As hugh nibley understood, taking the book of mormon seriously as an. The name nephi most likely derives from an egyptian word nfr. His family departed into the wilderness but his sons made several trips back to jerusalem. It is also used in the book of mormon as the name of a prophet. Many readers of the book of mormon are left with the impression that father lehi had no daughters. Oct 29, 2017 nephi was exceedingly young at the beginning of the book of mormon narrative but he was, nevertheless, large in stature enabling him, even at that exceedingly young age, to wear the armor of a full grown man, namely laban, and not be discovered to be a mere boy. Apr 27, 2006 the meaning, origin and history for the usersubmitted name nephi. An account of lehi and his wife sariah, and his four sons, being called, beginning at the eldest laman, lemuel, sam, and nephi. The name nephi may be derived from the names nfr meaning good or. Not only do the names agree, but the variations follow the correct rules, and the names are found in correct statistical proportions, the egyptian and hebrew types being of almost equal frequency. Nephi, son of lehi mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. According to the book of mormon, lehi was a prophet who lived in jerusalem during the reign of king zedekiah approximately 600 bc. If the textual passages common to the book of mormon and the bible are excluded, 53 names occur in both books.
He was evidently an ancestor to the nephites 3 nephi 10. An egyptian linguistic component in book of mormon names author eve koller there are several names in the book of mormonsuch as zenephi, zenos, and zenockthat look as though they are composed of scriptural names nephi, enos, enoch, and so forth with different forms of a zprefix that might mean son of or descendant of. Melech in the bible becomes melek in the book of mormon. Some of the names in the book of mormon, another testament of jesus christ, are not of hebrew origin, but rather they are of egyptian origin, and also there are some other ancient nearest languages involved. Bowen, internal textual evidence for the egyptian origin of nephis name, insights 22, no. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. Was this name or others like it in use around jerusalem in lehis day.
Book of mormonanthropologylanguagenames fairmormon. We estimate that there are at least 5400 persons in the world having this name which is around 0. That is, names more relevant to the actions or role of a person in a narrative may be substituted for that actual persons name. It is possible the name you are searching has less than five occurrences per year. This guide is provided to assist the reader and is not intended as an authoritative source on how these names were pronounced originally. Understanding the meaning of a name can shed light on the meaning of scripture, especially since scriptural names can be metonymic. In the first book of the book of mormon, first nephi, lehi and nephi lead their family out of jerusalem, and across the sea to the promised land. John gee, four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi, pressing forward with the book of mormon, f. However, the name christ does not appear until jacobs sermon to the nephites in 2 nephi 10. One meaning is sea captain see john gee, four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi, in pressing forward with the book of. Both the origin and meaning of the name nephi is inherited by all variant forms.
The book of mormon claims a close tie to all things egyptian 1 nephi 1. However, those willing to look deeper find not only that these names fit the naming patterns of ancient egyptian and semitic languages but that they also have great personal meaning. As with most settlements in utah, nephi s founders were mormons, and the name of the town came from the book of mormon. In 1920 there were 3 nephi families living in utah. Its title page declares that among other reasons it was given for the convincing of the jews and gentiles that jesus is the christ. Nephi boys name meaning, origin, and popularity babycenter. Egyptian meaning of nephi and 3 other book of mormon names. I have found that the savior is referred to by one hundred different names. Its like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that take you in a circle. At that time, the family included three other brothers laman, lemuel, and sam.
An egyptian linguistic component in book of mormon names. The lord warns lehi to depart out of the land of jerusalem, because he prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity. We can now test certain proper names in the book of mormon in the light of actual names from lehis world, unknown in the time of joseph smith. In the first book of the book of mormon, first nephi, lehi and nephi lead their family out of jerusalem, and across. He built a ship to take his family from the middle east probably the eastern shore of saudi arabia to the new world some speculate central america. An account of lehi, and his wife sariah, and his four sons being called, beginning at the eldest, laman, lemuel, sam, and nephi. Bowen proposed that the answer can be found in the meaning of marys name itself, which most likely derives from the egyptian root mr i or mry which means love or desire. In the book of mormon, the prophet abinadi enters the nowwicked city of lehi nephi and begins preaching to the people. Chase nov 1, 2011 nephi was my friend lehis dream book 1 by kirby jonas apr 30, 2014 movies about nephi. The surprising meanings of abish and 5 other book of. Summary of 1 nephi the first book of nephi can be broken down into six sections below.
Indeed, the very script that mormon used in abridging the plates was, according to him, an egyptian script called amongst the nephite scribes reformed egyptian mormon 9. We know this is a fitting name for nephi, who built a ship and navigated the seas with the lords help. In the context of zorams liberation from having been the servant i. Utah had the highest population of nephi families in 1920. John gee, four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi, in pressing forward with the book of mormon. The name is mentioned in the book of mormon, and the are four books of nephi therein.
Lessons from the elephantine papyri regarding book of mormon. More names are created by adding such endings as hah. Lessons from the elephantine papyri regarding book of mormon names and nephi s temple. Tvedtnes, the hebrew origin of some book of mormon place names, journal of book of mormon studies 62 fall 1997,255259. The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by joseph smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. Social security administration data, the first name nephi is not a popular baby boys name in utah. Both nephi and sam are true egyptian personal names. Hugh nibley among other lds apologists has spent his life digging for any scrap of ancient evidence that remotely resembles something mentioned in the book of mormon, and then he uses the few forced scraps that he thinks by twisting can coincidentally match to come to the conclusion that yes indeed, the book of mormon must be of ancient origin while he. Chase nov 1, 2011 nephi was my friend lehis dream book 1 by kirby jonas apr 30, 2014. The name jesus christ revealed to the nephites edward j. The record itself reveals the remarkable way the ancient prophets learned these terms. Updated 032608 made some additions and changes bruce nielson had a post over at mormon matters earlier this month on the use of the name anti nephi lehi in the book of mormon and what it could mean. The book of 1 nephi is mostly historical, dealing with with the familys journey to the promised land, the rebellion of laman and lemuel, and nephis purpose for keeping the record. The usage of the names, anti nephi lehi and anti nephi lehies has provoked considerable discussion among lds book of mormon scholars and lay members alike.
And, indeed, in the superscription of 1 nephi only the names of sons are set forth. Of these 337 proper names, 188 are unique to the book of mormon, while 149 are common to the book of mormon and the bible. In the book of mormon of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, nephi is a prophethistorian. Lehi and his wife sariah, and his four sons, being called, beginning at the eldest laman, lemuel, sam, and nephi. Conversely, proper names that appear only in translation are not included, such as bountiful and desolation. Imagine that, only 7 babies in utah have the same name as you. The surprising meanings of abish and 5 other book of mormon. Neefy is one of the central figures described in the book of mormon. The original translation of the title did not include the word first. Nephi s father had a vision in which he learned that jerusalem would be destroyed, if the people. The name nephi having moon sign as scorpio is represented by the scorpion and considered as fixed normally, people with the name nephi are mysterious.
The great osiris, one of the egyptian gods, was called nephi or knephi and the city in his honor was nph vowels always had to be supplied. The first trip they made was to get the brass plates from laban and second trip was to bring back women for. Bowen, internal textual evidence for the egyptian origin of nephi s name, insights 22, no. Acoording to vedic astrology, rashi for the name nephi is vrishchik and moon sign associated with the name nephi is scorpio the name nephi has water element. Mar 14, 2020 zenos, along with a couple of other lost prophets mentioned in passing in the book of mormon, is somewhat of an enigmatic and mysterious prophet. The book of mormon alone provides over 100 names and titles for christ easton 6061. Careful readers of the king james bible apocrypha will have noticed in 1 esdras 5. Three of the four etymologies proposed for the name nephi are egyptian. Apr 03, 2011 the names in the book of mormon, another testament of jesus christ, have been thoroughly investigated and researched over the years. Four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi book of. Social security administration public data, the first name nephia was not present. The name anti in the book of mormon book of mormon. His previous name is unknown in the book of mormon. Critics dismiss many of these names as gibberish or as the creative invention of joseph smith.
All the scriptures contain many names and titles for the messiah. What book of the bible mentions the name nephi answers. Supplementing jeff lindsays book of mormon evidences page. The ssdi is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. Nephi is part of the mormon religion and is not mentioned in the bible. This detail in the book of mormon of nephi or lehi naming new places they encountered on their journey shows the text is rooted in the world of the ancient near east. This is also an egyptian name, usually given as knephi, and transliterated into hebrew as nebi. This demonstrates the name is at home in the right place and at the right time as the book of mormon claims. Origin of book of mormon names by stephen ricks 2010 fair conference i am going to be talking today about proper names in the book of mormon. The actual meaning of nephi and 3 other book of mormon names.
Four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi i, nephi. Nephi was the fourth of six sons of lehi and sariah. Is there an explanation for the appearance of a greek name in the. The nephi family name was found in the usa in 1920. Is there an explanation for the appearance of a greek name in the book of mormon. Lehi was an israelite of the tribe of manasseh, and father to nephi, another prominent prophet in the book of mormon.
Man, god sure wanted to make it difficult to get home. The name zoram and its paronomastic pejoration, the interpreter foundation, 2016. The name nephi is ranked on the 34,532nd position of the most used names. Meanings and history of the name nephi nephi is the second prophet in the book of mormon. May 31, 2018 from an old testament place name meaning jawbone in hebrew, so called because it was the site where the hero samson defeated 1,000 warriors using only the jawbone of a donkey as a weapon. Readers of the book of mormon encounter hundreds of unique names. Book of mormon names it is amusing i suppose for those familiar with mormon names to hear the variety of mispronunciations people come up with. According to john gee, the name nephi might reflect connections between egypt and israel at his time. John gee, four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi, in pressing forward with the book of mormon, f. Nephi is used mostly in english and its language of origin is hebrew.
John gee, a note on the name nephi, journal of book of mormon studies 11 1992. Leehy was a prophet who lived in jerusalem during the reign of king zedekiah approximately 600 bc. Is the name nephi in the book of mormon related at all to. Following are suggestions for pronouncing book of mormon names and terms. Book of mormon names the encyclopedia of mormonism. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more. These principal book of mormon lands are southward from the land northward mentioned in helaman 3. The english name nephihah is a derivative of nephi. The lord warns lehi to depart out of the land of jerusalem because he prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity and they seek to destroy his life. He was the son of lehi and sariah who lived in jerusalem approximately 600 b. An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your nephis ancestors lived in harsh conditions. There are several theories as to the origin of the book of mormon.
Skinner oct 12, 2011 book of mormon study guide, pt. The names in the book of mormon, another testament of jesus christ, have been thoroughly investigated and researched over the years. Tvedtnes, the hebrew origin of some book of mormon placenames, journal of book of mormon studies 62 fall 1997,255259. Anti nephi lehi, antiomno, antion, antionah, antionum, antiparah and antipus. Anti nephi lehi was the name given to the son of the chief lamanite king in the greater land of nephi after his conversion to the true gospel.
The classic one is nephi, the name of the main book of mormon writer, and of no fewer than four characters in the book. Fox, the territorial surveyor, were instructed by church leaders to lay out the town of. The name jesus christ revealed to the nephites book of. The book of mormon uses the biblical name of antipas and builds on it to form these book of mormon names. He was the son of lehi, a prophet, founder of the nephite people, and author of the first two books of the book of mormon, first and second nephi. This was about 60% of all the recorded nephi s in the usa. Nephi is a syropalestinian semitic form of an attested egyptian mans name and the npy egyptian nfr spelling is found in the phoenician as knpy. The book of mormon west sea and east sea, on the other hand, are proper nouns that is, they are the actual names of bodies of water that situate on the west and on the east respectively, of the lands of zarahemla and nephi. You can see how nephi families moved over time by selecting different census years. The highest recorded use of the first name nephi was in 2007 with a total of 26 babies. In any event, it is a great new tool for book of mormon study. The name jesus christ revealed to the nephites religious. See the popularity of the boys name nephi over time, plus its meaning, origin, common sibling names, and more in babycenter s baby names tool. Nephi is an ancient egyptian name with multiple meanings.
We a group of interested individuals have joined, who are affiliated with the maxwell institute to work on the approximately 330 proper names that are to be found in the book of mormon. As nonmormon scholars view the book of mormon as a work of. The name nephi one may confidently conclude, whether from nfr or nfw, the name nephi is an attested egyptian name. His presence causes a great disturbance among the citizens, and abinadi is 1. One meaning is sea captain see john gee, four suggestions on the origin of the name nephi, in pressing forward with the book of mormon, f. This evidence suggests that the meaning of the name nephi good. Hidden meanings, different languages, different religions, cryptic writings. The origin of the name nephi is uncertain, and disputed. Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. The use of the sacred name of christ in a record of hebrew origin see 1 nephi 1. In 2 nephi, nephi recorded some the teachings of his father, his own teachings, and those of his younger brother jacob, as well as chapters from the book of isaiah.
Because of this, and considering that 1 lehi was a descendant of joseph of egypt 1 nephi 5. On the other hand, ishmael is an ancient arabic name also found among kindred hebrews. These include aha, ammonihah, chemish, hagoth, himni, isabel. May 04, 2018 the answer is that, no, the name nephi is not at all related to the nephilim mentioned in the hebrew text of the bible and some english translations. In semitic languages, two directions exist for seeking the etymology of this important book of mormon name, nph. I posted a few comments in response, but wanted to pull them together here with a few other things ive run across just in the last day or so to lay out my own arguments a bit more. See also the related categories, english and hebrew. It consists of 5 letters and 2 syllables and is pronounced nephi. The book of mormon is heralded to the world as another testament of jesus christ packer 53. Meaning, origin and history of the name lehi behind the name. From an old testament place name meaning jawbone in hebrew, so called because it was the site where the hero samson defeated 1,000 warriors using only the jawbone of a donkey as a weapon. Nephi meaning and origin of the name nephi nameaning.
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