The book of mormon explicitly uses the term honey bee ether 2. There are references to bees or honey in the book of mormon but all occur in the old world. Stephen provides his reasons for a scholastic approach to the book of mormon and outlines details from his article about both the archaeological site of tel moza motza and how it provides another example of the cultural backdrop as explained by nephi in 2nd nephi chapter 5 who builds a temple after the manner of solomon. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. Book of mormon and honey bees noncatholic religions.
The term deseret was from a story in book of mormon. Often the american eagle would be perched on or near the beehive, making it clear that the hive represented the new republic. The fact remains, egyptians were the first to practive beekeeping. Honey is also a useful trading commodity, head wrote. By smac97, september 20, 2019 in general discussions. Jun 18, 2010 honey is also a useful trading commodity, head wrote. The book of mormon never says that the jaredites brought bees with them to the new world, only that they carried them during their old world travels. Jun 11, 2019 the book of mormon explicitly uses the term honey bee ether 2. The state of the hive when brigham young and the latterday saints arrived in salt lake valley in july of 1847, young chose the name deseret for their new home, and the beehive as its emblem, symbolizing the kind of. With this understanding, the book of mormon reveals something in symbol form meant to both reveal and conceal. Michael hunter has explained how the beehive was americanized. According to the book of mormon, deseret meant honeybee in the language of the jaredites, a group believed by mormons to have been led to the americas following the construction of the tower of babel see ether 2. When the prophet nephi and his family came to the land of bountiful in preparation for their ascent to the land of promise they found the land to be filled with wild honey and took this honey in abundance for their journey across the many waters. Apr 15, 2008 with no indication of bees being brought to the new world, we have nothing to explain.
And they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee. The jaradites are described in ether as having carried honey bees to the new world, while ignoring the improbability of transporting bees in. May 14, 2014 a book about the grassland ecosystem perfect for older kids, this book shows how all living things depend on each other and what can happen if bees were to disappear. Since the book of mormon only says the words honey bees and does not specify genus, it is a logical fallacy converse accident to argue that there were no bees in the americas before europeans arrived. Nov 22, 2016 the word deseret meaning honey bee, is the only time in the book of mormon where the text gives a definition for a jaredite word. The book of mormon mentions bees or beekeeping but only twice. Enough bees made it that a few viable colonies were maintained. The bees quickly adapted and began to spread, by 1751 feral honey bee hives were found from the us east coast to the midwest. Among early latterday saints and their leaders the beehive was an important symbol borrowed from the freemasons, t. Bees and their hives have been known by various names throughout history and used by different cultures as a symbol of worship.
Aug 25, 2017 brigham young liked that the beehive referenced the jaredite people in the book of mormon, whose word for beehive was, you guessed it deseret. Honey bees were introduced to america by the spanish. I believed that the church was moving away from viewing the book of mormon as a historical record, and. The group that claims to have bees is commonly called the jaredites. Scientists have demonstrated that honey bees were brought to the new world by spanish explorers in the fifteenth century, but the book of mormon, in ether 2. Bees, honey, and beekeeping are now attested archaeologically in the peten at nakum during nephite times. Is beekeeping an anachronism in the book of mormon. By mormon insights march 30, 2017 june 12, 2017 my message out of small thingseven honeybeesgreat things can come to pass. Bees are known to have been used for their honey since about 3000 bc in egypt, but have been present in the pontocaspian steppe for much longer. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon.
The book of mormon does not claim that the jaredites carried honey bees to the new world. Aug 16, 2007 actually, the scripture in the book of mormon about honey bees comes from the book of ether. The sacred honey bee book of mormon archaeological forum. A book about the grassland ecosystem perfect for older kids, this book shows how all living things depend on each other and what can happen if bees were to disappear.
Its origin may relate to the statement in the book of mormon that the jaredites carried with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee. In modern language, it would be like saying that you. Because beekeeping was unknown in mesopotamia during the time of the jaredited, if they left from mesopotamia, they must have. Letters from the hive, bee expert stephen buchmann takes readers on an incredible tour.
The book of mormon notes that the jaredites brought honey bees with them from their homeland. Both the ancient world and contemporary traditional apiculture elicit some evidence for nomadic beekeeping, what the germans call wanderbienenzucht. This is, in reality, another literary evidence for the book of mormon. Actually, the scripture in the book of mormon about honey bees comes from the book of ether.
The word deseret meaning honey bee, is the only time in the book of mormon where the text gives a definition for a jaredite word. Since the book of mormon only says the words honey bees and does not specify genus, it is a logical fallacy converse accident to argue that there were no bees in. By july 1849, mormon leaders had organized a provisional government in the. The tale of this group is told completely within the book of ether within the book of mormon. The authors of the book of mormon would have been familiar with honey bees and basic apiculture. Lehis landingapalachicola florida book of mormon evidence. Why does the book of mormon say honey bees were introduced. What evidence exists with mayan civilizations in archaeology. The symbolism of the beehive in latterday saint tradition.
The book of mormon notes that the jaredites brought honey bees with them from their homeland ether 2. The book of mormon says that the jaredites did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee. This other is brought to you for free and open access by byu scholarsarchive. Here the book of mormon is in harmony with what is known of the history of mesopotamia sumeria. Both the ancient world and contemporary traditional apiculture elicit some evidence for nomadic beekeeping ronan james head. Smith said, this country, in the beginning, was called deseret the honey bee signifying industry. Scientists have demonstrated that honey bees were first brought to the new world by spanish explorers in the fifteenth century, but the book of mormon, in ether 2. Welcome to book of mormon history we provide easy access to current research for personal study today, lets dig together in the dirt of live archaeological excavations where we will be unearthing the archaeological evidences for temples temples the the backdrop backdrop backdrop of of of new new.
A study of the bee and beehive symbols in nineteenth century mormon culture. The jaredites, at this time a small tribe of selected families, sojourned in the wilderness of the old world towards an ocean taking flocks, fish, seeds and even swarms of bees. Although the book of mormon speaks of the jaredites bringing swarms of bees including they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee, the record does not state whether they brought the swarms to. When they arrived from europe they spread out faster than the colonists, and native americans considered the appearance of the white mans fly to indicate the approach of european settlers. The earliest biblical record of honey is when jacob israel instructed his sons to take a gift of honey to the egyptian joseph to try to win the release of his two sons genesis 43. The symbolism of the beehive in latterday saint tradition byu. We are not told that the jaredites brought bees into the new world. In an internet article by the catholic church titled problems with the book of mormon we read the following. Why does the book of mormon say honey bees were introduced in. Oct 03, 2019 bees use nectar from the white tupelo trees to make the unique southeastern tupelo honey. The book of mormon does not claim that the jaredites carried honey bees to the new world so, the jaredites definitely carried swarms of bees with them to the place of the great sea which divideth the lands, where they dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years. In the book of mormon deseret is allegedly the word that a hypothesized group of people called the jaredites use for the honey bee. Archaeology, bees, honey, climate, latitude, wind currents, promised land usa, abundance of food, scripture text, seeds, no large number of indigenous peoples, and it just makes sense thesis. In the book of mormon, nephi quotes the lord as stating, come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price 2 nephi 26.
The provisional 1849 boundaries of the state of deseret, named after the word for honeybees in the book of mormon. They brought with them the deseret which means honey bee in the nomenclature of the book of mormon. Those people supposedly came to the americas in 2000 b. Enter a beehiveone part nursery, one part honey factory, one part queen bee sanctumthen fly through backyard gardens, open fields, and deserts where wildflowers bloom. It does state that they carried swarms of honeybees with them to their encampment on the sea shore, where they spent the next four years as they built barges. The honey makers a great nonfiction book by gail gibbons gives the reader an inside look at the life of bees. Whatever the ancient origins of deseret in the book of mormon may be, the modern mormon usage poses a striking repetition of ancient history. Bees first appear in a specifically mormon context in the book of mormon, published in 1830.
However, hugh nibley proposed that the word is egyptian because of the relationship between the bee glyph and the deseret glyph. Bees use nectar from the white tupelo trees to make the unique southeastern tupelo honey. These bees both pollinate and produce honey, and they were domesticated before european arrival in the americas. There are several references to bees or honey in the book of mormon but all occur in the old world. The jaradites are described in ether as having carried honey bees to the new world, while ignoring the improbability of transporting bees in a totally enclosed submarine for a year. Pure tupelo honey, produced from only the white tupelo, is the only honey that will not granulate. But all agree that this description describes a land that is so fertile and wellnourished that it produces sweet honey and fruit so superior that. Traveling with swarms of bees in the book of mormon, the jaredite people come to the americas around the time of the tower of babel, and apparently, they liked to carry swarms of bees around. It has been accepted for inclusion in all faculty publications by an authorized administrator of byu scholarsarchive. In october 1898 general conference, president joseph f. The book of ether in the book of mormon directly connects honeybees with the earliest book of mormon people, the jaredites. Jun 09, 2019 the book of mormon explicitly uses the term honey bee ether 2. The most persistent of these pioneer symbols was the beehive.
The symbolism of the bee in latterday saint tradition. Mindblowing facts that you should know about bees business. Rabbi menachem posner suggests that biblical honey is understood to be fruit nectar specifically date honey not bees honey. Brigham young liked that the beehive referenced the jaredite people in the book of mormon, whose word for beehive was, you guessed it deseret. According to the book of mormon, the jaredites left the tower of babel at the time that the lord confused the language of the people. Other scholars maintain the source of the honey is indeed bees. Although the book of mormon speaks of the jaredites bringing swarms of bees including they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee, the record does not state whether they brought the swarms to the new world. Beehive symbols in nineteenth century mormon culture j. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Yet hundreds of years earlier, the book of mormon records that the jaredites took honey bees with them from mesopotamia to the seashore where they built their ships. Feb 21, 2019 the book of mormon mentions bees or beekeeping but only twice. Their practices spread throughout the mideast and mediterranean.
And this is just one of so many things that are so ridiculous about the story of the jaredites. Honeybees in the book of mormon book mormon history. Bees, honey, and beekeeping are mentioned in the book of mormon in both jaredite and nephite contexts. The mormon stories essay on archaeology and the book of mormon argues that the mentioning of jaredite beekeeping is anachronistic. Its origin may relate to the statement in the book of mormon that the jaredites carried with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee ether 2. Because beekeeping was unknown in mesopotamia during the time of the jaredited, if they left from mesopotamia, they.
Cultural commentary on the book of ether chapter 2 book. Doesnt the book of mormon teach that the jaredits brought over the honey bee. Bees also are used because the book of mormon mentions them. It does state that they carried swarms of honeybees with them to their. But the honeybee was actually brought to the new world after the arrival of europeans. Brigham young liked the symbolism of worker bees the people, slaving their little asses off for the hive brigham. Mormonism has its roots in masonry, where the beehive is a prominent symbol. Lehis group found honey in the old world, a passage quoted from isaiah mentions bees, and the jaredite group carried bees with them as they traveled in the old world. Oct 12, 2019 archaeology, bees, honey, climate, latitude, wind currents, promised land usa, abundance of food, scripture text, seeds, no large number of indigenous peoples, and it just makes sense thesis. The book of mormon associates honey with feasting 2 nephi 17. While a forger would likely overlook this detail and include bethlehem as the commonlyunderstood birthplace of jesus, the ancient authors of the book of mormon use an authentic term to describe the saviors birthplace. Ancient beekeeping and the book of mormon deseret news.
It evokes parallels with other cases in the bible and book of mormon where lands of promise have been called lands of milk and honey exodus 3. The second, however, concerns the book of mormons own early jaredites. Utah, in the early days, was likened to the hive of bees. According to the book of mormon, deseret meant honeybee in the language of the jaredites, a group believed by. Tupelo honey has a light amber golden color with a unique flavor and a delicate and distinctive taste. Though i lacked the funds, the feeling that i should do something to help a missionarys struggling family in tonga persisted.
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