I’ve been reading a fascinating article in the Interpreter journal today, about all the reasons a wonderful harbour on the coast of Oman, Khor Rori, could be the place that Nephi and his family called Bountiful. I’m learning about shipbuilding, harbours, resources, trade, and iron-steel smelting, and the history and archeology of this location. So interesting!
Added to that, the connection to Nephi’s and his family’s story is exciting. It’s always nice to see how ongoing research – most of it by people completely un-connected with the Church, for reasons of archeology and historical research itself – supports The Book of Mormon, and other scriptural accounts. It also gives a deeper appreciation of what was probably actually involved in living the accounts we read – such as what Nephi would have to have learnt and done as he built a ship, and as he and his crew sailed it towards the promised land of the Americas. They didn’t just sit around and talk or party on that ship, with the Lord guiding it by His hand alone! Just the smelting of iron would have been amazingly hot, difficult, long work, requiring lots of learning and improvement of skill in order to make useful items.
Here’s the article link, so you can read it for yourselves – it is long; read if you enjoy learning about historical and archeological discoveries and connections, like I do.
And here’s an article about steel – I didn’t realise it was actually iron itself (since it took so long for people in the Iron Age to discover steel….).
https://www.britannica.com/technology/steel
Hope you enjoy learning about this topic as much as I have been.
Peaceable Treasures 