“The Seats Which Were Set Apart for the High Priests”

Brant Gardner

Social: There is nothing known in Mesoamerican architecture that might show what is described in this verse. Mesoamerican "seats" were low to the ground, and should not be visualized as chair. The common native would squat or sit on the ground. A ruler would have a small raised seat. This concept of raising the seat to a higher level that others is mark of social stratification, which would be very common in the kind of society Noah was apparently building. It would appear that in addition to the seat itself, there was some raising of the level of the ground so that the priests would be higher is both physical and conceptual space above those who came before them.

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References