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Mulek
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Mulek (/ˈmjuːlɛk/),[1] according to the Book of Mormon, was the only surviving son of Zedekiah, the last King of Judah, after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon states that after escaping from Judah, Mulek traveled to the Americas and established a civilization there.

The word Mulekite, after Mulek, is commonly used to refer to his group. It is one of four groups (the others being the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Jaredites) described in the Book of Mormon as having settled in the ancient Americas, although the name Mulekites does not appear in the Book of Mormon itself. Archaeological evidence for the existence of any of these groups has not been documented.[2]

Mulek and his nation

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According to the Book of Mormon, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon, during the reign of Zedekiah, all of the sons of Zedekiah were killed except Mulek.[3][4] Along with "as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord," Mulek escaped into the wilderness, traveled "across the great waters" to the Americas, and founded a new nation.[5] The people of Mulek established their capital at Zarahemla, north of where Lehi and his people landed.[6]

Encounter with Jaredites

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The last surviving Jaredite, Coriantumr, encountered the Mulekites, who he lived with for several months before he died.[7]

Encounter with Nephites

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When the Nephites were commanded to leave their historic homeland of Lehi-Nephi to flee from the Lamanites, the exiled remnants discovered the city of Zarahemla, to their north. The Book of Mormon records that the Mulekites spoke a language that was largely unintelligible to the Nephites. When taught the Nephite language, the Mulekites recounted their descent from Mulek, which was then recorded.

The Mulekites had in their possession a stone that told the story of Coriantumr, a survivor of the Jaredites who had encountered the Mulekites and lived among them until his death. Much of the prior Mulekite history was lost because of their lack of records.[8]

References

[edit]
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Mulek

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Mulek is a central figure in the , portrayed as the son of King Zedekiah of Judah who evaded execution during the Babylonian conquest of in 587 BCE and led a group of across the ocean to the , where they founded the settlement of . According to scriptural accounts, Mulek's followers, lacking written records and having corrupted their language, established a society in the land northward but eventually encountered the , with whom they merged under King Mosiah around 200 BCE. His descendants, referred to as the people of Mulek or Mulekites, played a significant in later narratives, contributing to the population and governance of the united Nephite society. Mulek is not mentioned in the Bible. Some scholars affiliated with Latter-day Saint institutions have proposed identifying him with the biblical figure Malkiyahu ben-hamMelek (Malchiah, son of the king) referenced in 38:6, where "son of the king" could denote extended members rather than strictly biological sons. The name Mulek may represent a hypocoristic or shortened form of Malkiyahu, and names like Malkiyahu appear in inscriptions from Zedekiah's era, such as the , consistent with ancient Near Eastern naming practices. This proposed alignment highlights interpretive connections between Book of Mormon claims and historical context.

Historical and Scriptural Context

Biblical Account of Zedekiah

, originally named Mattaniah, ascended to the throne of Judah in 597 BC at the age of twenty-one, following the of his nephew King Jehoiachin to by . Installed as a king, ruled from for eleven years under Babylonian overlordship, during which he was required to swear to Nebuchadnezzar. His reign began amid the aftermath of the first Babylonian conquest of Judah, which had already seen the exile of much of the royal family, , and skilled artisans, leaving the kingdom economically weakened and politically unstable. Around 589 BC, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, reportedly influenced by alliances with under Hophra and internal pressures from prophets urging independence. This act of defiance prompted Nebuchadnezzar to besiege in Zedekiah's ninth year, beginning on the tenth day of the tenth month and enduring for over two years amid severe within the city. The prolonged exacerbated Judah's vulnerabilities, as the kingdom had been paying tribute to to maintain fragile peace, but Zedekiah's broken oath escalated the conflict into full-scale war. The fall of occurred in 587 BC, in 's eleventh year, when Babylonian forces breached the city walls. fled toward but was captured near the plains of along with his army; his sons were then slain before his eyes, after which Nebuchadnezzar ordered blinded, bound in bronze shackles, and taken to , where he remained in prison until his death. Concurrently, the Babylonians burned the , the royal palace, and the city's houses, dismantling its walls and exiling the remaining elite and military leaders, while leaving only the poorest people to work the vineyards and fields. This destruction marked the culmination of the Babylonian conquest, fulfilling prophecies of judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and disobedience.

Introduction in the Book of Mormon

In the , Mulek is identified as the son of , the last king of Judah, in two key passages in the book of Helaman. Helaman 6:10 explicitly names the land north after Mulek, stating, "Now the land south was called Lehi, and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south." This verse introduces Mulek as a whose arrival in the paralleled that of Lehi, another contemporary from . Similarly, Helaman 8:21 references Mulek in the context of prophetic testimony, affirming his lineage and survival: "And now will you dispute that was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of ?" The narrative clarifies Mulek's survival despite biblical accounts depicting the execution of all Zedekiah's sons. According to 2 Kings 25:7, after the fall of , "They killed the sons of before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to ." In contrast, the asserts that Mulek escaped this fate and led a group of followers from to the , an event situated around 587 BC, coinciding with the Babylonian destruction of the city. This introduction establishes Mulek's role as a progenitor of a distinct people group, setting the foundation for their later scriptural mentions without detailing the journey itself. Linguistically, the name "Mulek" derives from the Hebrew root mlk, with "Mulek" serving as a hypocoristic (shortened, affectionate) form of melek, meaning "," which aligns with his royal heritage as Zedekiah's son. This is supported by ancient Hebrew naming conventions, where such diminutives were common for royal or noble figures, as seen in biblical parallels like Malkiyahu (" is king").

Escape and Migration

Flight from Jerusalem

The flight of Mulek and his followers from Jerusalem occurred in the aftermath of the city's fall to the Babylonians in 587 BC, coinciding with the capture of King and the slaying of his other sons. According to the , Mulek, identified as a son of Zedekiah who miraculously escaped execution, led a group of Judahites who fled to avoid . This exodus was marked by divine guidance, as the group was led by the without the benefit of prophetic leadership or , emphasizing the secretive and perilous nature of their departure to evade pursuing forces. The absence of records among the fugitives stemmed from their hurried escape, which later contributed to a loss of historical continuity for the group known as the Mulekites. Scriptural accounts imply that their route involved evading Babylonian patrols through protected paths, relying on implicit promises of divine protection to reach safety beyond the immediate region of Judah.

Journey Across the Ocean

Following their departure from amid the Babylonian conquest around 587 BC, Mulek and his followers undertook a transoceanic migration across the great waters to reach the . The records that, after journeying through the wilderness, they were guided by in this crossing, arriving in the land of in the land southward. This voyage occurred shortly after Lehi's family had crossed the ocean to the land southward around 590 BC, marking Mulek's group as one of the early Israelite migrations to the but without the detailed navigational aids, such as the Liahona, described in Lehi's account. The scriptural narrative emphasizes the direct intervention in bringing them safely across the waters, though it provides no specifics on the duration, vessels, or hardships encountered during the sea journey itself. Upon completion of the crossing, the group had reached a territory distinct from Lehi's southern landing, setting the stage for their establishment in . The brevity of the record underscores the focus on divine leading over logistical details, aligning with the pattern of journeys in the .

Establishment in the

Arrival and Settlement in Zarahemla

Upon reaching the after their transoceanic voyage, the group led by Mulek established their initial settlement in a region they named the land of . This area was situated northward relative to the lands initially occupied by Lehi's descendants, providing a distinct geographic separation that influenced early interactions. The settlement's location featured natural features such as rivers and valleys, which supported habitation and are referenced in subsequent accounts of the region's topography. The land was named Zarahemla after , a prominent leader and descendant of Mulek, rather than after Mulek himself, reflecting a structure of shared among the group's key figures. This underscored the that emerged during the founding phase. Over the centuries following their arrival around 587 BCE (likely by 575 BCE per scholarly estimates), the Mulekite population experienced significant growth, becoming exceedingly numerous despite periods of conflict. However, lacking preserved records from their exodus, their society developed without a written historical tradition, resulting in a corrupted language and limited by the time of later contacts. This ahistorical foundation highlighted the oral and communal nature of their early societal organization.

Development of Mulekite Culture

Following their initial settlement in the land of around 587 BC, the Mulekite society underwent significant transformations over the subsequent centuries. The Mulekites experienced a gradual loss of their original , which had become corrupted by the time of Mosiah's discovery around , rendering it unintelligible to arriving and reflecting influences from local linguistic environments or internal fragmentation. This linguistic drift contributed to a broader cultural isolation, as the group had brought no records or scriptures with them from , leading to the erosion of their historical knowledge and religious practices, including a of their Creator. Despite these challenges, the Mulekites expanded demographically, evolving from a small founding party—estimated by scholars as likely numbering more than 20 individuals—into an exceedingly numerous population by circa , centered around as their primary hub. This growth occurred amid periods of internal wars and contentions that periodically reduced their numbers, yet they coalesced into a cohesive political entity under the leadership of . In terms of , the Mulekites maintained a non-monarchical structure, functioning as a tribal or chief-led without kings, in contrast to the of the ; served as a chief who provided oral genealogies based on , underscoring the reliance on in the absence of written . This republican-like system emphasized communal leadership and likely fostered resilience amid their cultural adaptations.

Key Interactions

Encounter with the Jaredites

Shortly after their arrival in the around 580 BC, the people of , descendants of Mulek (often referred to in modern scholarship as the Mulekites), discovered Coriantumr, the last surviving king of the , who had wandered from the land northward following the near-total destruction of his people. This encounter occurred near their initial settlement site, where Coriantumr, weakened from battle wounds, was found and brought to dwell among them. Coriantumr lived with the people of for the space of nine moons, providing them with firsthand accounts of Jaredite history before his death. During this period, a large stone was engraved to record the narrative of Coriantumr and the slain of his people, capturing the ' downfall and serving as a tangible artifact of their . The people of preserved this stone, which was later presented to King Mosiah I, who interpreted its engravings through divine gift and power, thus preserving the record for future generations. This singular interaction held profound historical significance, as it introduced the people of to the existence of a prior advanced in the land northward, informing their understanding of the continent's inhabited history long before their own arrival. The stone's engravings not only documented the ' extinction but also bridged their oral traditions with written evidence of ancient cataclysm, shaping their cultural awareness of the region's deep past.

Union with the Nephites

Around 200 BC, while fleeing persecution from the , a scouting party led by King Mosiah I discovered the people of in the land southward, who had established a settlement there after their migration from . This encounter occurred as Mosiah's group, guided by divine warnings and preachings, journeyed through the wilderness and arrived in , where they were met with great rejoicing. The people of Zarahemla, descendants of Mulek, had become exceedingly numerous by this time but had experienced frequent wars and contentions, leading to a corrupted and the loss of their records. Initial communication barriers arose because Mosiah's people could not understand the Zarahemlaites' altered language, but Mosiah taught them his tongue, enabling Zarahemla—their leader—to share a genealogy of his ancestors from memory. Upon learning that the newcomers possessed the brass plates containing the Jewish records, the Zarahemlaites rejoiced, recognizing a shared Israelite heritage tracing back to during the captivity of King . This common origin fostered immediate goodwill, despite the Zarahemlaites outnumbering the at the time of contact. The political integration followed swiftly, with the people of and Mosiah's group uniting under Mosiah's leadership, who was appointed as king over the combined society; thus became a central city in the expanded Nephite nation. Religiously, the Zarahemlaites, who had previously denied the existence of a creator due to their isolated development, were brought into the Nephite faith through teaching and the influence of the brass plates' contents. By approximately 120 BC, as the united people grew with the arrival of additional Nephite groups, the descendants of Zarahemla were formally numbered among the , solidifying their adoption of Nephite religious practices, including and the preservation of sacred records.

References

  1. https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-mulekites
  2. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/mulek?lang=eng
  3. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?filename=39&article=1065&context=mi&type=additional
  4. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+24%3A17&version=NIV
  5. https://jbq.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/362/362_zedekiah.pdf
  6. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+24%3A14-16&version=NIV
  7. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+24%3A20&version=NIV
  8. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+25%3A1-3&version=NIV
  9. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+25%3A4-7&version=NIV
  10. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+25%3A8-12&version=NIV
  11. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+52%3A10-11&version=NIV
  12. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/6?lang=eng
  13. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/8?lang=eng
  14. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+25%3A7&version=NIV
  15. https://www.rcyoung.org/articles/jerusalem.pdf
  16. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?filename=80&article=1093&context=mi&type=additional
  17. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/omni/1?lang=eng#16
  18. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/6?lang=eng#10
  19. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2011/10/book-of-mormon-time-line?lang=eng
  20. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/omni/1?lang=eng
  21. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/book-of-mormon-seminary-teacher-manual-2013-obs/mosiah/lesson-56?lang=eng
  22. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/25?lang=eng
  23. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/omni/1?lang=eng#15
  24. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/omni/1?lang=eng#17
  25. https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/John%20L.%20Sorenson%2C%20The%20%E2%80%98Mulekites%E2%80%99%2C%201990.pdf
  26. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/omni/1?lang=eng#18
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