Of course, in Joseph Smith’s day, such discoveries had not been made yet, and so Joseph was mocked for his story of having discovered gold plates with the writings of ancient people inscribed on them.

Today it is becoming commonplace to find such ancient texts, which is why in the dozens of media reports on the emergence of the lead plates this past week, not one questioned the fact that the writings were on metal.  In fact, one scholar specifically noted that there were examples of ancient metal tablets made out of copper, bronze, and gold.

Here is a summary of only some of the most prominent findings.  

Etruscan Gold Book, dating to 600 BC (click to enlarge)

Etruscan Gold Book

This is believed to be the oldest complete multiple page book found in the world.  It is made of six plates of gold, each 5 x 4.5 cm, and bound with two rings.  It dates to 600 BC.

It was unearthed from a tomb some 60-70 years ago, along the Strouma River in southwestern Bulgaria.  It was donated to the Bulgarian National Museum of History in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2003.  The plates contain text in Etruscan characters, and was likely a type of prayer book made for the funeral of an aristocrat.

This discovery is especially interesting to Latter-day Saints because the date places it at the same time as when Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, indicating that this form of bookmaking and bookbinding was practiced in the Mediterranean region at the time.  It is similar to the description that Joseph Smith gave of the gold plates of the Book of Mormon.

More Information:

• John A. Tvedtnes, "Etruscan Gold Book from 600 B.C. Discovered," Insights: A Window on the Ancient World 23/5 (October 2003)
• “Unique book goes on display,” 26 May 2003, BBC News

Pyrgi Gold Tablets, dating to 500 BC (click to enlarge)

Pyrgi Gold Tablets

This set of three gold plates was discovered in 1964 in an excavation of a sanctuary in ancient Pyrgi, in Italy.  They contain holes around their edges, which indicates that they were likely bound together in some form at one point.

The plates date to 500 BC, and contain a dedication by King Thefarie Velianas to the Phoenician goddess Astarte.  Two have Etruscan text, and the third has Phoenician.

William Hamblin notes that these plates are:

…a prime example of the spread of the Phoenician practice of writing sacred texts on golden plates from their original center in Phoenicia, via Carthage, to Italy, and is roughly contemporary with the Book of Mormon’s claim that sacred texts were written on metal plates by the Phoenicians’ closer neighbors, the Jews.

The Pyrgi Tablets are now at the National Etruscan Museum in Rome, Italy.

More Information:

• William J. Hamblin, “Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean,” FARMS Review (19/1), Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2007, p. 37--54
• Pyrgi Tablets, Wikipedia.

Copper Scroll, dating to 50-100 AD, reproduction above, actual pieces below, photo of roll above-right (click to enlarge)

Copper Scroll

Perhaps the most famous example of ancient writing on metal plates is the Copper Scroll, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran by an archeologist in 1952.  Its Hebrew text was inscribed on two rolls of coppper, and dates to 50-100 AD.

Because it was found in rolls, and the metal was corroded, it had to be cut apart into 23 strips to be read.  Both rolls were part of the same document.  The text, interestingly, describes the locations of hidden temple treasures from the Second Temple of Jerusalem.  In other words, it’s a kind of treasure map.

William Hamblin notes its similarity to the plates of the Book of Mormon:

…it is a clear example of an attempt to preserve an important sacred record by writing on copper/bronze (Heb. nechushah) plates and then hiding the document.

Unfortunately, no hidden temple treasures have yet been discovered by reading the text.

More Information:

• William J. Hamblin, “Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean,” FARMS Review (19/1), Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2007, p. 37--54
• John A. Tvedtnes, “Copper Scroll from Qumran,” Book of Mormon Research.
• Copper Scroll, Wikipedia.

Korean Diamond Cutter Sutra Gold Plates, dating to 8th century AD (click to enlarge)

Korean Diamond-Cutter Sutra Gold Plates

This is a set of nineteen gold plates that was found in December, 1965, buried under a five-storied pagoda in Iksan, Korea.  Each plate measures 14.8 x 13.7 cm and was found inside a bronze box inside a stone box.  The plates are hinged together, and have two gold bands that wrap around the plates.  They date to the 8th century AD.

The plates contain the text of the Diamond-Cutter Sutra.  A Maxwell Institute publication by David Honey and Michael Lyon describe it:

The text opens with a group of monks who circumambulate the living Buddha three times and then sit down to listen to his teachings… He warns of a future period called the “Latter Days of the Law” when the oral transmission will have decayed. He prophesies that there will be at least some enlightened beings who will understand and teach his true doctrine. He then promises that the country that preserves and teaches this sutra will have to be honored and worshiped by the worlds of gods, men, and evil spirits. It will become like a chaitya, or temple. It is apparent that this promise was the motivation for Korean Buddhists to inscribe the sutra on gold plates and preserve it under a pagoda.

The plates are part of National Treasure No. 123, and located at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.

More Information:

• David Honey and Michael Lyon, “An Inscribed Chinese Gold Plate in Its Context: Glimpses of the Sacred Center,” in The Disciple as Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute
• John A. Tvedtnes, “Korean Diamond Sutra,” Book of Mormon Research.
• Paul R. Cheesman, “Ancient Writing on Metal Plates,” Ensign, October, 1979, 42.

Silver Scrolls, dating to 600 BC (click to enlarge)

Silver Scrolls

Discovered in 1979, these scrolls were found inside one of a series of burial caves called Ketef Hinnom in a hillside just west of Jerusalem.  They were two small silver scrolls, about 1″ x 4″ in size, and much care was taken over a three year period to unroll them to read them.  They had archaic Hebrew text on them.  They determined that the scrolls date to approximately 600 BC, very near the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.

Amazingly, the scrolls contain the oldest surviving citations of the Hebrew Bible, in addition to the oldest surviving reference to Yahweh (Jehovah or LORD). The text comes from primarily Numbers 6:24-26, which is a priesthood blessing (or ordinance) the Lord instructed Moses to teach Aaron to give to the Israelites.

This shows that the Jerusalem people of Lehi’s time did, indeed, write sacred texts on metal, and provides evidence that the first five books of Moses existed at the time Lehi left Jerusalem, which would have been required if the brass plates were to contain them (1 Nephi 5:11).

Another interesting note is that these scrolls were meant to be rolled up and likely worn around the neck, serving as an amulet, to “provide a blessing that will be used to protect the wearer from some manner of evil forces.”

More information:

• Ketef Hinnom, Wikipedia
• John Noble Wilford, “Solving a Riddle Written in Silver,” The New York Times, 28 September 2004
• “Scriptures on 2,600-Year-Old Silver Scrolls Found in Jerusalem,” Ensign 17 (June 1987): 56-57
• William J. Adams Jr., ”Lehi’s Jerusalem and Writing on Silver Plates,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (3/1), Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 1994, p. 204-06
• Gary D. Myers, “‘Silver scrolls’ are oldest O.T. scripture, archaeologist says,” Baptist Press, 27 Feb 2004
• Stephen Caesar, “The Blessing of the Silver Scrolls,” Associates for Biblical Research, 6 Jan 2010

Darius I Persepolis Gold Plates, dating to 518 - 515 BC (click to enlarge)

Darius I Persepolis Gold Plates

These plates were found by archeologists in 1938, in Persepolis, near modern day Shiraz, Iran.  There were two gold plates and two silver plates in a stone box, written on in cuneiform script.  The plates date to 518 – 515 BC.

The text found on each of the plates was the same:

"Darius the great king, king of kings, king of countries, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid. King Darius says: This is the kingdom which I hold, from the Sacae who are beyond Sogdia to Nubia, and from Sind to Lydia - [this is] what Ahuramazda, the greatest of gods, bestowed upon me. May Ahuramazda protect me and my royal house!"

This reminds me of the divine bestowals of power, protection, prosperity, and seed found among the Egyptians, and even on the Rosetta Stone.

The plates are now located at the national museum in Tehran, Iran.

• John A. Tvedtnes, “Darius I Persepolis Tablets,” Book of Mormon Research
• Persepolis, Apadana Palace, Wikipedia

Petelia tablet, one of the Orphic Gold Plates, dating to fourth century BC (click to enlarge)

Orphic Gold Tablets or Plates

This is a remarkable set of about 35 small pieces of gold foil that have been found in ancient tombs across Greece and Rome.  They are inscribed in Greek text, and most date to the fourth century BC.

The text on these plates gives instructions to the dead on how to navigate the afterlife, especially what they should say or do on their journey there.  As David Larsen describes them:

… [they] give specific instructions for what the initiate is to do during their journey into the  Afterlife, including meeting a number of guardians and gods who will ask them questions and to whom they must give certain passwords.

David Larsen has provided an amazing LDS perspective on these in a series of articles at his blog, HeavenlyAscents.com:

• David Larsen, “Instructions for the Netherworld: The Orphic Gold Tablets,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 18 June 2009
• David Larsen, “The Orphic Gold Tablets: Arriving in the Afterlife and the Importance of Memory for Salvation,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 26 June 2009
• David Larsen, “The Orphic Gold Tablets: A ‘Ritual for the Dead’,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 2 July 2009
• David Larsen, “The Tree of Life as Nurturing Mother,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 12 July 2009
• David Larsen, “The Orphic Gold Tablets: ‘The Longed-For Crown’,” HeavenlyAscents.com, 31 July 2009

Questionable Findings

There are some discoveries which do not seem to have been studied much, and which may or may not be forgeries.  Here is one:

Achaemenid Golden Codex, dating to between 550 BC - 330 BC (click to enlarge)

Achaemenid Golden Codex

In October 2005, police in Tehran, Iran, recovered several artifacts that had been sold to smugglers by a farmer who had found them while plowing a field.  One of these artifacts was a book made of eight plates of gold, and bound with four rings on one side.

The codex is inscribed with cuneiform script, which was a commonly used in the ancient Near East.  It is believed to be from the Achaemenid period, because of its codex format, which would date it to sometime between 550 BC and 330 BC.  Again, dated to shortly after the time period of Lehi and his family, and in the Middle East.

The current whereabouts of this artifact are unknown to me and those I’ve asked.  Instead of continuing to chase the Jordan Lead Codices down a dead-end road, it might be more productive for the media to help find this codex, and determine its authenticity and meaning.

More Information:

• John A. Tvedtnes, “Achaemenid Gold Book,” Book of Mormon Research.
• “An Achaemenid Golden Codex Recovered from Smugglers,” 11 October 2005, The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many examples of modern day archeological discoveries of ancient writing on metal plates, and I only mention a few.  These were unknown in Joseph Smith’s time, yet many attest to the fact that writing on metal plates was a practice during Lehi’s day in and around Jerusalem.

Authentic Ancient Metal Plates

UPDATE: See the latest updates about this discovery at Jordanian Lead Plates: Authentic or Forgery?
–
David Larsen at HeavenlyAscents.com has pointed out an interesting recent discovery (see his posts here and here).  A collection of dozens of books made from metal plates have been found in Jordan that initial tests show date from the first century AD.

Now this certainly sounds exciting, particularly to the Latter-day Saints. As we know, Joseph Smith said that he received and translated ancient sealed gold plates, in what became The Book of Mormon.

This find is interesting for a number of reasons:

• The books are written on metal plates (lead and copper)
• They are bound by rings on one side (also known as codices)
• Many of the books are “sealed” on all sides
• They appear to be from the first century AD, and may be the earliest Christian documents ever found
• Scholars have noted that, if authentic, this could be bigger than the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
• They appear to be written in an archaic Hebrew script
• Some appears to be written in code
• The sealed nature, and code appearance of the text, suggests that these may contain “secret teachings,” perhaps even “Temple based documentation”
• A number of recognizable symbols appear, including the menorah (which can be seen in the photos above), branches, fruits, trees, and of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), associated with the enthronement rituals of ancient Davidic kings, and with the coming of the Messiah

Dr. Margaret Barker commented on the discovery:

“The Book of Revelation tells of a sealed book that was opened only by the Messiah. Other texts from the period tell of sealed books of wisdom and of a secret tradition passed on by Jesus to his closest disciples. That is the context for this discovery. So if they are forgeries, what are they forgeries of?"

Extensive investigation must still be done to verify the authenticity of these plates and their meaning.  If they are genuine, this could be a huge discovery. (See an update of this discovery from the BBC News).

See below for the full press release issued today about the find:
Sealed

Ancient Sealed Metal Plates with Perhaps Secret Temple Texts discovered in Middle East?

Feel free to share with us your thoughts in the comments below.

Temple Video Series: Part 2a – Three Degrees of Glory (Bronze Laver)

David Tayman from the blog Visions of the Kingdom, and David Larsen from Heavenly Ascents, have teamed up to produce a series of short YouTube videos on the ancient temple.  The focus of the presentations will be to explore the nature, function, doctrine and ritual of the ancient temple.  This is done with the purpose of providing a richer experience and understanding to our modern temple worship.  They are very well done, with great sound, video, and narration.  I will feature them here as they are produced.

Thanks to the Davids for providing these fantastic videos! Did you gain any new insights from the video above? Feel free to share with us your thoughts in the comments below.

Temple Video Series: Part 1 – Sacred Space

The Anointing of David

David Larsen at Heavenly Ascents continues to provide excellent notes from his attendance at the Temple Studies Group Symposium in London last weekend.  Recently he posted his notes on Archimandrite Ephrem‘s presentation about the Holy Oil in the Orthodox Church.  Father Ephrem gave out a handout which included detailed notes on the anointing rite in the Orthodox Church, which includes this portion:

The one to be baptized is brought forward. The Priest takes some of the oil and makes the sign of the Cross on the forehead, breast and back of the candidate, saying: The servant of God, N., is anointed with the oil of gladness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As he signs their breast and back he says: For healing of soul and body. On the ears: For the hearing of faith. On the feet: For your feet to walk. On the hands: Your hands made me and fashioned me. And when the whole body has been anointed the Priest baptizes the person, holding them upright and facing East, as he says: The servant of God N. is baptized, in the name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son. Amen. And of the Holy Spirit. Amen. At each invocation the Priest immerses them and raises them again [three-fold immersion].

Check out David Larsen’s Heavenly Ascents blog for more details from Father Ephrem’s presentation.

Anointing Rite in the Orthodox Church

Samuel anointing David. Stained glass.

My friend David Larsen has some great notes at Heavenly Ascents on the presentation given by Dr. Margaret Barker at the Temple Studies Symposium III in London this past weekend.  Her words were an introduction to the symposium which focused on the topic of “The Holy Anointing Oil”:

Anointing with myrrh oil was the most holy mystery of the Jerusalem temple. It passed into Christianity and gave the faith its name. This symposium will explore the temple rite and its meaning, and then look at some of the ways in which Christians preserved the ancient tradition.

David’s notes on Barker’s presentation include some interesting facets of anointing:

• The Messiah, the Christ, was the Anointed One, and so the holy anointing oil is central to Christian identity. It gives the Christians their name.
• Christian teaching concerning anointing is a conscious continuation of the ancient temple teaching.
• The oil was understood to impart holiness… It was part of the secret teaching of the high priesthood.
• The anointing with oil was a part of the "secret teaching" passed on to Christianity from Christ through the apostles.
• The high priests were "christs" -- they represented Yahweh by being anointed and wearing name "YHWH" on forehead.

See the Heavenly Ascents blog for David’s full notes on Barker’s presentation.  Hopefully her presentation will also become available on TempleStudiesGroup.com.  Other speakers included Dr. John F. Hall (Professor from BYU), Archimandrite Ephrem, The Rev. Dr Richard Price, Dr Sebastian Brock, and Rev. Dr Laurence Hemming.  David has some notes on their presentations here, and will post more notes about their presentations soon.

Margaret Barker on The Holy Anointing Oil

This blog . . . will cover a wide range of topics that have to do with theological/religious studies, based on what I am studying in school and other ventures into my own related interests. . . . Some of my research interests include Temple studies, Temple roots of early Christian beliefs, apocalyptic writings, intertestamental literature, and pseudepigrapha. . . .

It will focus on insights I learn in my graduate program in Theology at Marquette University and will include my reviews of books by authors such as Margaret Barker and other religious scholars of interest to LDS readers.

Discussions such as these will be very helpful for Latter-day Saints and others to learn more about our religious traditions, and the symbolism and origin of our temple practices.

One of his first posts talks about the insights he’s gained from reading Margaret Barker’s recent book “Temple Themes in Christian Worship.”

To begin her study of "temple themes in Christian worship," Barker begins by giving evidence that there was, in fact, a "secret tradition" of beliefs/practices that had its roots in the ancient Temple of Solomon. Many of the early Church Fathers knew of "authentic Christian traditions not recorded in the Bible" (p. 1).

Examples are given from early Church Fathers about the a tradition of unwritten, guarded, and secret practices or mysteries in the early Church, handed down from Christ to his apostles.

Heavenly Ascents – A New Blog by David Larsen