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Book of Mormon Reference Companion (Ed: Largey 2003)
Izapa Temple Center, So. Mexico (birthplace of the Maya 260-day calendar) is at 15 degrees north latitude where the zenith sun passages are on August 13 & April 30 that measures the ancient sacred Maya 260-day count. (https://maps.google.com)
IZAPA TEMPLE CENTER’S “TREE OF LIFE” MONUMENT by V. Garth Norman
The location of the Izapa Temple Center Observatory at 15 degrees north latitude in southern Mexico (2 occupations: ca. 1600-500 BC, and 500 BC-400 AD) makes it one of the most important ancient sites in all of the Americas. 15 degrees north latitude is where the sun’s zenith passages, on August 13 and April 30, define the sacred Maya 260-day calendar. In 1973, Geographer Vincent Malmström first observed the sun zenith at Izapa on August 13—the very day which begins the Maya Long Count creation base date in 3114 BC, that started the Maya Five World Ages. The Izapa Stela 5, Tree of Life stone is positioned on that very August 13 date [1]. Knowing this, and that Izapa, with abundant rich sculptures still intact after two millennia, helps solve the mystery of the early origins and rise of Mesoamerican civilizations. The ancient art and architecture at Izapa was created using Babylonian and Egyptian cubit measurements. [2] The Izapa 260-day calendar and cubit measurements spread anciently from Izapa’s first occupants--the Olmec’s (1500 BC), then the early Izapan-Maya (500 BC), to all regions of Mesoamerica, and eventually to North and South America.
Izapa has become widely known among Maya scholars as the possible ancient home of the Popol Vuh legend with its account of creation, the great flood, migrations, and wars, plus a compelling first family of parents with four sons created from heavenly parents above that tie to the Izapa Stela 5 “Tree of Life” showing parents and four sons at the base of the tree. [3] The Popol Vuh’s account of coming from across the sea parallels the Boturini Codex migration account. The parallel Book of Mormon account of Lehi, Sariah, and their sons who migrated to America is apparent.
to Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. Thirteen new carved details confirmed by studies since 1976 by G.
Norman (5), P. Culbert (2), R. Williams (1), and Clark-Moreno (5) have been added.
POSSIBLE PARALLELS BETWEEN STELA 5 AND LEHI’S VISION OF THE TREE OF LIFE
(Numbers correspond to those in Fig. 2 above)
Feature in Tree of Life Vision (1 Nephi 8) Izapa, Mexico Stela 5 Parallels
1.Tree of Life 2.River of water 3.Straight and narrow path 4.Rod of iron 5.Spacious field/dark wasteland [by dark mist glyph #8] 6.Multitudes of people 7.People fill spacious building high up 8.Mists of darkness (#6) 9.Heavenly messenger or guide 10.Person being led from dark field 11.Lehi’s family in dream (a) Lehi, (b) Sariah, (c) Nephi, (d) Sam (e) Laman, (f) Lemuel 12.Some who reach tree are blinded 13.Some reach tree and receive fruit 14.Lehi observed law of Moses burnt offering 15.Child “god” image (1 Nephi 11)
1.Tree of Life/World Tree with guardian spirits 2.River flows down from rain into water panel 3.Path lines from river head go to tree 4.Broad line next to path goes to tree 5.Open field at head of river by dark mist glyph (#8) 6.Generic figure comes from field 7.”Boxed man’ symbol is the most elevated 8.Eb glyph with “dark mist” bands blind eyes (#6) 9.Bird-serpent god (Quetzalcoatl) leads to tree 10.Traveler led by god (#9) as extension from arm of (#6) 11.Six figures; ancestral family of Quiche Maya-first parents of migration: 2 younger brothers; king-scribe & attendant, 2 older brothers subdued by younger brothers [Popol Vuh]. 12.Person at tree blinded by hood 13.Figure born of tree receives fruit from goddess 14.High priest attends incense burner offering 15.Priest-king (#11c) directs worship to child image