Hamath (Near East geography model)

Syrian city

Hamath (Near East geography model)

Hamath is mentioned briefly in the context of a prophecy recounted by Nephi, which is originally attributed to the prophet Isaiah. The passage where Hamath is referenced is found in 2 Nephi 20:9, where it is used in a rhetorical question that compares the conquest of Hamath to that of Arpad, underscoring the devastating reach of Assyrian power. Specifically, the text states, “Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?” This implies that Hamath, like Arpad, was subject to the same fate of conquest and subjugation by ancient empires, notably by the Assyrians. The city, though only mentioned once in the Book of Mormon, is contextualized as a place of importance and a representative of the broad influence and implications of the Lord’s hand acting in history. Hamath, in the ancient world, was known to be a principal city of the Hittites and later an important region in Syrian history.

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