As you read this study you may wish to refer to various maps showing the locations of the various cities referred to. During the period 1000-600 BC, two great empires occupied and fought over the Mesopotamian region, one was Assyria with headquarters in the well known city of Nineveh, but at times in several other localities along the Tigris River. So far Nine Cities have yielded archives from this region of the Assyrian Empire, (Pederson p. 128) until it ended in 612 BC. The Period between 744 BC and 612 BC is known as the Neo-Assyrian Empire and was maintained by a series of powerful kings. One of which was the Father (Sennacherib) of Esarhaddon, and (Ashurbanipal). Both played fateful roles in the history of Israel and Judah.  The other empire, to the south, was the Neo-Babylonian, sometimes independent during the time of the Assyrian dominance, sometimes incorporated into the Assyrian empire, it controlled the entire region after the defeat and destruction of Nineveh, 612-539 BC. (Pederson p. 129)  There was an interesting continuity of archives and libraries through these historical periods and even through the following Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods. (Pederson p. 129)  So one can be selective when searching the various records for names that would reflect specific periods of time. For example those interested in names preserved and utilized around 300 BC would search the archives for available publications from Dur Katlimmu. (Pederson pp. 147, 170)  The old Capital of the Assyrian Empire was Assur, where more than 38 archives and libraries have been found. The last main capital was Nineveh [also known as Kuyunjik], (Pederson pp. 139, 159, 161) where thousands of tablets were excavated. Just a short distance south of Nineveh is the site of Kalhu, (Pederson p. 147) which yielded many documents, here was found the Governor's Archive (Erickson 17 Aug 2005).  All of the main Assyrian cities have yielded documents.  In this study we are selecting only one archive comprising only a short period of time in the long history of the region. In time other cities and their archives will also be added to this series.

THE PUBLICATION OF THE ESARHADDON LETTERS

In 2003 the hitherto unpublished correspondence of king Esarhaddon in Neo-Babylonian and Neo-Assyrian scripts (Reynolds p. xvi) was published, completing a lengthy study of letters of that ruler in addition to letters to and from two sons who succeeded him. This present study will only deal with the letters published in 2003. There are three other earlier publications, (Reynolds p. vii) which will be left to future studies. This 2003 publication is the result of the State Archives of Assyria Project in Helsinki, Finland, the source of a great deal of pertinent documents on Neo-Babylonian and Neo-Assyrian discoveries. They plan on future essential documentations to be published in the near future. It is an on going project.  

ESARHADDON

Shalmaneser V was the last of five Assyrian kings of that name, the only one mentioned in the bible, (RD p. 395), ruling from 727-723 BC. Under Shalmaneser V, Israel [the area held by the Ten Tribes] had been invaded, the Capital, Samaria had been placed under siege for three years, during the siege Shalmaneser died, the city fell to his successor Sargon II in 722/1  BC, (Miller p. 668) and the Israelites [the Ten Tribes] were taken to Assyria. (Eerdmans' p. 374)  "In 681 BC, Esarhaddon, [the first son of Sennacherib to survive childhood], and grandson of Sargon II, became king at age 15 of Assyria and its empire, including Babylonia, after defeating his half-brothers in a succession dispute in 704 BC." (Reynolds p. xx)  Sources for the reign of Esarhaddon are plentiful. He made three attempts to conquer Egypt. In the last attempt in 669 BC he died on the way. (Leick p. 57) "He was succeeded by his sons, Assurbanipal [reigning 668-627] and Samas-sumu-ukin, [or Shamash-shum-ukin], (Saggs p. 107) who ruled Assyria and Babylonia respectively as their father had decreed in 672 [BC]." (Reynolds p. xx)  Notice the name of the second son to reign: Shamash-shum-ukin.  The first part of the name, the prefix, ‘Shamash', is the name of a god, one of about 500, that often prefixed names of important persons. The middle or core of the name is ‘Shum'. This name will be discussed below, it is found in the Pearl of Great Price Moses 7:5, certainly indicating that portion of the Book of Moses,  which references Enoch's time, is authentic, it is also the name of a piece of Gold, in Alma 11:5.  It was this name that suggested there may be other names in these letters that would verify Book of Mormon names. And there were.

Lehi was probably born about 645 BC in order to have mature sons when he left Jerusalem in 600 BC.  He would have known of this history and the events that transpired just before he was born and during his youth. His prophecies may have actually referred to various imperial leaders and kings. Names transmitted in the letters to be examined would have been familiar to Lehi and his family.  Is it to much to expect to find some parallels to Book of Mormon names in these selected letters?  Names that may have been retained in the Brass Plates and by the Family of Lehi, and may even have been present in the region during the days before the Jaredites left?  Especially since the most ancient of the cities of this region date back to 3400 BC. (Porada pp. 90-104)

SOME HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Esarhaddon's father "Sennacherib, son of Sargon, came to the throne in 705 BC." (Gordon p. 258) He promptly prepared for the Invasion of Judah which occurred in 701 BC. (Gordon p. 27)  In 681 BC Sennacherib suffered a fate not uncommon amongst oriental monarchs, being murdered by his own sons. (Saggs, p. 104, 2 Kings 19:36-7) Esarhaddon, one son not involved in the parricide, was the" favorite son of the Assyrian King Sennacherib." (Miller p. 170, Esra 4:2)  The conspiracy was led by Esarhaddon's oldest half brother, Arad-Ninlil. A letter was found dealing with it. (Sasson p. 951) Esarhaddon became King and "He ruled 681-669 BC." (Miller p. 170, II Kings 19:37; Isa. 37:38). "He pillaged the coastal city of Sidon [a Phoenician port of great importance which plays an important part in the Book of Mormon, (Erickson 18 May 205) deported its inhabitants...marched through Tyre...[even after a 13 year siege he did not capture the Island State]...marched against Egypt...subdued Syria...colonized Samaria, [the ten tribes were gone, it [Israel]  was almost open space]," (Miller p. 170) and captured King Manasseh, King of Judah, taking him captive to Babylonia. (II Chron. 33:11)

Under Ashurbanipal, (who ruled 668-621 BC) son of Esarhaddon, the Assyrian empire reached its greatest expansion. (Gaubert p. 95) If Lehi was born about 645 BC, he would have been about 23 years old when Ashurbanipal died and the rapid decline of the Assyrian Empire began. The important discovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:3-10; 2 Chron 34:11-198) during the reforms of King Josiah and the repairing of the temple in 621 BC was a mile stone. Lehi was probably just newly married with a family on the way. From 621 to 609 BC work on the Priestly Code was begun. (Gaubert p. 129) Zephaniah was one of the key prophets at this time, along with Jeremiah. The Book of Mormon includes Lehi as one of these prophets. (l Ne 1:4-13) Nineveh, the capital of Assyria was destroyed in 612 BC, and ended the fearful nightmare of Assyrian oppression, only to be replaced by another nightmare under the Babylonians. (Gaubert pp. 135-141) All of this set the stage for the events that led up to the birth of Lehi, his marriage, his family, Lehi's calling as a prophet, the threats against his life, and his final departure from Jerusalem under instructions from the Lord about 600 BC. (l Ne 1:4-13; 2:1-5)  Certainly it was one of the times when it was the ‘worst of times'.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE DEPORTATIONS OF THE JEWS

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, son of Naboplassar, succeeded his father in 605 B.C., and ruled until 562 BC. He dominated the Middle East, as king of the Neo-Babylonian, or Chaldean empire, the fateful years for Judah. From June to December of 604 he marched into Palestine, reduced Judah to vassal status. (RD p. 317) His forces occupied the small kingdom in 603 BC, on his way to try to conquer Egypt.  (Miller p. 481; II Kings 24, 25, Jeremiah 9:11; 10:22, 24, and 43; Lamen. 4:8-10)  Because of rebellion by the Jews he was responsible for three deportations of citizens of Judah. In 598 BC, after Jehoiakim's uprising, he sent marauding bands of Chaldaeans, Aramaeans, Moabites and Ammonites into Judah ‘To Destroy it' (ll Kings 24:2), which led to the deportation of 10,000 of the flower [choice citizens] of the Kingdom. When the puppet king, Zedekiah, who was left behind, also rebelled, it precipitated an eighteen month siege of Jerusalem.  The city fell in August 587 BC and was completely destroyed along with the Temple, (Gardiner p. 350) along with a second deportation of citizens. He finally deported many Jews in 582 BC after the murder of Gedaliah, a puppet governor. (II Kings 25:22, Miller p. 481) The loss of the Ten Tribes, and these deportations, constitute what the Jews call the First Dispersions. (Gilbert p. 7)  Mulek (Mosiah 25:2) had escaped the destruction of the siege and Temple. The story of his coming to the Americas is still an unknown.  Lehi who had left during the first occupation, about 601-600 BC, was already colonizing the Western Hemisphere. Nebuchadnezzar had so reduced Jerusalem and the surrounding areas that it remained a wilderness for nearly a century.

DATES AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE LETTERS

The first and earliest letter, No. 100, dates from 681 BC, and is about Arda-Mullissi's conspiracy to murder Sennacherib (Reynolds p. xx) who played such a large role in the defeat and capture of the ten tribes and the wasting of Tyre; elevating Sidon to prominence during the days of Lehi.

The last letter No. 106, dates from about 669 BC, and is from Mar-Assar. (Reynolds p. xx)  This gives us the dates during which the letters were written and received, a window in time of about twelve years.  Letters include some from such cities as Akkad, Kish, Uruk, and Nippur, all important cities in ancient Babylonia that have already figured in these studies, are of interest to us as well  (Erickson 4 Aug 2005).    

Babylon was the Capital of Babylonia. The city was occupied from nearly 3000 BC, became very important about 2000 BC, with ups and down from 1750 to 700 BC, which began the Neo-Babylonian Period. Under Nebuchadnezzar the Empire expanded to greater than it had ever been, only to fall to Cyrus the Persian in 539 BC. Israel and Judah were plagued by the Assyrians and Babylonians who occupied the city, who used the city along with Nippur, as their capital. Most will recall the Ishtar Gate, the palace of Nebuchadnezzar and the hanging gardens of his magnificent constructions for one of his wives. These constructions were nearly finished when Lehi left Jerusalem just before the first 10,000 Jews were deported. One of the great temples excavated when the Germans began digging in the city before World War l, was the ziggurat of Marduk, which seems to have been the original ‘tower of Babel'. (Whitehouse pp.43-44)

                                    PARALLELS TO BOOK OF MORMON NAMES

Now, let us look at the names found in the letters of Esarhaddon, including how they were constructed. Names that would have been accessible and known by Lehi and his family and contained in various records they could have taken with them. Among those names we find the following Book of Mormon names, most using particular prefixes found in the letters, clearly confirming they are genuine names of historical people and places.  

ABU (AB)

This prefix, meaning ‘father'  (Reynolds p. 175) is an extremely common prefix found in ancient Semitic, Babylonian and Jewish records. Because it is so common, shouldn't  it  also be found in the Book of Mormon? It is found in such Babylonian names as Abuka, Abu, Abubu, Abullu, (meaning the fifth month), and in Ab Abi (meaning grandfather). (Reynolds p. 175).  In the Tanakh it is found in the form of Abi as an actual name, (2 Kings 18:2). Abi was the name of the daughter of Zechariah, the wife of King Ahaz of Judah and the mother of his successor, King Hezekiah. In 2 Chronicles 29:1 she was also called Abijah. (Mandel p. 4)  As the prefix Abi, it is found in the names Abialbon, Abisasaph, Abiather, Abidah, Abidan, Abiel, Abiezer, Abiail, Abihail, Abihud, Abihu, Abijam, Abimelech, Abinadab, (which is close to Abinadi), Abinoam, Abiram, Abital,  Abitub, Abner, Abram and  Absalom. (Mandel pp. 4-19) The ab elements are found in Abish, the Lamanitish woman in Alma 19:16, and the Jaredite name Ablom in Ether 9:3, an ancient name, so the prefix elements go back a long way.    

In the Book of Mormon the prefix forms Ab and Abi are found in the names of Abinadi, (Mos 11:20) and  Abinadom (Omni l:10), and from the Brass Plates, Abraham and Abel. The prefix form Abi is found in the name Abish, (Alma 19:16) which may have been derived from the Jaredite records. The name Abish is also the prefix in such names as Abishag, Abishai, Abishalom, Abishua and Abishur found in the Tanakh (Mandel pp 12-13)  The prefix Ab is as noted, also in the Jaredite name Ablom (Ether 9:3)  In all of the preceding names, the several forms of the prefix, Abu, Abi, Ab, all mean the same: ‘father'.  Aba is also found in the name Umman-abba in a letter to his brother. (Reynolds p. 80)  The Book of Mormon usages and forms all obey the Onomastic rules.  How unusual that the Book of Mormon names should be correct in every regard! And with so many parallels!

AHU -  (AHA)

Ahu, meaning ‘brother' is found in the form Aha in Alma 16:5. but may have been derived from Jaredites names as names that have the form of Ahah are found in early Jaredite times. (Ether 1:9-10, 11:10-11; Largey p. 32)  Used as a name in the form of Ah Abi, it means ‘uncle', or (father's brother), and sometimes can be used to refer to ‘arm' or ‘side', (Reynolds p. 175) in some of the Esarhaddon letters.  This name and Semitic elements have been discussed in greater detail in Erickson 15 April 2005 p. 8-10. The name and elements show up in many names throughout the Mesopotamian period from 3000 BC to the New Testament Era.  In the Esarhaddon letters, the element Aha is found in the name Bel-aha-idden whose father is also in a document with the name Iddin-aha, almost a case of Papponymy. (Reynolds p. 80)  The name ‘Bel' is the name of a God that many people to honor that God would use in the front of their names. Otherwise the name of the person is Aha-idden. ‘Idden' means ‘to give', so the name would probably mean  ‘to give brother'. (Erickson  15 April 2005) In another letter the name Ninurta-aha-idden is found. (Reynolds p. 166) 

AMMARON

Ammaron kept the sacred records. (4 Nephi 1:47; Ricks p. 37)  Almost an exact parallel to this name is found in the Esarhaddon Letters in the form: ammaru or ammar,  meaning "to see' or ‘behold',  (Reynolds p. 176) but it is not found in the Jewish Tanakh.  An abbreviated form found in the Book of Mormon as Amaron,  (Mormon 5:7) is also found in the abbreviated form in the Esarhaddon Letters as Amaru, (Reynolds p. 176) with the same meaning as the longer form: ‘to see, behold'.  The endings ‘u, on', are hypocoristicons, which are shortened forms or abbreviations for a deities' name when used as a suffix, or ending, most often Jehovah, meaning ‘to see, or behold, God.'.

ANATHOTH

While seeming to be related to a quote from Isaiah (2 Nephi 10:30), it may also have been in the Brass Plates. Anathoth, (l Chron. 7:8), 16^th century BC, was the son of Becher and grandson of Benjamin, (Mandel p. 55) the younger brother of Joseph.  In the Tanakh the name is derived from Hebrew meaning ‘Answers', (Mandel p. 55), and in the Esarhaddon Letters, the prefix ana  means ‘to', so the name would seem to mean ‘to answer'. (Reynolds p. 176) The prefix ana, [and ara] meaning ‘to' is found in many names. (Reynolds p. 177)

GIMGIMNO

Gimgimno, was "a wicked city mentioned only in connection with its destruction at the time of Jesus' death. The Lord caused the city and its inhabitants to be buried ‘in the depths of the earth.' And he ‘made hills and valleys in the places thereof.'" (Largey p. 295; 3 Ne. 9:8)  The name is highly unusual. In all of the texts examined and names checked so far for parallels to the Book of Mormon names, none have contained the prefix or core consonantal elements of GM (Gim) or the name Gim, until this study of the Esarhaddon Letters.  Also unusual is the doubling of the name, a consonant plus consonant, or a consonant with the vowel sign of ‘i'and a consonant (CVC) . In the Book of Mormon there are other names that have the consonant-vowel (of ‘i') -consonant, doubled, such as in Gidgiddonah and Gidgiddoni. (Ricks p. 267) Gim or names with Gim as a prefix or core, do not occur in the Jewish Tanakh. (Mandel) but it does show up in three names in the Esarhaddon letters: Gimru, Gimri, and Gimir, while each have a different suffix, related to hypocoristicons or abbreviated forms of diety, the meaning in all of them is the same: ‘Total'. (Reynolds p. 182)  In the Esarhaddon letters, the name Gim is also found in the form of Gimillu, (Reynolds p. 202) the name of an unfortunate, confined seven years to what was called the Durance Vile, some terrible situation, assuring the king in a letter that he had not sinned against the King. (Reynolds p. 79) It does appear from the Book of Mormon that the name used as a prefix, or in a doubling, is not uncommon. The name, Gim, or Gimno, or Gimgimno, as found in the Book of Mormon is therefore confirmed to be of considerable antiquity. How absolutely incredible to find such a name in ancient documents!

SHUM

"Esarhaddon had six sons, of whom the first died at an early age. Amongst the survivors, two, Shamash-shum-ukin, and Asher-ban-apli [Ashurbanipal] were considered the most fitting for this succession." (Saggs, p. 106) Inbedded in one of the names of the sons,  Shmash-shum-ukin [which has an alternate spellings as noted above] is the Book of Mormon name Shum. Shum was a designated piece of gold. (Alma 11:5) Also it is the  name of a valley where Enos and Cainan, descendants of Adam lived, found in Moses 6:17. This name therefore verifies the veracity of the revelations given to Joseph now in the Pearl of Great Price. It is therefore an old name, an Adamic name, apparently retained after the flood and after the Tower of Babel, in the Semitic languages that developed. (Erickson 15 April 2005)  The three consonants in the name, Shm mean ‘a name', the three elements are contained in the name of Noah's second son, Shem, Shm, (Moses 8:12) which means ‘a name' (Mandel p. 492).  They are contained in another Book of Mormon name, Sheum; (Shm), a name of a plant food. (Mosiah 9:9)  Wherever found, the consonants, Sm, and Shm, always mean ‘a name'. (Donbaz p. 17) The other version of the name as given above is Samas-sumu-ukin.  The use of sumu is consistant in meaning, and when spelled in names as sumu, it still means ‘a name'. In the tablets of the Gorvernors Archives, (Erickson September 2005) it appears in names such as Sum-adad-milki and as a formal prefix to the name. (Postgate p. 273) In the Esarhaddon Letters the name Nabu-bel-sumati, the Commandant of Borsippa is found. (Reynolds p. 144) And in the letters, the Legate of Birati was named Nabu-sumu-lisir. (Reynolds p. 118) There are many names with this spelling. (Radner 1999 pp. 340-341)  Many names with the Sm consonants are also present 2500 BC in the personal names found in the thousands of tablets from Ebla, (Pagan p. 368) confirming the antiquity of the name suggested by the Jaredite usage in a most remarkable way.  

The name Shum, was also found to be that of a Jewish deportee to Babylon who was given the name of Enlil-Shum-idden, (Sasson p. 1481) There were more than 500 gods in the pantheon of Ancient Babylon, most often times names were prefixed with the particular name of a God, such as Enlil, Chemish or Shmash, Assur, Asher and so forth. So the actual name of an individual is the last two portions of the name, such as Shum-ukin, and Shum-idden. This use of God names as a name prefix was for political purposes, seldom for religious purposes.  The name Shum has been discussed in greater detail. (Erickson 15^th April 2005 pp. 5-6)  It is being found in many tablet discoveries in Mesopotamia, not an uncommon name. It is an authentic name. The Cities, let alone the  tablets, which confirm the name hadn't yet even been found when Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon.  One could easily predict that all of the unusual names and seemingly original names, of the Book of Mormon will eventually be found in one ancient document or another found an published after 1830. Certainly the correct  use in the Book of Mormon of the names is confirmed.    

KIM

Kim was the son of Morianton, listed as a king, he was not a righteous man. (Ether l:21-22; 10:13). He was the 27^th descendant of Jared, in the Jaredite genealogy. Thus, this name should be found in very ancient tablets. It therefore  not surprising to find it in the Neo-Babylonian names. In the prefix ki the meaning ‘as, since, because; when; if, whether' and as Kima it can also mean ‘instead'. (Reynolds p. 183-184)  In Neo-Assyrian compilations Ki-mama, the Ki means ‘like' [as] in keeping with the meaning in the Esarhaddon usage, except in the study of the name it is identified as ancient Akkadian. The mama is the name of a deity, and names formed with this deity have been considered Anatolian in origin. (Baker p. 616) This would be in keeping with the antiquity suggested by its inclusion in the record of the Jaredites. Kima was from the reign of Senacherib, a witness for Tabni-Issar for the purchase of a slave woman. The prefix Kim is also found in such names as Kime, Kimumaia, ‘man from Kimumu' (Akkadian), Kimee, Kimumaaa, an escapee, and Kimade. (Baker p. 616-617)  Kim will no doubt show up in other name lists from other cities from the same region around Babylon. It is still used even today as a popular name.

KISH

The 30^th Descendant of Jared was Kish. "And Lib was the son of Kish." (Ether 1:18) Kish was the name of a very old family who lived before the Tower of Babel, and because the name is incorporated into the Jaredite genealogy, no doubt the Jaredites knew of this family. Kish was also the name of a very old Kingdom going back to before the flood. Kish held the dominant position within southern Sumeria. (Weiss p. 1124-125) Kish has been discussed in detail in one of the studies of this series. (Erickson 4 Aug 2005)  Kish is listed as one of the important cities from which letters were received, along with Borisppa, Bit-Dakkuir and Marad. (Reynolds p. 39)  One letter was No. 65: "When the cupbearer came to Kish."  (Reynolds p. 48)  Letter No. 66 dealt with Horses and People of Kish. (Reynolds p. 49)  Letter No. 67 is a fragment that mentions a "Road to Kish". (Reynolds p. 49)  A large Assyrian copy of an ancient ‘King List' was found at Khorsabad by Loud. (Lloyd p. 89) The list "presents us first with the names of eight semi-legendary rulers ‘before the flood' and the cities with which they are believed to have been associated. ‘After the Flood', we are told, ‘Kingship was sent down from on high.'...it embodies for the first time a catalogue of the principal Sumerian cities-Sippar, Sharuppak, Kish, Ur, Adab, Mari, Akshak, Lagish, Isin, Larsa, and others." (Lloyd p. 90) The three highlighted Cities have already been studied in this series. Others will be studied in the future. The data on Kish from the letters of Esarhaddon were not included in the earlier web study on Kish, so we now add additional confirmation to that already accumulated, that Kish, appearing in the Book of Mormon long before any of these discoveries were made and translated, was an authentic name, and included in a correct chronological time period.   A "tradition of bureaucratic procedures can be traced down the centuries ...[and it] is known that chancellery practices reached Ebla in Syria from Summer through Kish (Modern tell al-Uhaimir, Tell Ingharra) and Mari in the third millennium BC, and that Babylonian scribal procedures (especially the format of letters and treaties-inescapably bound to the international language (Akkadian)  reached Hittite Empire [modern Turkey] and also Mitanni, in the second millennium." (Sasson p. 2205)  The study of Kish is very fruitful. There will be more.   

LEMUEL

Lemuel is the eldest son of Lehi. (l Nephi HD; 2:5) While the name is also found in the Jewish Tanakh- "identified by some scholars as King Solomon," (Mandel p. 329) he was "advised by his mother not to waste his energy pursuing women." (Mande p. 329) An admonition he ignored, subsequently he lost his exhaltation because of foreign women.  In the letters of Esarhaddon, it is the meaning of the name that is of interest.  In the letters the name appears as Lemnu ‘bad, evil' and as lemuttu ‘bad luck'. (Reynolds p. 185)  It has the same meaning in the name form Lumnu ‘bad luck, ill fate'. (Reynolds pl. 186)  The name also means ‘Why?' In the Book of Mormon, the name Lemuel, with its hypocoristicon ending of ‘el' an abbreviation for Elohim, means: ‘why god?'.  The Esarhadoon letters confirm the meaning and the underlying character deficiency of Lemuel, who along with his brother whose name Laman, which as noted, also means ‘why God?',  are discussed in this series in greater detail.  In naming these two sons, no doubt  Lehi had prophetic foresight.  Lehi knew has insight, but it took the new discoveries before his insight could be shared. 

LIB

Lib was the 31^st descendant of Jared, the son of Kish. (Ether l:17-18) . Being a Jaredite name one would expect it to be found in the most ancient records.  It has been discussed elsewhere in this series.  In the Esarhaddon letters it appears in many names, especially as a prefix in the name for ‘heart' in Libbu, also in Libbuu, meaning ‘accordingly, in the same way'. (Reynolds p. 185)  In Astronomical text included in the letters, there is one that refers to an eclipse seen in a place called Libra  (Reynolds p. 214)  Note also the prefix in the country name of Libiya. The Babylonians were well known for their Astronomy, many of the great Greek and Phoenician thinkers were schooled there, for instance: Thales. (Durant p. 137)

MINON

Minon is a place name, the "land of Minon above the land of Zarahemla." (Alma 2:24)

The prefix elements, Min are found in the Tanakh in the name of Minjamin, which recurs in the Tanakh three times for priests (Nehemiah 12:17; 12:41; 2 Chronicles 31:15; Mandel p. 363), but not in any other names. Because of the larger suffix ending of the name, the Hebrew meaning is ‘from the right'. In the Esarhaddon Letters there are some fifteen names with the prefix Min. In five names of the Mina form, it means ‘Why'? In six other names of the form Minde-Mindema, it means ‘maybe, perhaps', and in the form of Minu there are six names, all meaning ‘what'?  All the names are similar in meaning only with a variety of modifying suffixes or endings, most of which are hypocoristicons, or abbreviations for diety. So, Minon could have meant ‘why or what god'?.

The ancient Minoan civilization lasting from 2500 to 2000 BC used this same prefix, is there a Phonecian connection here.? The Mina was a designation for a measure of money, generally about 500 grams. (Erickson 9 Mar 2005)  About 400 BC the South Arabian languages developed Minaean at Ancient Alula, or Dedan, east of northern Yeman, which retained the prefix. (Sasson p. 2120)  Therefore, because the prefix Min, as common as it was throughout the Middle East and Arabic History, it would have been unusual for the prefix Min not to have been included in the Book of Mormon in one name or another.   

NAHOM

The prefix element nah in the name Nahom, and the consonant elements nhm, are also found in the Book of Mormon name. (l Ne 16:34)  The name means ‘consolation' or ‘comfort'.  In 1978 Dr. Ross T. Christensen of the BYU Archaeology Department discovered on an eighteenth century map (Hilton p. 21) of the area where they buried Ishmael at Nahom, and where the family turned "nearly eastward from that time forth" (l Ne 17:1) The map identified the place in traditional letters nhm, readers supplied the missing vowels as is customary in many of the ancient Semitic languages, particularly Arabic and Hebrew. The vowels could have been either ‘a' and ‘o', as in Nahom, or ‘a' and ‘u', as in Nahum (Nahum 1:1) which also means ‘comforted'. In the Jewish Tanakh there are nine names with the prefix Nah, in nearly all cases the meaning is ‘comforted' or ‘consolatory'. (Mandel pp. 394-396)  In the letters of Esarhaddon the prefix is found in the names nahuu and nahasu and the elements are involved in the make up of eleven additional names. (Reynolds p. 188)  Thus the name and its elements is confirmed in Jewish, Arabic, and Neo-Assyrian-Babylonian records.  This name is also discussed in other articles of this series. No doubt it will show up in other archaeological discoveries, so that more than one discovery of tablets will confirm the authenticity of the name and elements.  

PAHORAN

In this name there are consonantal elements making up the prefix ph and the name phrn, with the vowels to be added by the reader. In the Tanakh, the ph elements occur in the name Pahah-Moab, which means the ‘pit of Moab' in Hebrew. (Mandel p. 419)  In the letters of Esarhaddon the prefix elements ph, or pah are found in the names Pahharu, meaning ‘potter'; pahhuzu, where the meaning ‘insolent cad', and pahuzuu, meaning the same thing, (Reynolds p. 189) with the suffix modifying the meaning of the name, which is often the case.  More research may yet find the suffix, oran, and its meaning.  In the American southwest, it is well known that the prefix Pah generally means ‘water', sometimes with the spelling of Pai, or Paw. (Martineau  p. 252)  

RABBANAH

Alma 18:13 explains that the name "Rabbanah, which is, being interpreted, powerful or great king." In Alma 18:12, Ammon, the person referred to, "is surely the Great Spirit."  Only a few times in the Book of Mormon was a name interpreted, this is one of the more obvious times. The most of the original 337 names are generally left uninterpreted and without explanation, but in this instance the specific meaning is given. It may be that the reason it was given, as well as for other names that are explained, is that the meaning in some degree is a little different than the word might be interpreted without this explanation. In the Jewish Tanakh, there are several names with the prefix Rab, they are also referred to as either Babylonian or Assyrian names, dating about 800 BC, and in each name the meaning of the prefix is ‘Chief'. Since the letters of Esarhaddon are from this time period and are Babylonian-Assyrian as well, we would expect some of the listed Personal names to have this prefix, and the prefix would have the meaning or approximate meaning as given in the Book of Mormon and the Jewish scripture.  And that is what we do find. In the letters there are names like rabu (A), ‘a great man, grandee, magnate'; rabu (B), ‘to be great, superior'; rab dari, ‘official in charge'; rab kasiri, ‘chief tailor'; rab kisri, ‘cohort commander';  rab sa-resi, ‘chief eunuch', rab sirki, ‘foreman of oblates'. (Reynolds p. 91) In all of   these names the prefix rab confirms the Book of Mormon usage, as that of a powerful person, whether king, or whatever. If Joseph Smith had been writing the Book of Mormon himself, and only himself, and imagined all of the original 337 names, how dare he actually interpret several of them?  How far out on a limb could you get? But he didn't write it himself, he translated it under divine guidance. Spelling out the names as he went along as required under the divine influence that governed his translating activity. Now, nearly 175 years later, the names are found in a setting agreeable to that defined and outlined in the Book of Mormon, with the correct interpretation. The suffix, Banah elevates the superlative of ‘chief', to that of ‘powerful king', obeying Onomiastic rules. See for further details on this name (Erickson 17 Aug 2005).  

SAM

While seemingly an ordinary and common name, there is much more to the name Sam than at first meets the eye. It has great antiquity. For details see Erickson 17 Aug 2005.

For further confirmation that this was a name used by the ancients and in use about the time that Lehi may have named a son with that name, we expect the letters of Esarhaddon to have this name with this prefix. The name Sam can stand alone, or be incorporated into names with the prefix Sam.  Two such names are included in the letters of Esarhaddon as Samahu meaning ‘to mix, incorporate', and samu, ‘to hamper or compromise'. (Reynolds p. 192) Other names in the letters include: Samatu, ‘to mark with ownership marks', Sammu ‘plant or herb', Samsanu, ‘sun disc'; Samu, ‘heaven'; Samnutabu, ‘sweet scented oil', the meanings being modified by the suffixes.(Reynolds p. 195) In the Tanakh, names such as Samgar of ‘uncertain meaning', Samlah, ‘dress', Samson, ‘sunlight' and Samuel. ‘God heard', have semantic parallels. (Mandel pp. 450-453)

ZERAM and ZERIN

These are highly unusual names. Names beginning with ‘Z' are not often found in Semitic name lists, but they are abundant in Hebrew. In Hebrew the consonants ZRM and ZR, meaning ‘rising' with vowels to be supplied by the reader, are found in the Tanakh in such names as Zerah, ‘rising light'; Zerahiah, ‘rising of God'. The hiah is an hypocoristicon for God. Zeresh, which is Persian and of uncertain origin, Zereth, ‘splendor', Zeri, ‘balsam', Zeror, ‘a parcel' Zeruah, ‘leprous' Zerubbael, ‘descendant of Babel', and Zeruiah, ‘balsam'. (Mandel pp. 546-548)  For the most part the prefix means ‘rising', but note how the suffix [the ending] modifies the prefix sometimes. These name forms have also been discussed in another study in this series (Erickson 17 Aug 2005) That they occur in the letters of Esarhaddon is remarkable, further confirming the authenticity of Book of Mormon names.  Names in the letters of Esarhaddon include: Zeria, Zerutia, Zera-ukin, and Zer-kitti-lasir. (Reynolds p. 203)  We expect more information on the usage of the prefix Zer in names yet to be published and six publications where these tablets were found are yet to be acquired; all part of an on-going project of Helsinki University on the State Archives of Assyria.  

When research on this tablet discovery was began, there was not a great deal of optismism, but as the study continued, a lot more than was expected began to emerge from the study of the Personal names, until the above significant data was tabulated. This singular discovery resulted in a rich harvest of names and elements that confirm that Joseph was translating an authentic record. Any other explanation doesn't fit the facts.

                                                            BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Archi, Alfonso, Reflections on the System of Weights from Ebla, In Essay on the Ebla Archives and Eblaite Language, Ed. Cyrus H. Gordon, Gary A. Rendsburg, Nathan H. Winter, Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Indiana 1987

Baker, Heather D., The Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, The Neo-Assyrian Text Coupus Project, Vol. 2/1 H-K, University of Helsinki, 2000

Durant, Will, The Life of Greece, Simon and Schuster, New York, Part II, 1939

Eldon, Ricks, Eldin Rick's thorough concordance of the LDS Standard Work, FARMS, BYU, Provo, Utah 1995

Erickson, Einar C., Reformed Egyptian: The Phoenician Connection, Web 18 May 2005

........................  Murasu of Nippur and the Book of Mormon, Web 15 April 2005.

........................The Governor's Archive, Web 17 Aug  2005

........................Weights and Measures, Web 9 March 2005

........................The Ancient Kingdom of Kish, 4 Aug 2005