Ishmael Dies at Nahom

John W. Welch

Ishmael died and was buried at a place that Nephi says "was called Nahom"—suggesting it already had a name. A location with a similar name has been located in Yemen, right on the path that Lehi and his party seems to have been following. Much has been written about this solid archaeological evidence that now confirms that this place indeed "was called NHM" (variously rendered in English as Nahm, Nehem, and Nehm) dating back a far as the 8th century BC. This is widely recognized as strong archaeological corroboration of this detail in Nephi’s account.

But, more than that, how are you affected by the account that Nephi gives surrounding the death of Ishmael, Nephi’s father-in-law? What pathos! Imagine the emotions. The remarkable film, Journey of Faith, shows the agony of burying someone and leaving them on the trail. Many Latter-day Saints have pioneer ancestors who suffered similar experiences, burying loved ones in shallow graves and knowing that their bodies would probably not be left in peace. How painful that must have been, knowing you had to move on, with the hardships of the heat, uncertainty, and dangers of many kinds. So, think of the hardships endured by Lehi and his party. A lot of you are going through hard times in your life and in your families. Does it help you to know that there was a land of fruit and honey (which they called Bountiful) at the end of that hardship; that the Lord knew where He was taking these people; that they followed; and that they were in the hand of the Lord, trusting that He would watch over them however things would turn out? By small means the Lord provides those things that we need the most. Too often we overlook the little things.

Further Reading

Book of Mormon Central, "Who Called Ishmael’s Burial Place Nahom? (1 Nephi 16:34)," KnoWhy 19 (January 26, 2016).

Warren P. Aston, "A History of NaHoM," BYU Studies Quarterly 51, no. 2 (2012): 79–98.

Warren P. Aston, "Newly Found Altars from Nahom," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10, no. 2 (2001): 57–61.

John W. Welch Notes

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