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Alma 7:10, Jesus born at Jerusalem?

3,057 views · Published 20 August 2008 · 1:54 · Indexed 4 November 2026

Channel: FAIR · 2008 · Education

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One argument that critics bring up is found in Alma 7:10 which says that Christ would be born "at" Jerusalem. It is a silly argument to make for many reasons. What child didn't sing "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" growing up?
Towns and villages that surrounded larger demographic or political centers were regarded in ancient times as belonging to those larger centers. For a major city center such as Jerusalem to be called not only a city but also a land was standard practice.
 El Amarna 287, an ancient near eastern text, mentions the "land of Jerusalem several times. And, like Alma, the ancient writer of El Amarna letter 290 even referred to Bethlehem as part of the land of Jerusalem: in this letter is recorded the complaint of Abdu-kheba of Jerusalem to Pharaoh Akhenaton that "the  land of the king went over to the Apiru people. But now even a town of the land of Jerusalem, Bit-lahmi (Bethlehem) by name, a town belonging to the king, has gone over to the side of the people of Keilah." (Ancient Near Eastern texts Relating to the Old Testament, pg. 488)
 This same text also says "one by one of the towns belonging to the territory of Jerusalem fell into the hands of his adversaries." (Patriarchal Palestine, pg. 51)
 The early Christian Origen wrote in 'Origin de Principiis' (1:22 am. Ed. 1:371 anf)
"what therefore, is predicted of Jerusalem, and spoken of it, we must understand the scriptures as speaking of the heavenly city and the whole territory included within the cities of the holy land"
 In Roman times, the same definition prevailed. Roman records of the invasion of Palestine under Titus are called the "Jerusalem campaign". A recently discovered dypitch reciting discharge of the soldiers who served in the invasion fixes the place of their service as being "at Jerusalem." The precise words used in the Book of Mormon. Although the invasion encompassed the entire Jerusalem area, villages, towns, and the holy city itself.. (Light from the Ancient East, pg. 444, History of the Jews 2:302-310)

There are many more examples. For more information on this argument, you can go to http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon_anachronisms/Jerusalem_vs_Bethlehem

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