Abstract: This paper explores the conclusions that can be drawn from a Mesopotamian origin theory for the Jaredites. The goal is to show that the story of Jared’s daughter in Ether 8 could be a ritual similar to hieros gamos, or sacred marriage, from Mesopotamia. To achieve this, etymologies are given for three names (Jared, Ether, and Akish). These interesting etymologies help substantiate the sacred marriage theory for Ether 8. Finally, a comparison between Ether 3 and Ether 8 show that both illustrate an initiation into the divine. In the former case, it is a righteous initiation into the divine; in the latter, it is an initiation into an idolatrous imitation of the divine.





The book of Ether introduces the story of an ancient people, the Jaredites, who are said to have come to the Americas not long after the episode of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). The book of Ether is a condensed and edited version of the original Jaredite record (see Alma 37:21 –31), with Moroni serving as the abridger around the beginning of the fifth century AD (Ether 1).28:11 –19 describes how King Mosiah translated the Jaredite record. However, it is unclear from Ether 1 whether Moroni made the book of Ether from King Mosiah’s written translation (Mosiah 28:11 ) or whether he directly used the Jaredite record. The answer to this question might imply one more editorial stratum, namely King Mosiah’s translation.">1 It thus tells us about a much older people than all the other peoples of the Book of Mormon. We know very little of this people, not only because of the scarcity of the material [Page 282](fifteen chapters), but also because we are reading this history through an edited restatement by Moroni.

This paper aims to compare Ether 3 and 8, demonstrating how both can be seen as an initiation into the divine. Ether 3 is a righteous initiation into a closer proximity with God, whereas Ether 8 is an evil initiation ritual, probably inspired by an idolatrous goddess and aimed at usurping political power. To compare these two chapters as initiations, I will demonstrate that Ether 8 is akin to an initiation ritual that entails a sacred marriage or hieros gamos. I will also explore the etymologies of three names—Akish, Ether, and Jared—to further support these arguments. Indeed, I’ll show that Akish and Jared could be titles rather than proper names, which is an argument in favor of a ritual context. Moreover, Ether will be seen as related to the idea of the rising star, which is linked to the sacred marriage pattern.

The comparison between the two initiation courses carries theological significance and also contributes to the ongoing conversation about the origin of the Jaredites. Though nothing definite can be stated due to the limited material, demonstrating cultural links between the world of the book of Ether and Mesopotamian contexts—along with providing etymologies rooted in Akkadian and Sumerian languages—supports a possible Mesopotamian origin. This argument is even stronger because the etymologies and the sacred marriage element are coherent with each other in the text.

On Some Etymologies from Ether 3 and 8

This section is dedicated to examining the etymologies of Jared, Ether, and Akish in the context of a possible Sumero-Akkadian origin. These etymologies will then be used to study how Ether 3 and 8 may represent two contrasting initiation rituals.

The name Jared from Ether 3 and 8

A notable and intriguing aspect of both chapters is the presence of someone named Jared. In both cases, the person named Jared is not directly involved in the initiation, but someone whose real name we don’t know is directly related to it. In Ether 3, this is the brother of Jared, and in Ether 8, it is the daughter of Jared.<a id="footnote2anc" href="#footnote2sym" title="2. The similarity between the phrases “daughter of Jared” and “brother of ...