Gold Plates Used to Keep Religious Writings on in Ancient Times

Orphic Gold Plates 600 B.C. Shows Book of Mormon Pattern

Summarized by Kerry A. Shirts

C. Wilfred Griggs wrote an article entitled "The Book of Mormon as an Ancient Book" found in Noel B. Reynolds, editor, "Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins," Vol. 7 of the Relgious Studies Monograph Series, Religious Studies Center, BYU, 1982, wherein he shows that the Tree of Life motif found in the Book of Mormon is also found in ancient texts around 600 B.C. in the Mediterranean world. Orphism was a major religious movement in the ancient Greek world around 600 B.C. and was always, according to W.K.C. Gutherie a literature religion first and foremost. The earliest Orphic religious texts which have been declared authentic by scholars were written anciently on bronze tablets. This according to the pseudo-Platonic Dialogue "Axiochus", and the message on the bronze plates was concerning the fate of the soul in the spirit world. The religious significance and divine source of the material justified having it engraved on bronze plates.

Gunther Zuntz demonstrated how anciently many peoples wrote their most important information for their peoples on metal plates, at least showing that the pattern of the Book of Mormon being written on Gold Plates is not as ludicrous as once thought. In the 19th century no one had heard of this to be sure, but anciently we now have many examples. The Copper scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls is clearly an excellent archaeological example of the BofM practice.

So are the King Darius Plates, One gold, the other silver, dating back to the BOfM time of 600 B.C. The Orphic plates were also buried in the ground, but when in use and read to initiates accompanied by ritual acts celebrating the mystery plays of a mystic death and resurrection for the living. This is very reminiscent of Joseph Smith's Book of Abraham as well. And the Orphic plates' comments did not come from Greece, but represents a foreign intrusion of material preferrably from Egypt. This exactly correlates with the BofM's insistence on Egyptian influence from a cultural point of view.

Interestingly commentators about the Orphic gold plates are puzzled by the water mentioned in them, which runs by a sycamore tree, sometimes two sycamores being described as the door of the Lord of the East, and one is guided to them and from them by a boat, the barge of the God. Clearly Egyptian influence is present as anyone familiar with the Egyptian Book of the Dead Would know, but the theme is the TREE OF LIFE, with the waters of life and food of life involved. The theme is clearly an ancient one from the Book of Mormon world and is found on ancient metal plates with religious writings on them concerning the fate of the human soul in the after.

CLEARLY the Book of Mormon fits this ancient genre very easily.now. The Book of Mormon claims to come from Jerusalem around 600 B.C. It is THAT ancient time and place we go back to in order to test the Book of Mormon. When we go back to 600 B.C. we find the ancient writing on Gold Plates to be sure, and it is their most precious writings, the religious items they want to record the most.