Those who witnessed the Book of Mormon described
it as being engraved onto thin golden plates
which were bound together with D-shaped rings.
The book itself discusses other metal documents,
including the Brass Plates, 24 gold Jaredite plates,
and the underlying Nephite texts from
which Mormon created his abridgment.
Some may naturally wonder if there are any
comparable records from antiquity.
Literally thousands of ancient metal documents
have now been discovered all over the world,
including the Mediterranean and Near East.
In several ways, the Book of Mormon and its discussion of metal plates
fit in nicely with these ancient findings.
For example, like the Book of Mormon, other ancient metal documents are known (or were reported anciently)
to have been written on
plates made of gold or gold alloy,
protected by angelic guardians,
buried in protective boxes,
bound together with D-shaped rings,
preserved with a similar or identical backup copy,
sealed in some manner, and authenticated by witnesses.
In addition, one scholar has noted that the Book of Mormon
nicely matches the specific genres of metal documents found in the Mediterranean during Lehi’s day,
some of which were written in various Semitic scripts,
including Hebrew,
as well as adapted forms of Egyptian
the two languages mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
Although it’s uncertain how much Joseph Smith or his associates knew about such discoveries in 1829,
it’s clear that the Book of Mormon matches up remarkably well
with a variety of metal documents from the ancient world.
Yet it should always be remembered
that the Book of Mormon is more than just another ancient record.
Not only is it historically true,
but its spiritual power and witness of Christ are truly unparalleled.
