Nephites among the Epi-Olmec
Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum
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A new article by Joe Andersen, one of BMAF's more prolific scholars contributes this significant article about Nephites who migrated into the Jaredite land northward—the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—via the west sea (Pacific) corridor. An otherwise unknown language/culture given the name Epi-Olmec meaning “after Olmec” inhabited the isthmus from about 100 BC to AD 500 known as the Epi-Olmec, The article gives a brief overview of the Mesoamerican language system and how it probably had a common beginning prior to ca. 2000 BC. This identification of a distinct language/culture within the Isthmus of Tehuantepec that coincides with the Nephite culture within the Jaredite land northward is significant additional evidence confirming that most of the events described in the Book of Mormon did, in fact, take place within Mesoamerica, as stated and believed—or at least approved and never rejected—by Joseph Smith just prior to his death.
After the Olmec sudden collapse, (ca. 300 BC to 250 BC), the area vacated began to be reoccupied, beginning about 100 BC, with the remnant Olmec, and perhaps others, from the surrounding areas. A distinct language/culture developed within an area that extended from about Tapachula on the south to about the Papaloapan Basin on the north. It included all of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
A proposal of this article is that included in this reoccupation of the Olmec heartland was a constant migration of the Nephites, including Ammonites (Alma 63:4 and Helaman 3:12) and perhaps other converted Lamanites (Helaman 6:6), from the land southward. These Nephites merged with other people moving into the Isthmus of Tehuantepec area and formed a distinct language/culture now being called the Epi-Olmec or Isthmian culture.
When the invading Lamanite/Gadianton armies from the land southward finally conquered and destroyed all the Nephite Christian people living in the Jaredite land northward in AD 400, the fighting continued for many years. This invading force from the land southward, after “searching” and killing every Christian-believing Nephite from among the “Epi-Olmec culture,” turned its destructive force against the rest of the Epi-Olmec people. For whatever reason, by about AD 500, a distinct prevalent language/culture was no longer found in the area.
Read the complete article by clicking on the title: Nephites among the Epi-Olmec
Read more about the Ammonites here: Anti-Nephi-Lehis, the Miracle Lamanites
ARTICLES ADDED TO THE BMAF WEBSITE SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER:
- Geology of the Book of Mormon by Grover, Jerry D. ,
- Hebraisms and other ancient Peculiarities in the Book of Mormon by Parry, Donald W.
- Hebrew Names Book of Mormon "Hits" by Tvedtnes, John
- Implications of Eight Times and Seasons Articles That Allude to the Book of Mormon in Conjunction with Mesoamerica, Including Seven Articles That Deal with the Explorations of John Lloyd Stephens by Stoddard, Ted Dee and Andersen, Joe V.
- John Bernhisel’s Gift to a Prophet: Incidents of Travel in Central America and the Book of Mormon by Roper, Matthew
- MAKE PLAIN THE OLD PATHS by Williams, Clyde J.
- Nephites among the Epi-Olmec in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, ca. 100 BC to AD 400 by Andersen, Joe V.
- Stela 31 from Tikal by Wiliams, Ryan
- The King and the Tree of Life: Evidence of Pre-Columbian Contact by Wirth, Diane
- The Treason of the Geographers: Mythical “Mesoamerican” Conspiracy and the Book of Mormon by Roper, Matthew
- TRANSLATION OF THE “CARACTORS” DOCUMENT by Grover, Jerry D.
- Zarahemla Revisited: Neville’s Newest Novel by Roper, Matthew; Fields, Paul; Bassist, Larry
- Ziff, Magic Goggles, and Golden Plates by Grover, Jerry D.