IZAPA

[BookofMormonArchaeologicalForum]

IZAPA
The Sign Post to the Land of Lehi
By Garth Norman
edited by Alan Miner

1. Evidence of Near East connections

a. Using an analogy of colonization on the planet Mars, If you
found building measurements of Metric scale you would say the colony
probably came from earth. If both Metric and English measurements
using feet and inches were found you would say "the colony would have
had to come from earth." In Izapa, two cubit measurements are found.
Both CUBIT measurements were used in the Middle East prior to 600 BC,
a sure sign of Near East connections.

b. Dates found on various Stelae record all the Jewish holidays
celebrated by Jews prior to 600 BC. John Pratt's chronology shows that
by using Jewish holidays, established by Moses, the date of Christ’s
birth can be determined as I BC, and His death can be established as
occurring exactly 600 years from time Lehi left Jerusalem

2. Evidence of existence of Father Lehi.

a. Stela 5; The Tree of Life stone.
(1) Nearly all of the points recorded in the Book of Mormon record of
Lehi's dream are recorded graphically on the Stela. Some that are not
could very well be on an eroded area. Examples: Six figures: Lehi,
Sariah, Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi. Name Glyphs for Lehi: (Jaw
bone), Sariah: (Princess headdress with meaning of Sariah or princess.
Nephi: (headdress of grain, which represented an Egyptian Grain God
named NEPI.
The Tree of Life, Cherubim, the Rod of Iron, and the Spacious Building
are all mentioned in Lehi's dream.)

b. It is possible that on another Stela figures which appears to
be ear ornaments could in reality represent a jawbone, which is the
name glyph for Lehi.

c. A ship on the ocean on another Stela could represent the
voyage to America by Lehi and family.

3. A figure on another Stela has a breast ornament, which has been
deciphered as ZORAM.

4.There are seven Stela arranged to represent the seven major
Mesoamerican families or tribes in the area--four on one side, three
on the other. The Book of Mormon names seven major tribes with the
names of Nephi, Jacob, Joseph, and Zoram on the good side and Laman,
Lemuel, and Ishmael on the bad side.

5. The Stela are arranged semicircular as well as in elevated steps as
if it were a temple or a sacred area.

6. Of all Mesoamerican sites mentioned in Book of Mormon, all seem to
be destroyed except this area. This could mean that the area was
sacred to both the Nephites and Lamanites just as Mount Moriah with
its Dome of the Rock was sacred to both the Jews and the Moslems, it
being the place where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac. Both Jews and
Moslems consider it to be a future site for their temple.

7. Idle Lamanites are recorded as the inhabitants of this area. "Idle"
could be translated as neutral.

8. Names for this area are recorded in Indian histories as
"Bountiful". A city "Bountiful" in the Book of Mormon could be located
here. The Book of Mormon also describes it as the "Land of their
Inheritance", "Judea" and "Joshua" (which could be translated as
"Jesus", or "The Land of Jesus")

9. It is quite possible that the temple at "Bountiful" where Jesus
taught his Sermon at the Temple could have been in this sacred area.

10. During the final wars, Mormon's army drove the Lamanites back and
reclaimed the "Land of their Inheritance". Was this the area?

Editor’s note: V. Garth Norman is recognized as the leading authority
in iconographic research of the early Mayan Izapan culture. He
worked with the New World Archaeological Foundation at the ruins of
Izapa for 11 years and has published books and papers on that
culture. He is President of the Ancient America Foundation (AAF) for
professional and scriptural archaeology research, and is Director of
Archaeological Research Consultants (ARCON Inc.). He began his
professional archaeology career in 1965 and worked as a research
associate with the BYU-New World Archaeological Foundation’s Izapa,
Mexico project, completing the major work on the Izapa Sculpture
project in 1976; a study which includes the Stela 5 "Tree of Life"
stone. He taught seminary for ten years and has graduate degrees in
Ancient Scripture and in Archaeology/Anthropology. He has had a life-
long research interest in archaeological exploration of the Book of
Mormon as well as Archaeo-Astronomy, ancient units of standard
measurement, Book of Mormon geography and more.
Brother Norman has published a comprehensive map of his proposed Book
of Mormon geography model along with a study guide. You can read
about this project at: www.ancientamerica.org He also has a very
comprehensive personal/professional website which highlights his
lifetime research with the ancient Royal Babylonian cubit and the
Royal Egyptian cubit, showing how both were used by ancient artisans
in the high civilizations of Mesoameria. His latest article is on the
BMAF website at: www.bmaf.org/node/312 and at www.vgarthnorman.com.

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