A Case for the Ohio River Valley

I think one of the archeological evidences for Book of Mormon events occurring here in North America are the fortresses described in 3rd Nephi. This is the time of the Great Siege I wrote about a year ago. There is evidence among the Hopewell ruins in the Ohio River valley which I think fit well with what happens in the Book of Mormon.

From it, we get the sense Zarahemla is to the West and Bountiful is to the East. Between them is the “center of the land” where the Nephites and Lamanites go to outlast the Gadianton Robbers. Next to Zarahemla is the Sidon River. Here’s how I see the match.

Zarahemla to the West: Havana Hopewells. The older Hopewell sites are along the West side of the Mississippi and run South to Florida. The ruins in the Appalachian mountains aren’t considered Hopewell because they use a different mode of burial. Interestingly enough, the mode these people use is more like how the Egyptians did it than the Hopewells. I’m just sayin’.

Bountiful to the East: Ohio Hopewells. The archaeological evidence shows the Hopewells migrated East and then began to shrink towards upstate New York. There, the last of their culture disappears around 450-500 AD. Cumorah anyone?

The Center of the Land: Crab Orchard Culture. This is the interesting part. In Southern Illinois there is an escarpment running the length of the state. If you look at the Ohio River to the East and where it joins the Mississippi to the South and with the Mississippi to the West, you see a bowl. Running in a line forming the rim of the bowl is the escarpment and all along it are the ruins of ancient fortresses. Picture yourself… you have wide rivers that are impassable by armies on three sides: East, South and West. Along the North side you have the escarpment and at the top of it, running its full length are these fortresses. It would be a great place for a large population to outlast an enemy.

Obviously, I don’t know for certain, but it’s a compelling match of what’s described in the Book of Mormon with what exists unmistakably in the archeology. Even the timing is right. Is it? It seems like it to me. The Meso-America advocates will disagree, but that’s what makes it fun to debate these things.

Jacob 1 - 3: Wealth and Pride

God’s expectations of the example and role parents play in raising their children is front and center in this passage. Right next to it are His expectations of husbands treatment of their spouses. By corollary it’s applicable to wives treatment of husbands too. The best way for us to set the good example and treat the spouse with respect is to obey all God’s commandments. Anything less causes problems.

The other takeaway from this is Jacob’s denunciation of the pride that comes with wealth. He actually says having wealth is okay… if done in the Lord’s way. If we seek the Lord first and then seek the wealth with the intent to bless others. Then we are doing it in the proper way.

Their search for gold is a clue they were part of a larger culture. A handful of small families living in an enclave in the wilderness of America will focus on survival. An enclave of Nephites living in a much larger culture is going to have a lot of interest in gold since it’s the means of getting the necessities of life.

From this point in the narrative forward, trade with other groups is a recurring thread. Whether you believe the events of the Book of Mormon took place in Meso-America or the Ohio River valley, the common trait to both regions’ cultures is an extensive network of traders and trading.