The Book of Mormon Site
Swine in the Book of Mormon
Every commentator on the Book of Mormon has pointed out the many cultural and historical anachronisms, such as the steel sword of Laban in 600 B.C. (1 Nephi 4:9) and the use of steel throughout; the finding of horses, cows, oxen, and asses in the New world (1 Nephi 18:25) and their possession by the Nephites and Lamanites and also the Jaredites. Some [Thomas F. O’Dea] have pointed to the use of swine by the Jaredites despite the Mosaic Law (Ether 9:18).
(emphasis added)
There have not been any remains, references, artwork, tools, or any other evidence suggesting that swine were ever present in the pre-Columbian New World. See John J. Mayer and I Lehr Brisbin, Jr. Wild Pigs in the United States: Their History, Comparative Morphology, and Current Status (1991, University of Georgia Press)
If the peoples of the New World kept the Law of Moses, as the Book of Mormon claims, they would not have raised or eaten pork, as swine are considered unclean in the Torah (OT, i.e. Leviticus 11:2–8 and Deuteronomy 14:8).
For Jesus to mention swine (3 Ne. 13, entire chapter quoting Mat. 6 nearly verbatim) or for Mormon to mention “a sow returning to her wallowing in the mire” (3 Ne. 7)—these are incoherent concepts in ancient pre-Columbian America. Whoever authored 3 Ne. 13 noticed that the unit of currency mentioned in Mat. 6 would merit a change, but failed to catch the reference to swine being incoherent in a civilization founded on the Law of Moses—which is supported by the archaelogical lack of evidence of swine anywhere, as mentioned above.
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