INTRODUCTION:
The eight names from LABANON to LIAHONA, are an interesting mixture of ancient, Biblical, and Book of Mormon names that yielded great rewards in the search for information and the meanings of names. I do not have to go out of my own library for the information I include in these studies. I have to often stop and give profound thanks for the books that I have accumulated over more than sixty years. At the moment there is an intent to give them to the special libraries at BYU for someone to eventually put a lot of fine tuning on the names. I have been working on this series of names for nearly ten years and looking over the list of names in the Book of Mormon, many of what remains to be studied and researched are Jaredite names. The expectation is that I will continue to find the translations of clay tablets on which they will have been recorded thousands of years ago. By the time I get finished with the list of names so many new discoveries will have been made that it may be necessary to revise the whole work. Someone else may have that pleasure.
LEBANON
In 2 Nephi, a quote is made from Isaiah 2:13 which refers to the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oaks of Bashan. Lebanon is a near eastern country, about the size of Connecticut, 125 miles by 50 miles, with two mountain ranges known for its fine cedars. Symbolically, the scriptures consistently use trees to represent men. Isaiah is doing that in his metaphor here. Green trees are righteous people (Ps. 1:3, D&C 135:6), and dry trees represent the wicked (Luke 23:31; 3 Nephi 14:17- 18), in this context (Isaiah 2:11-21). Bashan is a region east of the Jordan River and north of ancient Gilead in Israel. Both areas are famous for their Oaks and Cedars.
Oaks and cedars are like proud people, who, Isaiah informs us, are “high and lifted up” and the “day of the Lord” shall come upon them too. It was a warning to those who are “high and aloof.” (Parry p. 34) “The proud look of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled.” (Zondervan p. 763; Isaiah 2:11-21)
The mountains of Lebanon follow the eastern Mediterranean coast, cities on the coast and somewhat inland, were ancient Phoenician. On the coast there were two great ports active in the days of Lehi, Tyre and Sidon. The Phoenician name for the Port of Sidon was GIDDONAH, that was also the name of the father of AMULEK, the companion of ALMA playing an important role in Book of Mormon history. (Alma 10:2) The use of GIDDONAH in the Book of Mormon is a specific internal evidence that Joseph was working with an authentic document. The Orontes River running through Lebanon played out anciently in Christian history localities where Saul and Peter confronted each other, and where the name Christian was first applied to followers of Christ. The WHITE MOUNTAINS rise in ridges 6000 thousand feet to Mount el-Qurnat el-Sauda at 11,115 feet. (Buttrick p. 105) LEBANON contains as its core element the name LABAN, discussed in the entry before this one in the web site. LABAN means WHITE, (Mandel p. 124). The high mountains of LEBANON are also called the WHITE MOUNTAINS; LEBANON means “THE WHITE.” (Buttrick p. 105) The E and A vowels are interchangeable. Buttrick also notices that there is an AKKADIAN form of the name: LABNANU, also meaning WHITE. There is no L in Egyptian, an R is used instead, so we get: RAMANAN. In Arabic it is Jebel Lubnan. (Ibid) Because of their height, the mountains are seasonally covered with snow. In Hebrew the name for WHITE is LEBANAH, the name of an ancestor of a clan of Temple servants that returned with Zerubbabel from the Babylonian exile. (Mandel p. 329)
Finally, from the clay tablets of ELBA, we have the name LA-BA-NA-AN or LABAN-AN. Take away the suffix or ending, AN, used here as the article: the, and you get the name LABAN meaning WHITE. (Pagan p. 345) Therefore the name LABAN-AN means THE WHITE ONE. It is quite clear there will be another military clash with Israel in LEBANON soon.
LEHI
LEHI was the Prophet-Leader (ca. 600 BC) of families who departed Jerusalem guided by the Lord through the wilderness, before the great Babylonian Captivity, and across the sea, to a new land. He was a descendant of Joseph who was sold into Egypt and father to Laman, Lemuel, Sam Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and at least two daughters. (2 Ne. 5:6) LEHI was a valiant example of courage, righteousness, faith, absolute trust, obedience and repentance. He was an extremely prayerful man. (I Ne. 1:4-5) He was a man of three cultures, with caravan experience, desert background and a member of patriarchal aristocracy, set aside as a prophet, prophesied in Jerusalem, a visionary knowing God intimately. He was trilingual, knowing Hebrew and Egyptian as well as steeped in the Desert Arabic culture. His first two sons were given Arabic names, the next two were given Egyptian names his last two sons who were born in the desert reflect his humility and biblical connection. They were given names corresponding to activities in his lifetime and perhaps when such were emphasized. (Nibley p. 77) He had to have been familiar with the gold-silver smelting centers at Ugarit, near the Orontes River up the coast from the port of Sidon, or even perhaps those at Tarsus, and even Egypt. He left behind a fortune in heavy dore or gold-silver bars. Who was taking care of them? Had he arranged for their transfer knowing he most likely would never see that part of his wealth again?
Joseph Smith was known by LEHI from the records in the Brass Plates. “Behold, that Seer (JOSEPH SMITH) will the lord bless and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded…his name shall be…the name of his father….and he shall be like unto me for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.” (2 Ne. 3:7, 11, 14-15; Pinegar p. 107) Much of the Plan of Salvation is expounded by Lehi in his various visions now available in the Book of Mormon. It is what makes the Book of Moron so vital for the efforts of this Last Dispensation.
The name LEHI ends with an I, names ending with an I are commonly found in the MURASU DOCUMENTS and represent the first person singular nominal suffix. Which may or may not be of interest to you. (Coogan p.109) Many names in the Akkadian and Jaredites end with an I. The suggestion is that the name LEHI, being a short four letter name, may have great antiquity.
STELA 5: IZAPA-NAME GLYPHS FOR LEHI, SARIAH AND NEPHI
In southwest Guatemala, in Mesoamerica, a large elegant carving, STELA 5, was found in the ruins at IZAPA, it “is the first ancient monument to be discovered as actually recording a specifically Book of Mormon event,” (Lowe p. 332) or a readable NAME GLYPH. Among the many parallels of this carving of the VISION OF LEHI, there are three obvious name glyphs. These name glyphs were recognized and published in 1953 followed by a number of other publications. For a decade or so they were followed by commentaries and detailed studies of STELA 5. Like so much research, in time things get buried by progress in other directions that consume the interests of most people. I have recently lectured on Stela 5. A number of large linen copies were made and fortunately I got one of them. But I have not seen it mentioned for more than 30 years. I have included in this web site entry my work copy of the STELA 5 CARVING, along with accumulated additional information that has appeared from time to time that expands the interpretation of the Stela. It may be difficult to read or get much detail from it, but you will at least know there is lot of data on STELA 5 that needs attention. I know of more than 137 parallels on the carving to the VISION OF LEHI.
IZAPA, first explored in 1938, is located in the southern corner of the State of Chiapas, Mexico, in northern Central America. The special distinction of the large site is an amazing array of stone sculptures, nearly 100 of them, depicting symbolic religious scenes in a free impressionistic style, some representing the Tree of Life and the God Quetzxalcoatl-Tlaloc by a Jaguar mask above the tree (item 19) on the Stela 5 carving. (Special Publications No. 3, BYU, University Archaeological Society, p.6) It was the most elaborate Stela unearthed in 1941 in a central part of the site called GROUP A, NORTH OF THE PRINCIPAL MOUND. It was discovered and first described by Dr. Matthew W. Stirling of the Smithsonian Institution. (Jackman p. 27, BULLETIN, Archaeology, BYU, Provo, Utah, 1950)
Of significance, at first glance, one recognizes at least six important figures on two sides of an elegant carving of a TREE OF LIFE. Three of these figures have NAME GLYPHS on or above their heads that identify who they are. On the left of the Tree of Life facing to the right there is an old bearded man with a turban type headdress and flowing robes gesturing with his hands at an individual sitting in front of him, possibly representing LAMAN, with his back to the tree. Behind the old man there is an old woman wearing the crown of a queen of Egypt, a double- horned-with central feathers, a huge crown, almost an exact duplicate of horned-and-feathered Crowns found in Egyptian tombs, such as Tutankhamun’s and Cleopatra’s on the temple at Denderah. (Jakeman pp, 16-17, Stela No. 5, Izapa, Chiapas Mexico, Special Publication No. 2, Department of Archaeology, Brigham Young University, 1958). It is an Egyptian princess or crown of a Queen. The old woman is identified as SARIAH, her name means “Queen or princess” an appropriate feature. It is an obvious name glyph, she is wearing the crown of a ruler in Egypt. There are many illustrations in the literature on Egypt that have almost exact duplicates of the crown she is wearing.
Looking close the old woman is holding a staff on which is a larger than life huge name GLYPH over the HEAD of the Old Man. It is the CIPACTILE, GLYPH, or crocodile, facing right, with a long nose and a huge right JAW. (Jackman pp. 13-15) The crocodile jaw is fitting for the old man who is identified as LEHI. The Name LEHI anciently meant JAW. But there is more. Jackman also goes on to make a connection of the CIPACTILE motif with the TIAMAT or great dragon of South East Asia. (Jackman pp. 17-18) He develops the parallels extensively going beyond the scope of this study.
THE NAME LEHI
The name LEHI occurs only as a part of a place-name in the Bible, and was unknown prior to 1937, when, soon after, a potsherd was found at Elath, where Lehi’s wilderness road from Jerusalem meets “The fountain of the Red Sea” (Nibley p. 250), bearing the name of a man, LHI, very clearly written on it. Since then Nelson Glueck, an archaeological explorer in the Near and Middle East, has detected the name in many compound names found inscribed on these stones of Arabia. On a Lihyanite monument we find the name of one LHITN, “son of Pagag,” whose name means “Lehi has given.” The LHI name is quite common in inscriptions. Nfy and Alma are also attested, and Mormon may be of Hebrew, Egyptian, or Arabic origin. Glueck supplies the vowels to make the name Lahai. Paul Haupt in a special study renders it Lehi, and gives it the mysterious meaning of “CHEEK,” which has never been explained,” (Nibley pp. 250-251), until Stela 5 was found. Or not, at least, until the name glyph was established on Stela 5. A close examination of the name glyphs on Stela 5 shows the object held by the old woman above the head of the old man is the right FULL CHEEK and FULL JAW of a crocodile. The person who sculptured this stone knew the meaning of LEHI to be CHEEK, though JAW would also do!
There is a Bait Lahi, “House of Lahi,” among the ancient place names in the Gaza country occupied by the Arabs in the time of Lehi, but the meaning of the name was lost. Now clarified by the discovery of Stela 5.
“There is a remarkable association between the names of Lehi and (ancient) Ishmael son of Abraham, which ties them both to the southern desert, where the legendary birthplace and central shrine of Ishmael was at a place called Beer Lehai-ro’i. Wellhausen rendered the name “spring of the wild-ox jaw bone,” but Paul Haupt showed that LEHI does not mean “jaw” but “cheek.” leaving the name unclear at that time. The name Lahai …”occurs quite frequently either as a part of a compound [name] or as a separate name of a deity or a person, particularly in Minaean, Thamudic, and Arabic texts …the name LEHI is thoroughly at home among the people of the desert and, so far as we know nowhere else.” (Nibley p. 75) So, the Stela 5 name glyph sheds the final light on the meaning of the name: CHEEK-JAW! Recall the Biblical story of Samson how after being tied up by his people and being turned over to the Philistines, he broke his bindings and picked up a jawbone [a Lehi] of an ass, and killed 1,000 Philistines with it. (Gardner p. 376)
THE NAME GLYPH FOR NEPHI
On the right of the tree facing to the left also seemingly engaged in talk with an individual who has his back to the tree, is a large young man with a stylus and recording plate or tablet. On his head is a bundle of grain. The name glyph is for a grain god or a priest-representative, which is what NEPHI is. The glyph identifies the young man as Nephi. As noted, the name Nephi means GRAIN GOD, OR PRIEST-REPRESENTATIVE. (Jackman pp. 22-23) The bundle of grain is an appropriate symbol and makes an easily identified name glyph. This will be discussed in more detail when we get to the names beginning with an N.
THE VISION OF LEHI
LEHI was the recipient of a resplendent vision for which the Holy Ghost provided his son Nephi an expanded explanation. The Vision of the Tree of Life, a depiction through symbolic representation of the PLAN OF SALVATION, and of humankind’s response to the word of God (l Ne. 8; 11-12; 15), is filled with prophecies and the unique doctrine of the necessity of opposition in all things (2 Ne. 2:11-13; 15). LEHI taught his family that the journey and occupation of the Promised Land was fulfilling the Lord’s word regarding the scattering of Israel throughout the earth. (l Ne. 10:13; Largey pp. 506-510). The Tree of Life and other aspects of this great vision and its meaning have been discussed in great detail. Those various other studies are accessible so will not be repeated here. ”The Tree of Life being in the center of the garden…the tree of life…at the garden’s center enriches…significance as the focal point…God was the divine planter of the garden (Gen.2:9) life is from God, not from the tree. God retains complete power over the garden and its trees, for he can grant or deny access to the tree of life according to his divine purposes…temple…a mountain…sacred space...the paths that signals a direction.” (Welch p. 11) In the vision LEHI sees his two sons, Laman and Lemuel refuse to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life. How he must have hurt. (Sperry p. 112)
EVENTS IN THE VALLEY OF LEMUEL
They were all camped by the River Laman, which came out of the wilderness to empty into the Red Sea, and LEHI had named the river after his first son. The valley cut by the river he named after his second son, the Valley of Lemuel, all according to desert customs. Then they were commanded to cross the river and depart on their journey into the wilderness (l Ne. 16:9-12). That day they performed a lot of marriages between the families of Ishmael and Lehi. The next morning Lehi found at his tent opening, the LIAHONA, the ball of fine brass with the directors that would guide them through the wilderness and across the sea. (Sperry p. 123; 1 Ne. 16:16. 26:30; 18:12:21: 2 Ne. 5:12, Mosiah l:16; Alma 37:38-45) Note that LEHI had fulfilled ALL the commandments of the Lord which had been given unto him. Now all the families were sealed and prepared for the great adventure before them. (l Ne. 16:8) As Patriarch and Prophet he had the sealing powers.
LEHI’S BLESSINGS AND FINAL WORDS AND DEATH
At the close of his life, LEHI gave blessings as had JACOB of old, to his sons in particular and to others. He warned LAMAN and LEMUEL that if they did not hearken and obey, they would be cut off. (2 Ne. 28-32). They did not hearken and they were cut off. About 570 BC, Nephi speaks of the prophecies of his FATHER LEHI included in the great gathering of his posterity before the blessings were given. Afterwards, LEHI the great western hemisphere prophet died and was buried. We don’t know where. (2 Ne. 4:l-12)
LEHI SON OF ZORAM
LEHI, was the name of one of the sons of Zoram, who, about 81 BC was the chief captain over the Nephite armies. ZORAM had two sons, LEHI, and AHA, serving under him in the military, an unusual combination. The city where Alma and Amulek had served and who turned from righteousness into disobedient peoples, AMMONIHAH, was destroyed, some righteous captives had been taken, so Zoram and his sons were engaged in a rescue of captives of the Lamanites and returned them to their own lands. (Alma 4-8, about 81 BC; Largey p. 809, Pinegar p. 108) Mormon, in making his abridgement often gave very brief accounts of certain individuals and then never refers to them again. This LEHI was one of those.
LEHI was the name of a great and successful military leader active around 72 BC, appointed by Moroni as Chief Captain. Once his forces were attacked by the Lamanites who lost more than a thousand men, though a furious battle, LEHI did not lose one man. (Alma 49:15-34) His enemies feared him greatly. (Alma 49:17) Lehi was described as a “man like unto Moroni” who was “beloved by all the people of Nephi,” (Alma 53:2; Largey p. 310) LEHI was with Moroni in the more part of all his battles including the later victories over the Lamanites in Zarahemla. (Hel. 1:28-30; Pinegar pp. 107-108)
LEHI THE MISSIONARY AND SON OF HELAMAN
LEHI was also the name of the valiant younger son of HELAMAN. He began a long missionary service about 30 BC, later he was joined by his brother NEPHI they were very successful missionaries. The brothers were named after their progenitors, examples again, of the frequent use of papponymy in the Book of Mormon. (Hel. 3:21) On one occasion teaching with great power and authority to the Lamanites they converted 8000! This did not count Nephite dissenters who were also converted (Hel. 5:14-19).
The brother were taken captive by an Army of Lamanites and put in prison. (Hel. 5:20-21) They suffered hunger and thirst and finally members of the Army came to kill them. The events that transpired in that prison are among the most glorious in all religious history. They were surrounded by fire, none dared touch them for fear of being burned. (Hel. 5:23) The earth trembled; the Lord’s voice of warning was heard three times speaking above a dense cloud; the sight of Lehi and Nephi through the cloud, conversing with heavenly beings; the descent of the “Holy Spirit” (Hel. 5:45) into their hearts; and especially, the voice of the FATHER speaking directly to them bearing witness to them of Jesus Christ in whom Father was well please. The opening of the heavens, and the ministering of angels to the brothers, all witnessed by 300 persons, with subsequent conversions of many of the people. (Hel. l6:4-5; Largey pp. 510-511; Pinegar pp. 107-110)
THE BOOK OF LEHI
There is also a book, called the Book of LEHI. (1 Ne. 19:1) “ It is generally considered to be included in the Lost 116 pages. The prophet Joseph Smith informed us that the record of LEHI was contained on the 116 pages that were first translated and subsequently stolen, and of which an abridgement is given us in the First Book of Nephi…Nephi being of the lineage Manasseh…and Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim.” (Sperry p.109) There are those who have tried to recover some of the contents from quotations and summaries that appear in the writings of Lehi’s two sons Nephi and Jacob. Nephi says he included some of his father’s prophecies, teachings and experiences. His conflict in Jerusalem, directed by the Lord to leave, the wilderness experiences and the sea voyage. (l Ne.19:1) Largey in his book gives us an idea of the content and how Nephi himself did a lot of retelling of his father’s account, many doctrinal subjects were selected by Nephi from his father’s writings, and show up in many chapters in l and 2 Nephi. Such things as the prophecy of Joseph of old foretelling a descendant, Joseph Smith, as a great Seer, the fall of Adam and Eve, the role of the Messiah in the plan of salvation, and much more. (Largey p. 511) It is evident, though the 116 pages were stolen, much of the general content had been recovered.
THE CITY AND LAND OF LEHI
There was also a City of LEHI, and land of LEHI. The City of LEHI was located “in the north by the borders of the east seashore,” (Alma 30:15-18; 51:26) the land adjoining the land of Morianton contained the City of LEHI. (Alma 50:15) The land was the subject of a border dispute. (Alma 50:35-36)
Apparently the entire land to the south was called the Land of LEHI because LEHI originally landed there, (Hel 6:10) and was said to be full of gold, and silver, and other precious metals, and suitable for crops and herds. The city was built in an unspecified particular manner during a time of Nephite prosperity (Alma 50:15-18). Four years later the city was seized by Amalickiah and his armies during a Lamanite offensive. (Alma 51:24-27) Presumably the city was recaptured later along with other coastal cities. (Alma 62:30-31; Hel 6:9, 11-12; Largey pp. 515)
Mosiah 7:17 refers to a temple in the land of Lehi-Nephi, this is a first reference to a temple in that region. Probably the first temple built by Nephi. Two other temples are mentioned in the Land of Nephi. (2 Nephi 5:16) No one has yet made a study of temples in the lands of the Jaredites or Nephites. It would be interesting. (Ludlow p. 180)
COMPOUND NAMES WITH LEHI IN THEM
There are many names peculiar to the Nephite names that are often made up of one or more names, fragments of names or abbreviations of names. For example, the core name LEHI, is found in the name LEHI-AH, with the hypocoristicon or abbreviation for Jehovah (iah) as a suffix found in many Hebrew and Nephite names.
In the New World “T, A, Joyce mentions an Indian tribe in Columbia, located to the north of the Chibchas, which he calls the LACHES…in the November issue,1921, of Paradise of the Pacific, a magazine published in Honolulu, the statement occurs that the ancient name for Diamond Head, a prominent volcanic mountain jutting into the sea, was LEAHI.” (Reynolds p. 322-323)
It might also be noted that some Shoshoni Indians living in Idaho and north of there, carry the tribal name of LEHI. There is also a valley called LEHIGH, and for a time there was a Shoshoni Chief called Lehi. (Hickman p. 1-5)
LEHI-NEPHI
The city of LEHI-NEPHI was THE CHIEF CITY in the land of Nephi (Alma 47:20) It was settled in the sixth century BC by Nephi after he fled from his brethren. (2Nephi 5:5-8) He built the first temple there “after the manner of Solomon.” (2 Ne. 5:5-16; Largey p. 393)
The city and land of LEHI-NEPHI was the center of Nephite culture for approximately four hundred years from about 575 BC to after 200 BC. (2 Nephi 5:8; Omni 1:12-13). Later following the Lamanite acquisition of the land of Nephi, Nephite colonists under the reigns of Zeniff, Noah and Limhi occupied the city of Nephi for approximately eighty years (Mosiah 9;6, until about 121 BC). “The brilliant cultural developments in the Central Depression of Chiapas and the Valley of Guatemala may have constituted the two most influential manifestations of southern Mesoamerican civilization in the first century BC probably setting the pace and providing stimuli for the more famous, though derivative centers such as Tikal and El Mirador in the Maya lowlands.” (Sorensen pp. 602-603)
The city of Nephi was likely located in a valley in a mountainous region, for when Ammon and sixteen strong men from Zarahemla set out to inquire about the Nephites living there, they went up to the land of Nephi and then camped on a hill and went down into Shulom and Nephi or LEHI-NEPHI, as the region was then called (Mosiah 7:2-6; 9:3)
The city of Nephi is very probably the archaeological site called KAMINALJUYU, which now lies within suburban Guatemala City. In a broad sense the Land of Nephi constituted the highlands of southern Guatemala. (Sorensen p. 22)
“The Valley of Guatemala and its ruined ancient metropolis that goes by the modern name KAMINALJUYU correlate in many ways with the Book of Mormon (immediate) land and city of Nephi.” (Sorensen p. 131)
“On a number of geographical grounds, the archaeological site of SANTA ROSA on the upper Grijalva River [River Sidon] qualifies as the location of the city of ZARAHEMLA.” The ruins of this general area are now submerged behind the waters of the Angostura Dam. (Sorensen p. 131)
“With the exception of the city of Zarahemla, the city of NEPHI is mentioned more often than any other city in the Book of Mormon. Many prominent people of the Book of Mormon lived all or portion of their lives in the city OF NEPHI. Among them were Nephi, Jacob, Mosiah, Abinadi, Alma, Zeniff, Noah, Limhi and Gideon. (Largey p. 394) ZARAHEMLA is not located across the river from NAUVOO as some are trying to propose.
As noted above the city of NEPHI was where NEPHI built the first temple. That temple was still standing when the battles of Cumorah took place but now destroyed and perhaps under water.
LEHONTI
Around 72 BC a part of the Lamanite army resisted the command of the king to prepare to go to war against the Nephites. “And they had appointed a man to be a king and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites.” (Alma 47:6) LEHONTI was the new leader and king. AMALICKIAH, a Nephite dissenter, with nefarious plans of his own had ingratiated himself with the king of the Lamanites, came against LEHONTI as commander of that part of the army loyal to the king. The Lamanite King sent the Nephite traitor Amalickiah to destroy LEHONTI. Instead, AMALICKIAH lured LEHONTI down from his mountain stronghold to a conference and then surprised him with an offer to turn over the army loyal to the king if LEHONTI would appoint Amalickiah as second in command. Lehonti readily agreed. But during the night, LEHONTI led his forces to the valley and surrounded the loyalist who next morning, pled with Amalickiah that he would spare them destruction by uniting them with the forces of LEHONTI. Since that was Amalickiah’s plan all along, he then ordered one of his servants to kill LEHONTI by administering poison to him. This was done, LEHONTI was killed, and as second in command, Amalickiah assumed full control of all the Lamanite forces. Later he murdered the king of the Lamanites and married the king’s widow. (Pinegar p. 111) You wonder just what part the widow had in Amalackiah’s murder of her husband. The whole exercise may have just been an illicit lover affair that had gone according to plan!
In the name LEHONTI, there is a consonantal element LHN ending with the suffix TI. It has been noted before that names that end with I are commonly found in the MURASU documents, and in makeup represent the first person singular nominal suffix. (Coogan p. 109) This suggests that LEHONTI is a personal name and not that of a place or thing. We have noted before that it was recognized early on in church publications that many of the Jaredite names end with an I. With names from the Jaredite record and the MURASU ancient sources, it must needs be that eventually more sources will become available in the publications of the church and insights into ancient names not now available that will enlarge our understanding. It is even more suggestive to note that the ELEMENT LHN is the same for the weird instrument called the LIAHONA, which is not a personal name, but that of a ‘thing’ an instrument. In the ancient dictionaries there are very few references to names that begin with an L, especially with the remaining consonants H and N. But there is some insight we can obtain by looking at LIAHONA to shed some meaning on the personal name LEHONTI. This is the first time we have run onto this kind of relationship or coincidence. So, for the element LHN to be present in both the two names, there must be more substance to the meaning. We discuss LIAHONA below.
LEMUEL
LEMUEL is the name of the second son of Lehi. It is an Arabic name. (l Ne. 2:5) He was a mature young man when his father called the family together to announce he has been told by the Lord to leave the city, leave the country, go to a distant land, a new land of promise. LEMUEL was the mirror image of his older brother, LAMAN. Together they murmured, plotted murders, and rebelled against the ways of the Lord. Together they turned away from the Tree of Life.
The name LEMUEL is not a conventional Hebrew name for it occurs only in one chapter of the Old Testament, (Proverbs 31:1, 4) where it was commonly supposed to be a rather mysterious poetic substitute for SOLOMON. It is, however, like Lehi, at home in the south desert, where an EDOMITE text bears the title, “The Words of LEMUEL, KING OF Massa.” These people, though speaking a language that was almost Arabic, were yet well within the sphere of Jewish religion for “we have nowhere else any evidence for saying that the Edomites used any other peculiar name for their deity” than “YAHWEH, THE GOD OF HEBREWS.” (Nibley Vol. 5, p. 41) While it is claimed to be a Hebrew name, meaning “belonging to God” and appears in Proverbs 31:1, (Mandel p. 329), it also has the meaning “why god?” anticipating their rebellious and dissenting attitude. King Lemuel, identified by some scholars as King Solomon, was advised by his mother not to waste his energy pursing women [with 1,000 wives he apparently did not take his mother’s advice, his mother was Bathsheba], to stay away from wine and strong drink, which perverts sound judgment, to judge righteously and to defend the poor and the needy.” (Mandel p. 329)
THE DIOSCURIC PRACTICE
Nibley has pointed out that “the name LEMUEL…also came from the deserts of the south…But the most striking thing about the names of LAMAN and LEMUEL is the way they go together…it has been suggested that the former is but a corruption of the latter…the musical pair certainly belong together and are a beautiful illustration of the old desert custom of naming the first two sons in a family with rhyming twin names, “a pair of pendant names”…The Arabs particularly seem to enjoy putting together such assonant names…Harut and Marut were the first two angels to fall from grace, like LAMAN and LEMUEL, according to Arab tradition of great antiquity. These names never go in three or fours, but only in pairs, designating just the FIRST TWO SONS of a family with no reference to the rest. This “DIOSCURIC” practice has a ritual significance which has been discussed…One could not ask for a better illustration of this little known and, until recently unsuspected practice than we find in the book of Mormon where Lehi names his first two sons LAMAN and LEMUEL.” (Nibley pp. 291-292) These kinds of discoveries, sort out of the blue, confirm in an unchallengeable way that the Book of Mormon is an authentic text.
There are two prefix consonantal elements in the name LM and L. In Phoenician both mean “GOD.” The AN or EL suffix endings are adjectival or abbreviations for God. The EL stands for Elohim: The LM element appears in PHOENCIAN sources and in personal names. (Benz p. 266) There is a change in meaning depending on which line of the name one follows. Hebrew got into the game 1000 years later than the Akkadian, and seems to have left an interrogative out of the name. The names LAMAN and LEMUEL, are almost the same in meaning, the vowels are interchangeable. In the Akkadian Dictionary you have the various OLD AKKADIAN name forms that are suggestive of the underlying attitudes the two boys generated: LEMEN-U(U)M or LAMAN-U(M) both meaning ‘to be (come) bad’ LAMNUM (very bad) LEMN(UM) ‘all that is evil’ LAMU(M), ‘to be unwilling,’ LEMU or LEMU(M) ‘disobedient’ also LEMUTTANU “scoundrel’ and LEMUTTU(M), ‘evil, wickedness.’ (Black p. 180) Note the ancient use of mimation, the use of U and M in the endings. The various forms of the names did not change the meaning much. The old meanings were accurate in describing the two boys. The question, or interrogatory left out, is the names anciently meant “WHY GOD?” Dr. Chenary, who translated the Book of Mormon into Hebrew for the Church pointed this out to me, (Personal communication) and said he was contemplating writing a book about the Book of Mormon names, because he had to treat each one of them separately for his translating work. However, after his return to Israel, I never heard from him again. But all their lives the two boys exhibited this attitude, indifference to God, no matter what divine assurances were given time after time. In Stela 5, the figures representing the two boys both have their back to the Tree of Life. They are figures 5 and 6 on the Stela 5, and interpreted by Jackman as showing indifference to the teachings being received about the Tree of Life. (Jackman pp. 18-19) There is another OLD AKKADIAN form, LA-DAGIL-ILI meaning ‘one who does not see GOD.’ (Baker p. 649) And then there is a tablet from EBLA; on it is the name LAMA, the meaning given is ‘the lofty one,’ pretentious, but applicable to describe the two boys. (Pagan p. 345)
THE VALLEY OF LEMUEL
Historically in world explorations it was customary for the river and the valley through which the river flowed to carry or be given the same name- Missouri River-Missouri Valley. But that was not the practice in the Middle East. (Ludlow p. 91) Joseph could have made an egregious error by following that practice. “By the immemorial custom of the desert, to be sure, among the laws of the Bedouin …according to Jennings-Bramley, is that “any water you or may discover, either in your own territory or in the territory of another tribe is named after you…in Arabia a great wady (valley) will have different names at different points along its course.” (Nibley p. 92) Lehi named the river they encountered running out of a canyon into the Red Sea after his son LAMAN. The Valley the river flowed through he named after his son LEMUEL. (Nibley p. 91) True to the Arab custom. It was also an Arabic custom to name a camp by the name of the valley, after all, the river could dry up, then where is the camp? (Ludlow p. 94) On cultural details like this, Joseph always gets it right the first time.
INJUNCTIONS BY LEHI TO HIS GRANDCHILDREN
Lehi blessed the sons and daughters of Laman and Lemuel, he repeated the injunction to them “inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.” (2 Ne. 1:20; 2 Ne. 4:4) They didn’t keep the commandments; they were cut off! (Sperry pp. 79-79) The threat is still there.
REBUKED BY AN ANGEL
In eluding Laban’s servants, Laman and Lemuel had to leave their riches behind barely escaping with their lives, so angry were they that they turned against their father and Nephi, and they beat Nephi with a rod, but an angel of the Lord rebuked the two older brothers and informed them they must go back to Jerusalem again. They had not finished the errand they had been sent to do. (Sperry p. 101) Talk about murmuring!
LEMUELITES
LEMUELITES are descendants of LEMUEL.(Jacob 1:3)
LEVI
The Biblical Levi has been treated and dealt with in many sources. Only a few brief notes will be considered here. LEVI in HEBREW means ‘attached, [the LEVITES were attached or assigned to be with the other eleven tribes], it is an old biblical name, referred to in GENESIS 29:34. (Mandel p. 329) LEVI is a name of one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the third son of Leah. The only detail of his life known to us is the treacherous and murderous attack with his brother Simeon on SHECHEM because the prince of the city had violated their full sister, Dinah. “For in their anger they slay men, and in their wantonness they hamstring oxen.”(Gn. 34:6, 25-26) They were cursed for a life of violence and cruelty in which the massacre at Shechem was merely an early and outstanding example. However later, the loyalty of Levi’s descendants to YAHWEH, or JEHOVAH, turned the curse to a blessing and their division and scattering, among the tribes of Israel was as his representatives. The census in Nu. 3:22, 28, 34, showed the males of Levi were way below the tribal figures in Nu. 1. LEVI only had three sons. His descendants may not have been enough for a land inheritance, but the LEVITES were to serve the Lord’s purposes as priesthood representatives. The name LEVI may have been derived from linking LEWI with LAWI’A, meaning ‘a priest.’ (Douglas pp. 895-896) From EBLA, the meaning of this ancient form LAWA, is ‘the, or an, ‘over seer,’ perhaps in their role as priesthood representatives. (Pagan p. 345) The Tribe of Levi was honored with the Lessor priesthood, and they served all of the other tribes instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel. AARON and his descendants presided over them. (Num. 8) A High Priest, identified from the tribe of Levi, if called to be a Bishop, may fill that office without the need of councilors. They will once again before Christ returns, offer their traditional sacrifices to the Lord as part of the restoration of all things. (D&C 13, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pp. 172-173; McConkie p. 440) MOSES granted the Levites 48 cities to live in, together with pasture for their flocks, in return for their performances of sacrifices and teaching the law of God. Eventually their powers were curtailed, and through Ezekiel, the Lord said they had gone astray, “They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priests.” (Ezek. 44.10) They became mere temple functionaries. (Gardiner p.270) Two prominent faithful Levites were John the Baptist and his father Zacharias.
LEVI was also the name of the son of Alphaeus, therefore, LEVI was the name of one of the twelve apostles chosen by Christ. (Mark. 2:13)
The name LEVI also occurs twice in the genealogy of our Lord. Not much is known of these two individuals.
The name LEVI is ancient because it appears in the Jaredite record as the name of a King. (Ether 1:26). ETHER prepared a genealogical line back to Jared. ETHER was the 44th generation. The 27th generation was KIM, a Jaredite who lived most of his life in captivity, having been forced from his throne. His son LEVI, served in captivity for 42 years, then overpowered the usurper. LEVI was righteous and was right in the sight of the Lord, his people prospered and he lived to a good old age and had many children. His son Corom was anointed king in his stead. (Peterson p. 44) The name LEVI has considerable antiquity. Hopefully more information will be forth coming from the ongoing translation of documents from the ancient times. The recovered clay tablets from the Mesoamerican region probably exceeds 1 million.
LIAHONA
A CURIOUS instrument or device, miraculously provided by the Lord to Lehi and his family which gave divine directions and instructions to them for their travels to the Land of Promise. It was “a round ball [of fine brass] of curious workmanship” which contained “two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither they should go into the wilderness.” (l Ne. 16:10)
The LIAHONA also contained writings “Which was plain to be read” and which was “changed from time to time.” (1 Ne. 16:29) The BALL or DIRECTOR (Alma 37:38) functioned only “according to the faith and diligence and heed” which the people gave to it. (1 Ne. 16:38)
Talking with his son Helaman, Alma said: “And now my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or LIAHONA, which is, BEING INTERPRETED, a COMPASS, and the LORD prepared it. And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. And it did work for them according to their faith…to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God day by day…They were slothful and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased and they did not progress in their journey…they tarried…or did not travel a direct course…afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions…for as our fathers were slothful to give head to this COMPASS…it is easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point…a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this COMPASS, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.’ (Alma 47: 38-44) Alma defines the Liahona as a COMPASS, is this an anachronism? He understood that an interpretation had to be made because there were varying definitions. In the 1828 Edition of Noah Webster’ the AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE lists thirteen definitions, several apply to the usage by Alma, but also an LDS temple going member will recall the compass and the square and its definition. Hyrum Abiff, a mason at the building of the Temple of Solomon is understood to have generated the usages of the two pronged compass and the square among the symbols of the Masons. But also realize the temple ceremony goes back to Adam. Abraham was quite familiar with the symbols, just look at figure 7; which is upside down, notice the feature behind the head of the sitting figure, in facsimile No, 2. It is easily recognized. Alma calls it a TYPE and a SHADOW, the Book of Mormon has a lot of these. (Alma 33:19; 37:45) So, there is more to the LIAHONA than meets the eye at first glance. Then, in 2 Ne. 7:11, Nephi has selected a quote from Isaiah 50, that uses one of the more common definitions: “to compass [surround] yourselves” about with your own light but all you can do is produce sparks compared to the bright light that comes from God.” They were warned of future destruction. (Isaiah 50:10-11; Parry p. 444) And if there was space we would dig deeper yet.
Nephi, in his autobiography (l Nephi) refers to the LIAHONA as the COMPASS they were using to navigate the seas, that when they bound Nephi and he could not move, the COMPASS CEASED TO WORK. (1 Ne.18:12) When they unbound him and he could take hold of the COMPASS, and use the LIAHONA again, it worked for him. (l Ne. 118:21) Later, when Nephi separated from his brethren and went inland, into mountains, where he built the first TEMPLE, he says he had brought the BALL, or COMPASS, the LIAHONA with him. (2 Ne. 5:12)
“A recent study by an Arabic scholar has called attention to the long –forgotten custom of the ancient Arabs and Hebrews of consulting two headless arrows whenever they were about to undertake a journey, the usual thing was to consult the things at a special shrine though it was common also to take such divination arrows along on the trip in a special container. The message of the arrows…was conveyed by their pointing and especially by the inscriptions that were on them, giving detailed directions as to the journey…Fahd deserves…thanks for having called attention to this interesting and forgotten gadget in 1958.” (Nibley p. 2245) But how would Joseph Smith know about it in 1829?
Reynolds and Sjodahl suggested the following: the LIAHONA an “interesting word is Hebrew with an Egyptian ending. It is the name which Lehi gave to the ball or director he found outside his tent the very day he began the long journey through the “wilderness,” after his little company had rested for some time in the Valley of Lemuel. (1 Ne. 16:10; Alma 37:88) L is a Hebrew preposition meaning “to,” and sometimes used to express the possessive case. LAH is a Hebrew abbreviated form of “JEHOVAH,” common in Hebrew Names. On is the Hebrew name of the Egyptian “City of the Sun.”…L-iah-on means, therefore, literally. “To God is Light”, or, “of God is Light.” That is to say, God gives light, as does the Sun. The final a reminds us that the Egyptian form of the Hebrew name On is Annu, and that seems to be the form Lehi used. Lehi gave the metal ball a name commemorative of one of the great experiences of his life…And, furthermore, he gave it a name that no one but a devout Hebrew influenced by Egyptian culture would have thought of.” (Commentary of on the Book of Mormon 4:178-79; in Ludlow pp. 113-113)
As noted above, the record showed the LIAHONA was also necessary for their sea voyage. But only a faithful person, like NEPHI, could use it. The LIAHONA remained an object sacred to the faithful. It was passed down from generation to generation with the plates and the sword of Laban, and in this dispensation, it was among the items seen by the three witnesses when they viewed the Book of Mormon plates (D&C 17:1) Alma explained the LIAHONA’S continuing symbolic significance: “And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise” (Alma 37:454).
The LIAHONA has become an important element of LDS culture. The term still represents the means by which the Lord can give guidance to his people. For the faithful the Book of Mormon itself is a type of LIAHONA for it contains “the word of Christ” which points to you a straight course to eternal bliss” (Alma 37:44). “Its use typified the faith which men must have to follow the words of Christ which lead to eternal life.” (McConkie p. 440) Like the LIAHONA, the Book of Mormon was in fact prepared for all people that if they would look they might live. (l Ne. 16:10, 26:30, 2 Ne. 5:12; Alma 37:38-46)
LIAHONA has been used as the title for several Church publications and for the Church’s high school in Tonga. (Largey pp. 509-520)
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