M. Wells Jakeman
Encyclopedia
Max Wells Jakeman was the founder of the department of archaeology at Brigham Young University
(BYU) and an early member of the advisory board of the New World Archaeology Foundation (NWAF). Jakeman has been described as "the father of Book of Mormon archaeology".
Jakeman received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
where he wrote his doctoral dissertation based on a combination of archaeological evidence and Spanish documents relating to the history of the Yucatan
. Jakeman believed that archaeology must be grounded in a firm understanding of documents, and he did not see archaeology as a sub-discipline of anthropology.
In 1946 Jakeman joined the faculty of BYU where he worked to teach archaeology in the framework of "historical archaeology," that is, archaeology based on a close connection with historical documents. Jakeman was also closely connected with the Society for Early Historic Archaeology
of which he served for a time as the director.
Jakeman was also the author of The Origin and History of the Mayans: Vol. 1
Jakeman was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a believer in the historicity of the Book of Mormon
until his death.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU) and an early member of the advisory board of the New World Archaeology Foundation (NWAF). Jakeman has been described as "the father of Book of Mormon archaeology".
Jakeman received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he wrote his doctoral dissertation based on a combination of archaeological evidence and Spanish documents relating to the history of the Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
. Jakeman believed that archaeology must be grounded in a firm understanding of documents, and he did not see archaeology as a sub-discipline of anthropology.
In 1946 Jakeman joined the faculty of BYU where he worked to teach archaeology in the framework of "historical archaeology," that is, archaeology based on a close connection with historical documents. Jakeman was also closely connected with the Society for Early Historic Archaeology
Society for Early Historic Archaeology
The Society for Early Historic Archaeology was an organization based at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah which sought to disseminate information related to Hebrew-Christian and Latter-day Saint scriptures and archaeology throughout the world of the earliest historical time...
of which he served for a time as the director.
Jakeman was also the author of The Origin and History of the Mayans: Vol. 1
Jakeman was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a believer in the historicity of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
until his death.
Sources
- Daniel C. Peterson and Matthew Roper. "Ein Heldenleben? On Thomas Stuart Ferguson as an Elias for Cultural Mormons" in FARMS Review Vol. 16, Issue 1.
- http://farms.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=8&num=1&id=180Stewart W. Brewer. "The History of an Idea: The Scene on Stela 5 from Izapa, Mexico, as a Representation of Lehi's Vision of the Tree of Life". in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. Vol. 8, issue 1
- "Memorial: Max Wells Jakeman: 1910-1998". Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Vol. 7, Issue 1
- article on Mormonism and the Book of Mormon that mentions Jakeman's studies