Glowing Stones in Ancient and Medieval Lore

Authors

John A. Tvedtnes, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies

Keywords

Ancient Near East, Civilization, Culture, Book of Mormon, Books, Ether

Abstract

One of the great miracles of the Book of Mormon occurred when the brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch some clear stones so they would provide light inside the barges that would take his people across the ocean to the New World. To some modern readers, the story seems implausible. This article surveys a number of ancient and medieval accounts of glowing stones, including some said to have been used in Noah’s ark and the “fish” the Lord prepared to swallow Jonah. The parallels to the Jaredite story are remarkable and suggest an ancient milieu for the book of Ether.

BYU ScholarsArchive Citation

Tvedtnes, John A. (1997) "Glowing Stones in Ancient and Medieval Lore," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 6: No. 2, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol6/iss2/6