A new book dealing exclusively with life in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. was recently released by FARMS, the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies at Brigham Young University.
Comprised of 22 essays from 19 scholars, the book, “Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem,” explores the political, religious, social, cultural, economic and legalistic situation of Jerusalem, Judah and the nations surrounding them in the decades before the city’s destruction by the Babylonians in 587/586 B.C.
Lehi was a Book of Mormon prophet who lived in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. and eventually left Jerusalem, traveling to southern Arabia along well-used commercial routes to the ocean where he and his family sailed to the Americas.
Topics discussed in the book include a cast of biblical characters Lehi might have known, an overview of typical home life for a family of Lehi’s economic status, the extent and nature of literacy, the influence of Egypt, the diplomacy of Judah and its geographic location between Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia.
The book also explores the implications of Israelite religion, the importance of the temple and the role of prophets among the people of Judah. A photo essay of Jerusalem and its surroundings is also included in the book.
“Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem,” edited by John W. Welch, David R. Seely and Jo Ann H. Seely, is now available through the BYU Bookstore. For more information, contact Jacob Rawlins at (801) 422-8646.
Writer: Thomas Grover
