot. There are several evidencesthatpoint in this direction.

First, the events Mosiah 11-17 recall the events of the firstShavuot. Abinadai uses Exodus type terminology, refering to "bondage";"deliver[ance]" abd "burdens lashed upon their backs" (Mosiah 11:21, 23;12:2, 5; compare with Exodus 1:11). Abinadai repeats the tencommandments(Mosiah 12:34-36; 13:12-24) moreover, following this his "face shonewithexceeding luster, even as Moses' did while in the mount of Sinai, whilespeaking with the Lord." (Mosiah 13:5; compare Exodus 34:29-30).

Another important element which demonstrates the Shavuotconnectionis that Abinadai, in keeping with the harvest festivalk theme of theholiday, cursed the crops od King Noah's people (Mosiah 12:6). Thiswouldhave made great impact at the feast of Shavuot.

Yet another importsnt connection between the events of Mosiah11-17and Shavuot is that Mosiah 11-17 coontains several parallels with theShavuot liturgy, most particularly Psalm 50. For example:

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence (Ps. 50:3)

YHWH will come down in the sight of all the people (Ex. 19:11)

God himself shall come down among the children of men (Mosiah15:1)

In Psalm 50:13-14 indicates that God prefers thanksgiving to sacrificeswhile Mosiah 13:11 calls for God's commandments to be "written in yourhearts." Psalm 50:16-21 like Mosiah 11-17 is a strong rebuke to keeptheTorah of God. Both Psalm 50:16, 22 and Mosiah 11:23; 12:29 call us to


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keepthe Torah not just proclaim it.

Finally Abinadai would have chosen an oportune time to reenterthecity. Two years earlier Abinadai had been exiled from the city (Mosiah11:28-12:1). A festival occasion would have given Abinadai a largeaudiance, making it an optimum time to enter the city and give hismessageto a large number of people.

When the above evidence is considered it becomes clear that theevents of Mosiah 11-17 most likely occured during a celebration of thefestival of Shavuot.

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1Nephi 16:43f describes the mourning at Nahom:

16:34 And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in theplacewhich was called Nahom.16:35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did mournexceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of theirafflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my father,because he had brought them out of the land of Yerushalayim, saying:Ourfather is dead; yes, and we have wandered much in the wilderness, andwehave suffered much afflictions, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and afterall these sufferings, we must perish in the wilderness with hunger.16:36 And thus they did murmur against my father, and also against me;and they were desirous to return again to Yerushalayim.

Some interesting points:

1. Hebrew NAHAM/NACHAM means either "to groan" (as in mourning" or "tocomfort")

2. We are specificly told that Ishmael's daughters mourned. Accordingto Jewish custom only children are required to recite the MournersKaddish (mouners prayer) other relatives may recite it, but are notrequired to.

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1Nephi 16:34-36

16:34 And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in theplace which was called Nahom .

16:35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did mournexceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of theirafflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my father ,


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because he had brought them out of the land of Yerushalayim, saying:Our father is dead; yes, and we havewandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered muchafflictions, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all thesesufferings, we must perish in the wilderness with hunger.16:36 And thus they did murmur against my father, and also against me;and they were desirous to return again to Yerushalayim.

Placing 1Nephi 16:34-36 in its Jewish context:

NAHOM - The Hebrew word NAHAM or NACHAM means "to groan" (as inmourning) or "to comfort" which fits the context of 1Ne. 16:34-36.That "daughters of Ishmael" are singled out as mourners is in keeping

with ancient Hebrew culture. Among ancient Desert Semites mourning isdone primarliy by the females. Moreover ownly the children of theperson who has died are required by Jewish Law to recite the MournersKadish. Others may recite it, but only thechildren are required to.The Jewish custom of mourning includes a seven day period known as

"sitting shavah." During this seven days the grief stricken mourners

remain in their dwelling and recite the Mourners Kiddush three timeseach day. They are attended by an almost constant flow of communityvisitors who come to comfort and consolethem. It is not uncommon for the emotionally overcome mourners toengage in groaning (nahar) and murmuring. These groanings andmurmurings are understandable and excusableduring these seven days of mourning. This gave the daughters ofIshmael a ready made audiance and made it awkward for Lechi and Nephito dake issue with them. Laman tookadvantage of this sutuation to incite insurection.

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Lemuel is an interesting name for a rebelious son. Note this fromMidrash Rabbah 10:4:

Why was Solomon called Lemuel?...Lemuel is because he cast off the yokeof the Kingdom of Heven from his shoulders;as if to say:"Lammah lo El" (What [use] is God to him?)

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2Ne. 25:5 tells us that the scriptures are best understood bythosetaught after the manner of the things of the Jews. The text goes on toidentify the Messiah with the "Sun of Rightousness" "with healing inhiswings" of Mal. 4:1-2. (Most BoM editions have "Son" for "Sun" in 2Ne.26:9 because the scribe must have thought Smith dictated "Son" not"Sun")


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2Ne. 25:13; 26:4, 6, 9 identify the Sun of Righteouness withhealing inhis wings with the Messiah. The NT never uses Mal. 4:1-2 as messianicpassages (in fact the NT never cites them at all). However MidrashExo

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