Zenos
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Mormon
, Zenos was an old world
prophet
whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the plates of brass. Zenos is quoted or paraphrased a number of times by writers in the Book of Mormon, including Nephi
, Jacob, Alma, son of Alma, Nephi, son of Helaman
, Samuel the Lamanite
, and Mormon
.
Zenos is reported to have written on a variety of topics, including the signs to accompany the death of the Messiah
, the Atonement of Christ
, and the scattering and gathering of Israel. According to one Book of Mormon writer, Zenos was killed as a result of his preaching.
. Additionally, there is evidence that writings of, and references to several ancient Israelite prophets were destroyed by the ruling class of the ancient Jews. The best known example of this is a reference in the Dead Sea Scrolls to an ancient prophet known as the Teacher of Righteousness
who was driven out of Jewish society because he preached of the coming of a Messiah. Outside of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is no other reference to this person, and until 1950, there was absolutely no record of his existence. However, certain identical components exist between allegories found within the Book of Mormon and those contributions found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The scrolls state that the Teacher of Righteousness was descended from Zadok, which some LDS scholars have argued might have been a transcribed or altered version of the name Zenock
, another prophet referenced only in the Book of Mormon. Non-LDS scholars identify this Zadok as the priest who anointed Solomon (1 Kings 1:39, 2:35) and whose dynasty officiated in the office of High Priest until the Maccabean crisis in the 2nd century BCE. Thus, being descended from Zadok more likely meant that the Teacher was a member of, loyal to, or teacher of doctrines espoused by, the deposed Zadokite dynasty. Additionally, the Damascus Document
—the portion of the Dead Sea Scrolls the Teacher of Righteousness is most prominently mentioned in—dates the Teacher's arrival in the Dead Sea Scrolls community to c. 150 BCE. If accurate, this would place the Teacher too late in history to have his writings included on the Brass Plates (c. 600 BCE), thus precluding the possibility of the Teacher of Righteousness being Zenos.
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...
, Zenos was an old world
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the plates of brass. Zenos is quoted or paraphrased a number of times by writers in the Book of Mormon, including Nephi
Nephi
According to the Book of Mormon, Nephi 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.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
, Jacob, Alma, son of Alma, Nephi, son of Helaman
Nephi, son of Helaman
According to the Book of Mormon Nephi , along with his brother Lehi, was a Nephite missionary. His father was Helaman, and his sons include two of the twelve Nephite disciples at the time that Christ visited the Americas. -Known genealogy:...
, Samuel the Lamanite
Samuel the Lamanite
Samuel the Lamanite was a prophet in the Book of Mormon sent by the Lord around 5 BC to teach and warn the Nephites just before the Savior's birth...
, and Mormon
Mormon (prophet)
Mormon is believed by followers of Mormonism to have been the narrator of much of the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which describes him as a prophet-historian and a member of a tribe of indigenous Americans known as the Nephites...
.
Zenos is reported to have written on a variety of topics, including the signs to accompany the death of the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, the Atonement of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, and the scattering and gathering of Israel. According to one Book of Mormon writer, Zenos was killed as a result of his preaching.
Dead Sea Scrolls connection
Outside of the Book of Mormon, there is no direct evidence that Zenos existed. However, Some LDS scholars argue that Zenos' Book of Mormon hymn of thanksgiving and praise, which elaborates upon prayer, worship, and mercy, compares favorably in style and content with Hymn H (or 8) and Hymn J (or 10) of the Thanksgiving Hymns of the Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
. Additionally, there is evidence that writings of, and references to several ancient Israelite prophets were destroyed by the ruling class of the ancient Jews. The best known example of this is a reference in the Dead Sea Scrolls to an ancient prophet known as the Teacher of Righteousness
Teacher of Righteousness
The Teacher of Righteousness is a figure found in some of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, most prominently in the Damascus Document. This document speaks briefly of the origins of the sect, probably Essenes, 390 years after the Babylonian exile and after 20 years of 'groping' blindly for the way...
who was driven out of Jewish society because he preached of the coming of a Messiah. Outside of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is no other reference to this person, and until 1950, there was absolutely no record of his existence. However, certain identical components exist between allegories found within the Book of Mormon and those contributions found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The scrolls state that the Teacher of Righteousness was descended from Zadok, which some LDS scholars have argued might have been a transcribed or altered version of the name Zenock
Zenock
According to the Book of Mormon, Zenock was an old world prophet whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the plates of brass. Zenock is quoted or paraphrased a number of times by writers in the Book of Mormon, including Nephi, Alma, son of Alma, Amulek, Nephi, son of Helaman, and...
, another prophet referenced only in the Book of Mormon. Non-LDS scholars identify this Zadok as the priest who anointed Solomon (1 Kings 1:39, 2:35) and whose dynasty officiated in the office of High Priest until the Maccabean crisis in the 2nd century BCE. Thus, being descended from Zadok more likely meant that the Teacher was a member of, loyal to, or teacher of doctrines espoused by, the deposed Zadokite dynasty. Additionally, the Damascus Document
Damascus Document
The Damascus Document or Damascus Rule is one of the most interesting texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls because it is the only Qumran sectarian work that was known before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls....
—the portion of the Dead Sea Scrolls the Teacher of Righteousness is most prominently mentioned in—dates the Teacher's arrival in the Dead Sea Scrolls community to c. 150 BCE. If accurate, this would place the Teacher too late in history to have his writings included on the Brass Plates (c. 600 BCE), thus precluding the possibility of the Teacher of Righteousness being Zenos.