Did Nephi really have the five books of Moses on the brass plates? Critics say it’s impossible—that the Torah didn’t exist in its current form by 600 BC. But is that the full story?
In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot break down the documentary hypothesis, source criticism, and the dating of the Pentateuch—and explain why the so-called “consensus” isn’t as settled as Wikipedia makes it sound. Drawing on the research of scholars like Richard Elliott Friedman, Jacob Milgrom...
Did Nephi really have the five books of Moses on the brass plates? Critics say it’s impossible—that the Torah didn’t exist in its current form by 600 BC. But is that the full story?
In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot break down the documentary hypothesis, source criticism, and the dating of the Pentateuch—and explain why the so-called “consensus” isn’t as settled as Wikipedia makes it sound. Drawing on the research of scholars like Richard Elliott Friedman, Jacob Milgrom, Menahem Haran, and William Schniedewind, they show that a proto-Torah existing by Lehi’s time is far more plausible than critics admit.
We also explore:
- What the J, E, D, and P sources actually are (and why no one agrees anymore)
- Why archaeology and historical linguistics challenge the late dating of the priestly source
- How the tabernacle traditions connect to Bronze Age Egypt
- Why Nephi’s “five books of Moses” may not have looked like our Bible today
- The case for Moses as an originator—not necessarily the “author”—of the Pentateuch
- How the brass plates may preserve lost Northern Kingdom traditions
===Informed Saints Credits===
Produced by The Ancient America Foundation
Producer: Spencer Clark
Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye
Neal’s full paper is available in “Open Thou Mine Eyes: Defending the Old Testament and Latter-day Saint Doctrine” published by FAIR.
https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/open-thou-mine-eyes-defending-the-old-testament-in-latter-day-saint-doctrine/
Further Resources:
https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/king-benjamins-speech-context-ancient-israelite-festivals
https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-did-the-nephites-stay-in-their-tents-during-king-benjamins-speech
https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/abinadi-andpentecost
https://scripturecentral.org/archive/media/chart/did-abinadi-prophesy-against-king-noah-pentecost
https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/did-abinadi-prophesy-during-pentecost
https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/the-sonsofthepassover
https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/were-nephite-prophets-familiar-with-the-passover-tradition
https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/did-alma-counsel-his-sons-during-the-passover
https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-tabernacle-in-its-ancient-near-eastern-context
http://www.sofiatopia.org/maat/shabaka_stone.htm
https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/the-brass-plates-can-modern-scholarship-help-identify-their-contents/
https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/a-backstory-for-the-brass-plates/
https://rsc.byu.edu/book-mormon-second-nephi-doctrinal-structure/influence-brass-plates-teachings-nephi
https://www.amazon.com/Wrote-Bible-Richard-Elliott-Friedman/dp/0060630353 https://www.amazon.com/How-Bible-Became-Book-Textualization/dp/0521536227
Study deeply. Believe boldly.
===Discover===
If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives.
https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/
===Content Disclaimer===
The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
#BookOfMormon #BrassPlates #BibleScholarship #LDS #LatterDaySaints #Torah #Pentateuch #InformedSaints #BiblicalStudies #OldTestament #Moses #DocumentaryHypothesis #FiveBookOfMoses #AncientScripture #FaithAndScholarship
