Literature: This narrative is a moral tale. The wicked have the good in a desperate situation, helpless and at the mercy of their captors; but the good are miraculously saved and the bad are slain. This formula of vindication is an ancient one, one to which human beings continue to respond. But its ancient formulaic qualities do not mean that the events did not occur precisely as stated. Rather it suggests that Mormon tells this story—and, indeed, selects it for his record in the first place—because it meets deep human needs for vindication.
Geography: Apparently, the miraculous means of deliverance was a particularly violent earthquake: it “shook mightily.” This temblor breached the walls, allowing Alma and Amulek to escape, while the collapse of the roof and/or walls killed the lawyers and the chief judge. Mesoamerica is well known for its frequent earthquakes. Indeed, novelist Eric R. Wolf titled one of his novels set in Mexico Sons of the Shaking Earth (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1959).