No definite direction or location is given from the land of Ammonihah to the land of Sidom. So why was the land of Sidom apparently a good gathering place for “all” the believers that “came out” from the land of Ammonihah (Alma 15:1). We might assume the areas to be relatively close to one another. Sidom was clearly the choice of destination for the converts from Ammonihah because there were no converts mentioned that went to the city of Noah, which was apparently nearby (Alma 16:3, 49:12), or to the city of Aaron. However, besides location and direction, one additional factor in the selection of Sidom by these converts would have had to have been religious tolerance. Perhaps the people of Noah and Aaron might have been closer, but antagonistic towards the gospel and therefore were avoided because of the persecutions that they might have inflicted upon the converts.
According to John Clark, the relative position of Sidom can be deduced by the following reasoning:
1.When Alma and Amulek left Ammonihah, "they departed and came out even into the land of
Sidom" where they found all the people who had fled Ammonihah (Alma 15:1). Thus:
a. Ammonihah and Sidom were probably near to one another.
b. Sidom was large enough and had enough resources to absorb the influx of the Ammonihah
refugees.
c. The trip from Ammonihah to Sidom may have required travel “up-and-over,” an upland area,
hence the phrase “came out.”
d. The route to Sidom might have deviated from the route to Aaron.
2. The fact that Alma baptized many in the land of Sidom (Alma 15:12-14) suggests that:
a. It is quite likely that Sidom was on a river.
b. Given Alma’s travels to this point (Zarahemla-Melek-Ammonihah-Sidom), Sidom would have
been somewhat northward of the city of Zarahemla.
[John A. Clark, "A Key for Evaluation of Nephite Geographies, in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol 1., 1989, pp. 47-48] [See Geographical Theory Maps]
They Departed from Ammonihah and Came out into the Land of Sidom
According to the geographical theory of Joseph Allen (the Chiapas Depression = part of the general land of Zarahemla), the city of Chiapa de Corzo is a strong candidate for the city/land of Sidom where the ostracized saints fled. Sidon is a Hebrew word which apparently means white or limestone. The old Tzetzsal indian name for the area is Zoctan, which means white lime. The modern city and archaeological zone of Chiapa de Corzo nestled along the Grijalva River manifests an abundance of limestone. The city of Chiapa de Corzo is located about 10 miles east of the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez. It is approximately 30 miles northwest of the inundated archaeological site of Santa Rosa (local land of Zarahemla). The Grijalva River flows past the city and then turns north through the Sumidero Canyon. On tour, one can board motor boats and travel the river as it runs through sheer canyon walls which shoot upwards to over 4,000 feet from the level of the water. The archaeological site of Chiapa de Corzo, which dates to the Preclassic Book of Mormon time period, was excavated by the New World Archaeological Foundation in the 1960’s. The oldest Maya long count that has been discovered to this date was discovered here. It dates to December 9, 36 B.C. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 385]
According to John Sorenson (who’s theory also includes the Chiapas Depression as the general land of Zarahemla), during the ancient periods Chiapa de Corzo was the largest city in Chiapas, with many dependent towns and villages in its nearby network. It would have qualified as part of the “most capital” parts of the entire river basin (see Helaman 1:27). As a focal point for trade and the ceremonial center for the entire lower part of the central depression, it would also be the logical place to which refugees from Ammonihah like Alma and Amulek would gravitate (Alma 15:1). Chiapa de Corzo was almost surely occupied, since at least 1,000 B.C., by speakers of some version of the Zoque language. True Nephites, the actual descendants of Nephi would have been unusual at either place. (Note that one of Amulek’s first statements to Alma upon his entrance into the city of Ammonihah was, “I am a Nephite” (Alma 8:20).
The phrase “came out … into the land of Sidom” might imply first that the land of Ammonihah was in a valley. Secondly, coming “into” (rather than merely “to”) Sidom may hint that it was also in a depression. That would be logical if the name Sidom relates to Sidon (referring to the Phoenician port). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 201]
Alma 15:1-18 ([Theory Map]) Alma & Amulek Depart to Sidom and Then to Zarahemla
Alma 15:1 They departed [from Ammonihah] and came out … into the land of Sidom ([Illustration] Ammonihah (Mirador); Noah (Ocozocoautla); Aaron (San Isidro); Sidom (Chiapa de Corzo): Projection of the Coast and Highlands of Chiapas indicating Modern and Ancient Routes of Communication. [Gareth Lowe, Thomas Lee, and Eduardo Martinez, Izapa: An Introduction to the Ruins and Monuments, N.W.A.F., p. 73]