EVIDENCE: Abinadi on Isaiah 52–53 (Mosiah 15:13–15, 18)

Ed J. Pinegar, Richard J. Allen

While Abinadi refers to and quotes portions of Isaiah 52–53, the Book of Mormon prophet’s explanations of Isaiah’s prophecies are not taken from the Bible. These interpretations appeared to be Abinadi’s and his alone, until the twentieth-century discoveries of other ancient Christian documents including the Dead Sea scrolls. For example, after quoting Isaiah’s prophecy that begins “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings” (Isaiah 52:7), Abinadi explains that the scripture refers to all the holy prophets, as well as to the founder of peace, the Lord Himself. Interestingly, this explanation is similar to that in 11QMelchizedek of the Dead Sea Scrolls. After referencing the Isaiah passage, the narrative indicates that “the mountains are the pro[phets] … And the messenger is [the ano]inted of the spirit about whom Dan[iel] spoke” (Col. II, lines 15–17). The Hebrew term translated as “anointed” is masiah, or Messiah. Unlike Abinadi’s treatise, this Jewish text compares the prophets with the mountains, while another—Midrash Tanhuma—implies that the mountain cited in Zechariah 4:7 is the Messiah. (See Echoes, 240–241).

Commentaries and Insights on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1

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