Comments on: 300 and BoM Lachoneus

By: DKL

DKL — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:39:42 +0000

I’m guessing that Nibley made it up.

By: David Brosnahan

David Brosnahan — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:54:44 +0000

I think there is a striking similarity with idea of the Greek phalanx and the coming together of the Nephite people into one body against the Gadianton Robbers. Could it be called the Nephite Phalanx?

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:50:15 +0000

Thanks, Mark, I was totally unfamiliar with this.

Has anyone looked at Nibley’s source to see whether it holds up, and what kinds of Greek names were attested among the populace at that time?

By: Mark Pickering

Mark Pickering — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:37:43 +0000

See also Hugh Nibely, An Approach to the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1978), 234:

“Recently there have been discovered lists of the names of prisoners that Nebuchadnezzar brought back to Babylon with him from his great expedition into Syria and Palestine. These represent a good cross section of proper names prevailing in those lands in the days of Lehi, and among them is a respectable proportion of Egyptian names, which is what the Book of Mormon would lead us to expect. Also in the list are Philistine (cf. Book of Mormon Minon and Pathros!) Phoenician, Elamite, Median, Persian, GREEK and Lydian names–all the sweepings of a campaign into Lehi’s country.”

Citations and emphasis omitted, with the exception of “GREEK,” which is my emphasis.

Nibely cites D. W. Thomas, Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 1950, pp. 5ff.

By: Mark Pickering

Mark Pickering — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:16:57 +0000

There were Greek mercenaries in Judah and in the wider region for a century or two before Lehi left.

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:53:41 +0000

I’m pretty sure there were no Jews named “Timothy” in the Babylonian captivity. I have no idea what this “phone book” is supposed to be; I am unaware of any contemporary census by name of the captives.

By: Mephibosheth

Mephibosheth — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 09:08:41 +0000

Not that I know what I’m talking about or anything, but I once heard someone speak at length about Book of Mormon names. They surmised that Lehi may have been a merchant of some kind (due to his riches, ability to just drop everything and live in a tent, etc.) and may have picked up some Greek names which he then took to America. (Lachoneous is not the only one, there is a Timothy mentioned in 3rd Nephi).

Also, they said something about having the phone book from 600 B.C. or something because they took down the names of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity (or something), and that the percentage of Greek names found in that record matches the percentage of Greek names in the Book of Mormon. And, the most popular Greek name from that Babylonian phone book happened to be Timothy.

But this could be lies, all lies.

By: Mark IV

Mark IV — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:04:20 +0000

This is starting to remind me of History of the World, Part I where Mel Brooks, wearing some kind of Greek soldier get-up, runs in and breathlessly informs the governor that the army “has defeated the cretins at Sparta – or was that the Spartans at Crete?”

By: Blain

Blain — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 21:26:58 +0000

Okay, that’s right. I’ve been just out of my Greek stuff long enough that I got the two confused.

Not feeling any buzz to watch the movie prior to it’s dvd release, but it’s good to rember what it’s talking about.

By: DKL

DKL — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:56:53 +0000

It's worth noting that according to these busts, Thucydides and Xenophon could practically be twins. What a coincidence -- it's almost scary. Everybody already knew about how Lachoneus has a strangely greek name, but now we also know that he was a dead ringer for Leonidas. Plus, we find out that Thucydides and Xenophon are practically friggin' brothers. It boggles the mind! If we connect the dots, the conclusion is inescapable: Perhaps the Mulekites were descended from Olorus instead of Anaxandridas II, so that it would be Olorus who had an unheard-of son named Mulek -- and not Anaxandridas II or Zedechiah. Thus: The Mulekites were Thracian! It makes one wonder where the Hill Cumorah really is.