River Sidon
Encyclopedia
The River Sidon is the only river mentioned by name in the Book of Mormon
. It was near the city of Zarahemla
. There were several battles fought in and around this river. These include the battle between Captain Moroni
and the Lamanite
leader Zarahemna. This battle was ostensibly fought near the source or “head of the river Sidon”. The northward flowing river Sidon, east of the city of Zarahemla, is described as originating in highlands to the southeast. According to the Book of Mormon, the river Sidon ultimately flows into a “sea”. The river Sidon is never mentioned in lands north of Zarahemla. Identifying the fishery river Sidon
is crucial to locating the land of Zarahemla
. The Book of Mormon does not indicate that the river Sidon was an impressively large or mighty river. In Book of Mormon antiquity, the river Sidon was shallow enough to cross on foot (for some distance north of its headwaters), yet deep and swift enough to carry away semi-buoyant human carcasses. Accepting the location of the land of Cumorah
inferred in LDS scripture, author Phyllis Carol Olive identifies the Book of Mormon River Sidon as the northward flowing Buffalo Creek / River of western New York. Olive asserts that the headwaters of Buffalo River (Sidon) were at one time fed with additional water from a lake that is now extinct.
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...
. It was near the city of Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
. There were several battles fought in and around this river. These include the battle between Captain Moroni
Captain Moroni
According to the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni was an important Nephite military commander and patriot who lived during the 1st century BC. He is perhaps best known for raising the "Title of Liberty" as a call to arms for his people to defend their country, family and religion...
and the Lamanite
Lamanite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Lamanite is a member of a dark-skinned nation of indigenous Americans that battled with the light-skinned Nephite nation...
leader Zarahemna. This battle was ostensibly fought near the source or “head of the river Sidon”. The northward flowing river Sidon, east of the city of Zarahemla, is described as originating in highlands to the southeast. According to the Book of Mormon, the river Sidon ultimately flows into a “sea”. The river Sidon is never mentioned in lands north of Zarahemla. Identifying the fishery river Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
is crucial to locating the land of Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
. The Book of Mormon does not indicate that the river Sidon was an impressively large or mighty river. In Book of Mormon antiquity, the river Sidon was shallow enough to cross on foot (for some distance north of its headwaters), yet deep and swift enough to carry away semi-buoyant human carcasses. Accepting the location of the land of Cumorah
Cumorah
Cumorah is a drumlin in Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith, Jr...
inferred in LDS scripture, author Phyllis Carol Olive identifies the Book of Mormon River Sidon as the northward flowing Buffalo Creek / River of western New York. Olive asserts that the headwaters of Buffalo River (Sidon) were at one time fed with additional water from a lake that is now extinct.