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The Jaredites (/ˈdʒærədaɪt/)[1] are one of four peoples (along with the Nephites, Lamanites, and Mulekites) that the Latter-day Saints believe settled in ancient America.

The Book of Mormon (mainly its Book of Ether) describes the Jaredites as the descendants of Jared and his brother, who lived at the time of the Tower of Babel. According to the Book of Mormon, they fled across the ocean on unique barges and established an ancient civilization in America.

Mainstream archaeology has found no evidence of the existence of Jaredites or any of the other three groups.[2]

Book of Ether narrative

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According to the Book of Mormon, the Jaredites are the descendants of Jared, his brother, their immediate family, and their friends. (Joseph Smith later identified the brother of Jared as Mahonri Moriancumer.) At the time of the Tower of Babel, when the tongues of all nations were confounded, the Lord acceded to the desires of Jared, and his people's language was not confounded. The people were also granted a land of promise.

The Lord guided the people through the wilderness and were eventually directed to cross the sea in "barges". The vessels were sealed and watertight[3][4] and able to be swamped by waves without sinking.[5] Air was obtained from outside the vessels, as needed.[6][7] They also brought with them animals and food.[8] The recorded length of the trip was 344 days.[9] Among other things they carried in their voyage were honeybees, which, in the language of the Jaredites were called "deseret".

Ether is the last in the royal line that began with one of the sons of Jared. From the time of the first king to the destruction of the Jaredites, there were only occasional periods of peace and prosperity. The times of peace were interrupted by intrigue over the throne, civil war, and the accession of wicked kings. The history of the Jaredites confirmed the fears of Jared and his brother that a monarchy would lead to evil.[10]

The Book of Mormon claims that the Jaredites grew to become a civilization that exceeded two million people before its destruction.[11] They finally destroyed themselves about the time Lehi and the other refugees from Jerusalem arrived in America.[citation needed] A prophecy of Ether was fulfilled: the last Jaredite king, Coriantumr, lived to see both the total destruction of his entire house, the scattering of the remaining Jaredites, and the arrival of another people to inherit the land.[12][13]

Other references in Book of Mormon

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Outside the Book of Ether, the Book of Mormon relates that Coriantumr was found by the Mulekites. The Nephites later encountered the Mulekites and taught them the Nephite language. The Mulekites told them that Coriantumr had died some nine months after he had come to live with them. The Nephite prophet King Mosiah I was able to translate a large stone with engravings that gave an account of Coriantumr.[13] Another record on twenty-four plates, discovered by the people of King Limhi, was translated by the Nephite King Mosiah II.[14] An abridged account of the Jaredite records was later included by Moroni, as the Book of Ether, in the Book of Mormon.

Geography

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See also: Limited geography model

The ocean crossed is not specified in the Book of Mormon. Hugh Nibley's There were Jaredites and The World of the Jaredites argue for the Pacific Ocean, but Milton R. Hunter argues for the Atlantic Ocean.[citation needed]

The location of the Jaredite's civilization is also not specified in the Book of Mormon except that it was north of a narrow neck of land in what was called the "Land Northward" by the Nephites. The New World location of the Jaredites and Nephites is a subject of disagreement among Mormons.[citation needed] Joseph Smith indicated that the Jaredites arrived in "the lake country of America"[15] and that "the Nephites... lived about the narrow neck of land, which now embraces Central America, with all the cities that can be found."[16]

Proposed relations

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Some LDS have argued for the Jaredites as the ancestors of the Olmec civilisation.

Descendants of Ham

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Some early Latter Day Saints, including Apostle Parley P. Pratt believed the Jaredites were descendants of Ham, based on the group's origins near the Tower of Babel, and initial migration into the Valley of Nimrod, an area associated with the descendants of Ham.[17]

See also

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References

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Sources

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  • Petersen, Mark E. (1984), The Jaredites, Deseret Book Co, ISBN 0-87747-998-4
  • Nibley, Hugh (1988), Lehi in the Desert/The World of the Jaredites/There Were Jaredites, Deseret Book Co, ISBN 0-87579-132-8, archived from the original on 2013-12-20, retrieved 2014-01-21
  • Brinley, Douglas E. (1995). "The Jaredites—A Case Study in Following the Brethren". In Nyman, Monte S.; Tate, Charles D. Jr. (eds.). Fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 45–59. ISBN 0-88494-974-5. OCLC 32500560. Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  • Judd, Frank F. (1995). "Jaredite Zion Societies: Hope for a Better World". In Nyman, Monte S.; Tate, Charles D. Jr. (eds.). Fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 147–52. ISBN 0-88494-974-5. OCLC 32500560. Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
[edit]
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Jaredites

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The Jaredites are a people chronicled exclusively in the within the , portrayed as descendants of and his brother who led a group from the amid the confusion of languages at the , migrating across the ocean in sealed barges to a "promised land" interpreted as the around 2200 BC. Their narrative depicts a society that expanded into millions through advanced , animal —including elephants and cureloms—and for tools and weapons, governed by kings and prophets in cycles of prosperity, moral decay via secret combinations, and devastating civil wars. Key defining characteristics include their initial divine preservation of and direct communion with , contrasting later scriptural peoples, alongside technological feats like illuminated vessels for transoceanic travel and massive fortifications during conflicts that reduced their population from tens of millions to near extinction by approximately , with only the prophet Coriantumr surviving to briefly encounter the arriving Mulekites. The record, purportedly abridged from 24 gold plates by Moroni around AD 400, emphasizes themes of covenant obedience and self-inflicted downfall through unbridled ambition and . Despite the detailed internal chronology and cultural particulars, no empirical archaeological, linguistic, or genetic data corroborates the Jaredites' existence as a distinct migratory group or in the , with mainstream scholarship attributing the account to 19th-century religious composition rather than ancient , amid noted anachronisms such as post-extinction mentions of and inconsistent with pre-Columbian records. LDS propose correlations with Mesoamerican sites like the Olmec but lack peer-reviewed validation, while academic dismissal often overlooks rigorous textual analysis in favor of presuppositional skepticism rooted in institutional priors against origins.

Origins and Migration

Departure from the Tower of Babel

According to the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, the Jaredites originated during the era of the Tower of Babel, when the Lord confounded human languages and scattered peoples. Jared, recognizing the impending dispersion, requested that his brother—a large and mighty man favored by the Lord—pray to preserve their own language from confusion. The brother of Jared's supplication was answered, as the Lord exercised compassion and did not confound it. Jared subsequently asked his brother to intercede for their friends and family, whose languages the likewise spared, enabling the group to remain united amid the broader linguistic disruption. This core group, comprising Jared's family, his brother's family, and their friends' families, then assembled provisions for an extended journey, including male and female flocks of every kind, seeds of every desirable type, fowls of the air, honeybees (deseret), and vessels for catching . Under the 's direction from a guiding , they departed northward to the valley of , then traversed an uninhabited wilderness toward a seashore, where they constructed multiple tight-sealed barges—small, light, and watertight like dishes—to cross to a divinely chosen above all others. Anticipating total darkness during the voyage, the mounted Mount Shelem and fashioned sixteen small, white, transparent stones from ore. In fervent , he implored the to touch the stones with divine power to emit for and safety within the barges. Exercising in the Lord's , despite the request's apparent simplicity, he witnessed the Lord's finger extend and contact each stone in succession, infusing them with a shining ; this manifestation prompted the to fall in fear, having beheld tangible evidence of . These illuminated stones were placed strategically in the barges—some in the bottom, others at the top—to dispel darkness throughout the perilous crossing.

Journey Across Waters

The Jaredites constructed eight small barges, each likened to the size of a dish and made tight like a vessel to withstand immersion, with provision for air through lengthened holes fitted with lids that could be secured against flooding during storms. These vessels lacked steering mechanisms, sails, or oars, relying instead on divinely directed currents for propulsion, and included luminous stones placed at each end to provide light during submersion or darkness. The design emphasized to mount towering waves while being capable of descending into deep waters without breaking, ensuring survival amid anticipated tempests. Upon launching into the great sea, a strong wind from the propelled the barges forward toward the , but the journey entailed severe trials as furious tempests arose, causing the vessels to be tossed upward to the heavens and downward to the depths like mounting a mountain. The Jaredites endured these upheavals for 344 days upon the waters, continually praising and commending their spirits to him in faith, which sustained them without loss of life or provisions spoiling. The winds and waves, though violent, ultimately served to drive them inexorably toward their destination rather than destroying them. As the seas calmed under divine influence, the barges approached the shore, where the Jaredites emerged unharmed, giving thanks upon the land they termed the . This account attributes their preservation to the barges' resilience combined with preparatory stockpiling of food, seeds, and animals, alongside persistent expressions of gratitude amid peril.

Arrival in the Promised Land

According to the in the , the Jaredites' barges reached the shore of the after 344 days driven by divine winds across the waters. Upon disembarking, the group prostrated themselves in humility before , expressing gratitude through tears of joy for His mercies, before proceeding to till the and establish basic sustenance. Prior preparations had included gathering seeds of every kind, alongside useful provisions like honeybees and , enabling rapid agricultural adaptation in the new territory. This facilitated their expansion across the land, population growth through births, and strengthening as a society amid initial conditions of peace and productivity. Seeking structured governance, the people convened to select a , but the firstborn and other sons of Jared's brother declined the role, as did most of Jared's own sons—except one. Orihah, Jared's accepting son, was thus anointed as the inaugural , with Jared serving as the founding guiding the early settlement. Jared's leadership era concluded with his death after many years, soon followed by that of his brother, the primary spiritual intercessor during the ; the community then maintained familial expansion and tranquility under Orihah.

Historical Narrative

Early Kings and Society

The Jaredites established a monarchical system shortly after their arrival in the , with the people collectively desiring a to govern them. Jared, the patriarchal leader during the migration, did not assume the title himself; instead, candidates including Pagag, the firstborn son of Jared's brother, and other sons of both Jared and his brother successively declined the kingship before Orihah, Jared's fourth son, accepted and was anointed. Orihah's reign was marked by righteousness, during which the people prospered and became numerous, reflecting an initial phase of stable, familial governance. He fathered thirty-one children, including twenty-three sons, with Kib designated as a primary heir in the lineage. Succession passed to Kib, but early signs of inequality emerged when Corihor, a relative in the royal line, rebelled against his father or kin, capturing Kib and portions of the kingdom, which introduced division and into the monarchical . Kib's son Shule later overthrew Corihor in battle, restoring his father temporarily before assuming the throne himself, during which the people prospered exceedingly and developed metallurgical capabilities, as evidenced by the production of steel swords sourced from in the hill . This period highlighted a society capable of resource extraction and craftsmanship, supporting inferences of organized labor and technological preservation from their pre-migration era, though internal rebellions by figures like and Cohor further tested the stability of the hereditary system. Further along the king list, Emer's sixty-two-year reign represented a pinnacle of righteous and societal flourishing, with the land yielding abundant crops, fruits, grains, and domesticated animals including , oxen, flocks, , asses, and larger beasts such as , cureloms, and cumoms. Prosperity extended to fine workmanship in gold, silver, silks, and precious clothing, indicating advanced , , and possibly networks or specialized production that sustained a growing population under centralized rule. Emer executed judgments in righteousness, anointing successors like Coriantum while maintaining peace, though the narrative underscores how such abundance depended on adherence to foundational principles of inherited from Jared's era. These early phases illustrate a structured around divine-right , with economic self-sufficiency derived from preserved knowledge of husbandry and , contrasted by nascent power imbalances that foreshadowed later fractures.

Rise of Prophets and Righteousness

In the early phases of Jaredite kingship, following internal rebellions such as that led by Corihor against his father Kib, prophets emerged to exhort the people toward and covenant fidelity, restoring under righteous like that of Shule, who reclaimed the and fostered conditions for prophetic ministry. These prophets declared that continued wickedness would invite destruction, prompting collective that yielded immediate and agricultural abundance as causal outcomes of obedience. The foundational prophet, the , exemplified this pattern by securing divine promises of preservation through faith-driven inquiries, including visions of the premortal Redeemer that underscored the direct linkage between prophetic intercession, moral alignment, and national thriving upon arrival in the . Subsequent prophetic interventions, as under Shared's emerging influence amid Shule's later years, reinforced this dynamic, where heeded warnings averted calamity and enabled generational stability. Righteous monarchs perpetuated these reforms; Emer, for instance, governed with personal divine encounters, yielding extended peace, expansive trade networks, and material wealth including silks, fine linens, gold, silver, and diverse livestock—evidencing how fidelity correlated with economic and technological booms in tool-making, , and resource extraction. Similarly, Levi, having liberated himself and kin from captivity to secure the kingdom, ruled justly, promoting societal cohesion that cleared environmental hazards like venomous serpents through repentance-induced divine relief, thereby facilitating widespread and . These eras highlight recurrent : prophetic calls to under obedient kingship generated , contrasting with disobedience's forfeitures elsewhere in the record.

Cycles of War and Secret Combinations

The introduction of secret combinations among the Jaredites occurred during the reign of Omer, when intrigue involving Omer's granddaughter—the daughter of his son Jared—led to the formation of oath-bound groups dedicated to assassination and power seizure. Jared, seeking the throne, instructed his daughter to perform a seductive dance before the reigning king to request Omer's head on a platter; the king, captivated, granted her request with an oath. Warned by a prophet, Omer fled to the land of Bountiful with his family, allowing Jared to temporarily seize the kingdom. The daughter's suitor, Akish, a kinsman, then organized the first secret combination, binding participants with a ritual oath: participants pressed a finger to their eye, throat, heart, and head, vowing mutual death—cursed with "all the judgments which the Lord shall bring upon us"—if any betrayed the group or revealed its plans to slay the king and gain the kingdom. This combination enabled Akish to marry the daughter, murder Jared, imprison Omer, and assume the throne. Civil war ensued as Akish's son rebelled against his father's tyranny, prompting Akish to execute him in and ignite broader conflict among his own sons and partisans, resulting in the deaths of two-thirds of the Jaredite population before Omer's son Shule overthrew and killed Akish, restoring the royal line. Shule's subsequent reign saw renewed threats from secret combinations among the sons of Jared and other dissidents, prompting prophets to warn the people against such oaths, which temporarily averted further upheaval through collective . Similar patterns recurred, as evidenced in Ether 11, where prophets repeatedly cautioned against secret combinations amid wars and famines; when the people hearkened, hearkening led to divine deliverance from enemies and restoration of prosperity. A characteristic cycle of and redemption manifested under King Riplakish, a descendant in the line after Shule, who imposed heavy taxes, took multiple wives and concubines, and constructed lavish buildings for personal indulgence, provoking and his flight into the after 42 years of rule. In the ensuing , Mosiah—a righteous leader—gathered oppressed Jaredites and led them northward, where he discovered and subdued another group, establishing a new settlement and returning south to defeat Riplakish's successor in battle, thereby ending the tyrant's lineage and reinstating order. These episodes illustrate a recurring dynamic: royal overreach or factional oaths escalated into widespread conflict, only interrupted by prophetic exhortations, public repentance, and military or migratory interventions that yielded temporary peace and abundance.

Decline and Extinction

Final Wars and Destruction

The final phase of Jaredite conflicts commenced amid prophecies attributing to secret combinations, with the Shared declaring woe upon the for uniting with such abominations, foretelling their utter destruction unless repented of (Ether 13:13-15). These oaths, likened to Gadianton bands, fueled that overthrew kings and claimed vast numbers, as Coriantumr rebelled against Shared's rule, leading to battles where Shared initially prevailed but was ultimately defeated and slain after Coriantumr regrouped with reinforcements (Ether 14:2-9). Shared's brother then assumed the and waged war against Coriantumr, achieving temporary victories with large armies before Gilead himself fell in combat, perpetuating the cycle of and mass bloodshed (Ether 14:10-12). Subsequent leaders, including Libnihah, briefly contested Coriantumr's ascendant power but were overcome, yielding to Coriantumr's dominance amid escalating hostilities driven by unrepentant wickedness (Ether 14:13-31). The prophet , having warned Coriantumr of impending annihilation, recorded how Shiz then challenged for the kingdom, assembling forces that clashed in protracted engagements, resulting in the slaughter of nearly two million souls, including women and children, over two years of unrelenting combat that razed cities and depopulated regions (Ether 15:1-11). Armies swelled to encompass the entire populace, fighting from dawn until overwhelmed by fatigue and wounds, with heaps of the dead covering the land (Ether 15:11). A severe ensued for two years, afflicting both sides and prompting partial among Coriantumr's followers, who sought ; Coriantumr even proposed ceding the kingdom to Shiz to halt the carnage, but Shiz rejected , demanding Coriantumr's life (Ether 15:3-6, 12-15). Despite these overtures, the people soon resumed their oaths of vengeance, reigniting battles that reduced forces to mere dozens in final confrontations, where combatants, weakened by loss of blood, continued slaying until exhaustion claimed all but the barest remnants in a fulfillment of prophesied desolation (Ether 15:15-32). The Spirit of the Lord ultimately withdrew, marking the cessation of Jaredite contention through self-inflicted (Ether 15:34).

Survivor Coriantumr

Coriantumr, the final king of the Jaredites, emerged as the sole survivor of the genocidal wars that annihilated his people, with scriptural accounts estimating over two million deaths in the protracted conflicts. In the decisive confrontation at the hill Ramah, Coriantumr engaged Shiz, the leader of the opposing faction, in ; after leaning on his sword for support, he severed Shiz's head, though Shiz briefly struggled before succumbing. Coriantumr himself then collapsed from severe wounds and fatigue, appearing lifeless, yet he ultimately survived to embody the prophetic warnings of total destruction issued by Ether. As the last remnant of his civilization, Coriantumr wandered the depopulated landscape, directly observing the realization of 's foretold obliteration of the Jaredite nation through internal strife and divine judgment. , having hidden his record, confirmed the exhaustive fulfillment of these divine pronouncements before concluding his writings. Coriantumr's thus served as a poignant testament to the prophecies, marking the endpoint of Jaredite dominion without reversal. Later, Coriantumr encountered the people of , a separate group who discovered him and integrated him briefly into their society for nine months. An engraved stone record detailing his experiences and the slaughter of his people was preserved among them, later translated by divine means, providing a historical summation of the Jaredite demise originating from the era. This encounter highlighted Coriantumr's transitional role but underscored the Jaredites' irreversible extinction, as no descendants are recorded to perpetuate their lineage.

Interaction with Other Peoples

According to the account, the sole recorded direct interaction between surviving Jaredites and other peoples occurred when Coriantumr, the last Jaredite survivor following the near-total annihilation of his nation in final wars circa 600–590 B.C., was discovered by the people of , descendants of Mulek (a son of King of Judah who fled Jerusalem's destruction in 587 B.C.). Coriantumr dwelt among them for nine months, during which they obtained a large stone engraved by the prophet detailing Jaredite history, including their origins, kings, and destruction; Coriantumr died thereafter, leaving no known descendants to integrate. Later Nephite records reference this event as confirmatory prophecy, noting Mulek's exodus and Coriantumr's brief residence among his people as divine signs of scriptural fulfillment, but emphasize the Jaredites' complete extinction without ongoing societal overlap. Subsequent indirect contacts involved discoveries of Jaredite remnants by Nephite-affiliated groups. King Limhi's expedition of 43 men, sent northward around 121 B.C. in search of Zarahemla, traveled approximately 40 days before encountering ruins of a vast, destroyed civilization—marked by heaps of bones, rusted metal swords too heavy to lift, and other artifacts indicating millions had perished in conflict—later identified as Jaredite territory rather than Mulekite lands. The explorers retrieved 24 plates of gold or similar material inscribed with additional Jaredite records. These findings, translated via seer stones by King Mosiah II, corroborated the earlier stone record and affirmed the Jaredites' prior occupation and total demise before the arrival of Lehi's family (circa 590–570 B.C.) or Mulekites, with no textual of intermarriage, cultural exchange, or descendant survival beyond Coriantumr's isolated case. The accounts portray these interactions as post-extinction encounters with relics, underscoring the Jaredites' isolation from contemporaneous American peoples in the narrative.

Geographical Theories

Proposed Locations in the Americas

In Mesoamerican geographical models for the , Jaredite settlements are typically situated in the region encompassing southern , particularly and , extending into , with the interpreted as the "narrow neck of land" referenced in 10:20, where a great city was built adjacent to the place "where the sea divides the land." This configuration aligns with textual accounts of seashore battles during the Jaredites' final wars, as in 15:8, positing the or Pacific coastlines as sites of conflict involving vast armies. Proponents, including John L. Sorenson, argue that this limited area accommodates the Jaredites' expansive migrations from a landing near the western coast, subsequent population growth to millions, and internal divisions into northern and southern territories, without requiring continental-scale sprawl. ![Olmec colossal head in Villahermosa][float-right] Some Mesoamerican advocates link early Jaredite culture (circa 2200–1500 BC) to the Olmec horizon, citing chronological overlap and features like massive stone sculptures depicting helmeted, possibly bearded figures that evoke descriptions of Jaredite kings and warriors, though such correlations remain interpretive and unproven by independent archaeology. Later Jaredite phases are sometimes tied to sites in the Guatemalan highlands or Yucatán for their capacity to support dense populations and urban centers matching Ether's narratives of abundance and conflict. These models emphasize textual fidelity to a compact geography, avoiding broader hemispheric interpretations that dilute specific landmarks like the dividing sea at the narrow neck. Alternative proposals in the North American Heartland model position Jaredite origins along the eastern seaboard or , with primary lands in the Midwest, interpreting the "narrow neck" as a constricted passage near the Niagara region or between Lakes Erie and , facilitating the defensive chokepoints implied in Ether 10:20 and enabling rapid Jaredite expansion northward. Advocates such as Wayne May and Rod Meldrum suggest an arrival via the into what is now and the , with core territories around modern , , and New York, where the Jaredites' "land northward" (Ether 1:2) encompasses fertile plains suitable for the agricultural and martial societies described. This framework prioritizes textual references to extensive forests, animals, and rivers (Ether 9:17–19, 10:12), proposing that Jaredite migrations radiated from a heartland in the Valley, culminating in exterminating wars near the ' shores to match Ether 15:8's coastal engagements. Heartland proponents further contend that the Jaredites' early phases align with riverine and mound-building activities in the eastern woodlands, with later concentrations supporting the secret combinations and metallic weaponry of Ether 10–15, though these views derive from apologetic syntheses rather than consensus among Book of Mormon scholars. Both models remain speculative, hinging on harmonizing scriptural phrases like the narrow neck with real-world , without empirical corroboration of Jaredite presence, and diverge on whether Jaredite domains were confined southward or extended into temperate northern climes.

Relation to Nephite Discoveries

In the Book of Mormon narrative, the Nephite Limhi dispatched an expedition northward from the land of Nephi around 121 BC to seek the land of , but the group instead encountered the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization marked by "cummums" (heaps of earth covering cities) and artifacts including swords, breastplates, and 24 gold plates engraved with unknown characters. These plates, later translated by Mosiah II using seer stones, contained the abridged of the Jaredites from their origins at the to their destruction, as recorded by the prophet . This discovery established a direct textual link between the Jaredite record and Nephite , with Mosiah's enabling the integration of Jaredite into Nephite records, spanning approximately 2,000 years of pre-Nephite events. Geographical overlaps further connect Jaredite territories to Nephite explorations, particularly in the "land northward," described as desolate by the time of Nephite migrations around , save for timber resources, due to the prior of its inhabitants. Nephite and Lamanite groups, including the sons of Helaman, ventured there and found of massive populations—piles of bones and ruined structures—attributed to the Jaredites' final wars. By AD 385, during the Nephites' own collapse at in the land northward, the region echoed the Jaredite desolation, with Mormon noting the land's prior emptiness except for remnants of destruction. These accounts portray the land northward as a shared, foreboding expanse where resettled amid Jaredite relics, reinforcing themes of cyclical divine judgments on covenant lands. The Jaredite migration also parallels Nephite journeys through shared motifs of divine exodus to , originating from the valley of —a northern staging area where Jared's group gathered flocks and families before receiving barges for their ocean crossing around 2243 BC. This valley served as a pivotal assembly point, akin to Lehi's wilderness travels from around 600 BC toward the same , both groups receiving promises of inheritance conditional on righteousness, with failure leading to sweeping off the land. Later Jaredite king Shared referenced similar northern retreats during civil strife, evoking the valley's role in preservation amid turmoil, though distinct from Lehi's southward route. Such textual symmetries underscore the Book of Mormon's portrayal of sequential waves of covenant peoples converging on the same continental theater.

Evidence and Historicity

Archaeological Assessments

Archaeological excavations throughout and have produced no artifacts, inscriptions, or settlement patterns aligning with the Jaredite civilization depicted in the , which describes a society originating near the time of the (circa 2200 BC) and culminating in final wars that resulted in approximately two million deaths. The absence extends to expected markers of advanced societal complexity, such as extensive urban networks or fortified cities capable of supporting the population densities implied by Ether's accounts of repeated large-scale conflicts. The explicitly states that its archaeologists observe no direct connection between archaeology and subject matter, including Jaredite history, and the institution has never employed the text as a scientific guide for research. Likewise, the reports no known archaeological evidence corroborating the 's historical claims. Pre-Columbian sites dating to the Jaredite timeframe (pre-1000 BC) reflect primarily or early formative cultures with limited , lacking the monumental architecture or mass destruction layers that would correspond to the described genocidal wars. Proposals linking Jaredites to cultures like the Olmec (flourishing circa 1500–400 BC) fail due to temporal mismatches—the Olmec postdate the Jaredite migration by centuries—and the absence of Olmec evidence for iron metallurgy or scripts, with Olmec iconography instead featuring indigenous motifs unconnected to Near Eastern influences. Similarly, associations with the (circa 200 BC–500 AD) are chronologically incompatible, as Hopewell sites emerge after the purported Jaredite extinction around 300 BC, and exhibit no traces of the steel weaponry or Hebrew-derived writing systems anticipated from Ether's narrative. Ferrous metallurgy, including steel production referenced in Ether 7:9, is unattested in pre-Columbian Americas prior to European contact, with indigenous metalworking confined to non-ferrous alloys like copper and gold for ornamental purposes rather than durable weapons or tools matching the Book of Mormon's descriptions. No verified dig sites yield mass graves, battlefields, or inscribed records substantiating the scale of Jaredite events, underscoring a broader empirical gap between the textual claims and the archaeological record.

Linguistic and Genetic Analysis

The Book of Ether posits that the Jaredites' language remained unconfounded following the events at the , preserving an original tongue predating linguistic diversification (Ether 1:33). In contrast, of indigenous American languages identifies over 300 distinct families, including isolates like Haida and families such as Uto-Aztecan and Chibchan, all exhibiting structural and phonological traits—such as polysynthetic morphology and glottalized consonants—consistent with divergence from proto-languages in around 10,000–15,000 years ago. No systematic Semitic substrates, such as triconsonantal roots or VSO typical of ancient Near Eastern languages, appear in these families; proposed affinities, often limited to superficial lexical resemblances, fail under rigorous glottochronological testing and are dismissed by consensus as coincidental or methodologically unsound. Mitochondrial DNA analyses of Native American populations reveal founding lineages in haplogroups A2, B2, C1b, C1c, C1d, D1, and the rarer X2a, all deriving from populations with primary ancestry in and , dated to migrations commencing over 20,000 years ago. Y-chromosome data similarly centers on Q-M3 subclades, which trace to a shared ancestor with northern Asian groups like the Altaians, indicating a bottleneck event during the rather than subsequent influxes from the or . Genomic sequencing of ancient remains, including from the Clovis child (circa 12,600 years ), confirms this Asian continuum without detectable West Eurasian admixture predating European contact; any minor signals, such as in X, align with European hunter-gatherers via shared Asian intermediaries, not post-Babel Near Eastern sources. Jaredite proper names, including "" (Ether 9:25), evoke biblical Canaanite figures (Genesis 10:15) whose attestations postdate the narrative, raising questions of temporal misalignment with a pre- or immediate post-Babel Hamitic context; etymological links to Sumerian or proto-Semitic forms remain unestablished in peer-reviewed , with patterns suggesting later Hebrew influences over archaic roots. This linguistic isolation, coupled with genetic homogeneity, indicates no empirical trace of a distinct Old World migratory group in the during the proposed Jaredite era (circa 2500–600 BCE).

Apologetic Defenses

Latter-day Saint apologists, such as John L. Sorenson, have proposed limited geography models for events, including Jaredite settlements, positing that their civilization occupied a confined region—such as pockets in —rather than the entire hemisphere, thereby reducing the expected archaeological footprint and addressing the absence of widespread evidence. This approach contrasts with early hemispheric interpretations and argues that the Jaredites' "whole face of the land" description in 13:2 refers to a localized , minimizing the scale of required artifacts or population traces. Proponents emphasize spiritual confirmation as primary validation for the Jaredite record, asserting that the Book of Mormon's translation through via divine —described as by the "gift and power of God"—prioritizes personal and over empirical proof, with Moroni 10:3-5 inviting readers to seek divine witness rather than archaeological corroboration. This revelatory process, defended by church leaders and apologists, holds that historical details like Jaredite migrations and destructions serve doctrinal purposes, rendering evidential gaps secondary to covenant-making intent. In Heartland models advocated by figures like Rod Meldrum, undiscovered Jaredite sites are attributed to factors such as post-glacial silting, flooding, or agricultural overwriting in North American locales like the , suggesting that time-bound destruction (circa 600-300 B.C.) and environmental changes have obscured remains, with potential for future discoveries akin to Hopewell culture correlations. Apologists note that while mainstream archaeology dismisses such links due to methodological biases, selective remnant survival or record migrations could explain textual silences on broader traces.

Proposed Ancestral Relations

Connections to Biblical Lineages

The Jaredite narrative in the Book of Ether aligns temporally with the Tower of Babel account in Genesis 11:1–9, depicting the Jaredites as contemporaries of the language confounding event that dispersed post-Flood humanity. Ether 1:33 explicitly places Jared and his brother "at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people," positioning their story as a direct extension of the biblical episode where unified speech enabled ambitious construction but led to divine intervention. This synchronization frames the Jaredites as a non-covenantal group spared from dispersion through intercession, rather than participants in the covenant lines emphasized in Genesis. Following the confounding, the brother of Jared's prayers preserved their family's language intact, allowing them to maintain communication amid the broader scattering (Ether 1:34–37). They then relocated to the valley of —referenced in Ether 2:1 as northward from the tower site and named for the biblical , a mighty hunter whose kingdom began in Babel (Genesis 10:8–12). This geographical tie roots the Jaredites in the plain, the hub of early post-Flood settlement where descendants of Noah's sons intermingled before division. The preserved language underscores a continuity with the pre-confounded unity of Genesis 11:1, implying potential ancestral ties to multiple Noahic branches without linguistic barriers enforcing separation. The provides no explicit genealogy tracing the Jaredites to a specific son of Noah—, , or —unlike the detailed tables in Genesis 10 that outline covenantal and territorial dispersals. This omission permits interpretations of mixed origins, as the Babel multitude comprised all surviving lineages from the ark (Genesis 9:18–19), potentially including Shemite scholarly traditions or Japhethite migratory elements blended in the valley of Nimrod's multicultural setting. The narrative's focus on divine favoritism toward the Jaredites, without covenantal markers like those given to Abraham's line, highlights them as a distinct, preserved remnant rather than an exclusive branch, consistent with the biblical theme of selective mercy amid judgment.

Descendants of Ham Hypothesis

Early Latter-day Saint thinkers, such as apostle , proposed that the Jaredites included descendants of due to their origins contemporaneous with the dispersion, which Pratt associated with regions inhabited by Ham's posterity. This view drew on the inclusion of diverse "friends" in Jared's group (Ether 1:33–41) and onomastic evidence, such as the name appearing multiple times in Jaredite records (Ether 1:16; Ether 7:19; Ether 10:1), evoking Heth the son of and grandson of Ham, progenitor of Canaanite peoples (Genesis 10:15). Scholars like J.M. Sjodahl further speculated that Hamitic elements among Jared's associates could explain such nomenclature, interpreting Heth as connoting "terror" in a context of post-Babel migrations blending Noahic lineages. Proponents cited archaeological speculations, including negroid features in and figurines, as potential markers of Hamitic admixture in purported Jaredite cultures like the , aligning with a timeline placing Jaredite arrival around 2200 BCE and Olmec emergence circa 1500 BCE. However, these interpretations rely on subjective phenotypic assessments rather than robust evidence; mainstream attributes Olmec traits to indigenous Mesoamerican variation, with genetic studies confirming East Asian/Siberian ancestry dominant in pre-Columbian , evidenced by Y-chromosome and mitochondrial haplogroups A, B, C, D—showing no significant sub-Saharan African L haplogroups or autosomal markers. Claims of African Olmec origins, such as those by Andrzej Wiercinski based on craniometrics, have been retracted or widely critiqued for methodological flaws and lack of supporting DNA. Contemporary Latter-day Saint scholarship rejects a primary Hamitic origin for the , citing absence of explicit scriptural linkage— the traces 's group to pre-dispersion righteousness without Noahic tribal specification, implying Shemite leadership given their preservation of the and prophetic authority incompatible with the Canaanite curse barring priesthood (Genesis 9:25; Abraham 1:26–27). LDS analyses emphasize that and his brother, as covenant figures, likely descended from , with any "friends" secondary and not defining the core lineage sustaining religion over centuries. This aligns with genetic realities of American indigenous populations deriving from Beringian migrations circa 15,000–20,000 years ago, predating Babel and diluting any hypothetical post-flood Hamitic input to negligible levels. The hypothesis thus persists mainly in fringe apologetic circles but lacks empirical or doctrinal mandate, favoring an undetermined but non-Ham-dominant ancestry.

Theological Interpretations

Role in Latter-day Saint Scripture

The Book of Ether, comprising the final portion of the , contains Moroni's abridgment of the Jaredite record from the twenty-four plates kept by Ether, the last prophet of that people. This abridgment details the Jaredites' origins at the time of the confusion of languages, their migration to the under divine guidance, and their eventual self-destruction through cycles of righteousness and wickedness spanning approximately 2,000 years. Moroni explicitly states that he included this history not primarily for historical interest but to deliver prophetic warnings to future generations. Central to the Jaredite narrative's scriptural purpose is the caution against secret combinations and oaths, which Moroni identifies as the primary cause of the Jaredites' . In Ether 8:23-26, Moroni declares that these combinations, formed to gain power and , led to the Jaredites' downfall and warns that the same forces would threaten any permitting them, urging readers to disbelieve their proponents and seek their destruction to avert similar ruin. This emphasis underscores the record's role as a divine admonition rather than a mere , intended to instruct latter-day peoples on the perils of moral decay masked by conspiratorial alliances. The Jaredites' account also affirms the conditional covenant associated with their promised land in the Americas, predating the Nephites' arrival. In Ether 2:7-12, the Lord instructs the brother of Jared that the land would be preserved from subjugation if its inhabitants served God, but captivity and destruction would follow disobedience, establishing a pattern of divine accountability applicable to all who inherit the land. This revelation highlights the Jaredites as evidence of God's consistent dealings with pre-existing peoples, reinforcing the Book of Mormon's broader theme of chosen lands held under obedience to eternal laws. Furthermore, the Jaredite record implies continuity in Christ's ministry across the ' ancient inhabitants, paralleling the explicit post-resurrection visit to the in 3 Nephi. While the Jaredites' extinction predates this event by centuries, the scriptural framework suggests that the Savior's "other sheep" included such groups in their respective eras, with the Jaredite history serving to illustrate fulfilled prophecies of universal redemption through covenants, as echoed in the Nephite fulfillment.

Lessons on Societal Collapse

The Jaredite downfall illustrates a recurring pattern wherein internal conspiracies, termed "secret combinations," precipitated societal disintegration more effectively than external conquests. These entities, characterized by oaths of mutual protection to murder, plunder, and usurp power, emerged during periods of political instability, such as the reign of Omer when Akish orchestrated a coup through daughter-induced intrigue and binding covenants (Ether 8:1–15). Far from mere factions, they systematically eroded social cohesion by prioritizing elite gain over communal welfare, fostering inequality through targeted assassinations and resource seizures that destabilized governance. The narrative delineates cycles of renewal and self-inflicted ruin tied to leadership fidelity. Righteous rulers and prophetic interventions, as seen under Orihah's judgeship or Shared's repentance-driven restoration, correlated with agricultural abundance, population growth, and territorial expansion spanning over a millennium (Ether 6:12–13, 7:26–27, 9:16–22, 10:19). Conversely, kingly overreach—exemplified by , Shule's fratricidal wars, or Riplakish's tyrannical taxation—invited secret oaths that amplified ambitions into genocidal conflicts, reducing millions to warfare until only two survivors remained (Ether 7:1–5, 8:24, 15:1–2). This dynamic posits causal primacy in moral deviation: unchecked personal avarice, when institutionalized via covert alliances, overrides institutional safeguards, leading to exponential violence. Moroni, abridging the record, attributes the Jaredites' total extinction explicitly to these combinations, observing they "caused the destruction of this people" and warning that nations upholding them for "power and gain" invite divine retribution and inevitable overthrow (Ether 8:21–22). Their potency exceeds "the sword" of invaders, as they "bringeth to pass the destruction of all people" by diabolical deception, subverting liberty through internal betrayal rather than frontal assault (Ether 8:23–25). The account thereby cautions against presumptions of inexorable societal ascent, emphasizing an observable sequence where internal factionalism—rooted in ethical erosion and power-hoarding pacts—precedes comprehensive collapse, as evidenced by the Jaredites' progression from to over centuries of ignored prophetic admonitions (Ether 11:1–8, 13:1–2). This framework prioritizes endogenous threats, challenging narratives that externalize decline while normalizing elite-driven divisions as benign competition.

References

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