“And It Came to Pass That Kib Dwelt in Captivity”

Alan C. Miner

In Ether 7:7 we find that "Kib dwelt in captivity, and his people under Corihor his son." According to Warren and Palmer, in the probable time of the Jaredite departure to the New World, a population of at least ten thousand may have been found in at least four or five Sumerian cities. These people were divided into groups of nobles, commoners, clients, and slaves. The practice of trying to develop a slave class became common in the New World (Ether 7:7,17; 8:3; 10:14; 10:30). The practice of slavery is also evident in the archaeological remains of the Olmec culture of Mesoamerica. [Bruce W. Warren and David A. Palmer, The Jaredite Saga, ch. 4, unpublished]

“Kib Dwelt in Captivity”

Kib, who was king over the land of Moron, was taken captive by his son Corihor, who at the time was the leader over the people in land of Nehor, and thus Kib "dwelt in captivity, and his people under Corihor" (Ether 7:7). According to Verneil Simmons, holding kings in captivity rather than killing them appears to have been a trait brought from ancient Sumer, the apparent homeland of Jared. There are many records and legends of this practice in regard to deposed kings throughout the Fertile Crescent and Asia, even down to the days of Genghis Khan, who also was taken, locked in stocks, and carried in the retinue of a rival ruler, as a royal captive. While this practice might seem strange to people of other times and cultures, it fits the Jaredite culture very well. One example from the Bible is that of Jehoiachin, King of Judah, taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and kept a prisoner for 36 years (Jeremiah 52:31-34). [Verneil W. Simmons, Peoples, Places and Prophecies, p. 37]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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