Nature of the River Sidon

Nature of the River Sidon
~ An Assessment by Don R. Hender ~

Frequently, in assessing the geography of the Book of Mormon, the nature, character and the features of the River Sidon come to play a very large role, as it should. Yet, far too often the river becomes what the assessor wants it to be in order to match a river that they have chosen to be the Sidon rather than matching the Sidon to what the Book of Mormon says the River Sidon should be. Thus it is felt that an honest effort needs to be undertaken to establish the nature of the River Sidon according to the Book of Mormon. So I will try.
Its geography, size, capacity or volume, drainage basin characteristics, etc.
Geographically, the Sidon River ran the entire course of the whole of the nation of Zarahemla. Zarahemla, in terms of national definition, was during a particular period in the Book of Mormon, the entire nation of the Nephites. It was north of the Lamanite nation, which ironically the Nephite record names the Land or Nation of Nephi. Thus in simplest terms, from the narrow strip of wilderness which separated the nation of Nephi (Lamanites) and the nation of Zarahemla (Nephites), north to the narrow neck of land is to be understood as the Nephite nation (See Alma 22:27-34) from the time Mosiah and his people had left the land of Nephi (See Omni 1:12-19) to when the Nephite nation begins to fall. (Now, it must be understood that the name 'Zarahemla' is used various as the name of the entire Nephite nation, of a more locally situated provincial land designation round about the city of Zarahemla, and to the most limited confines of the city of Zarahemla proper. As such, it is a relationship similar to that of the name 'New York', which can reference either the limited city of New York proper, the greater city of New York with its related suburbs, or the entire State of New York, which includes many counties, cities and lands.)
Thus it was that the Sidon River, from its headwaters that were south above the nation's southern border and of the land regions of the provincial land of Manti (Alma 43:25, 27, 32, 35, 41 & Alma 44:21-22), ran north through the land of Minon (Alma 2:24) and on through the central heart of the land, past the great capital city and provincial land of Zarahemla (Helaman 1:22, 24, 26, Alma 2:15, 27, 34). And thence it continued through other central and capital lands and cities of the Nephites (Helaman 1:23-24 & 27) until the river finally reached and emptied into the sea. There is ample evidence in the Book of Mormon to come to the understanding that the Sidon River Valley or Basin flowed between two mountain ranges, one on the west and the other on the east of the river which did parallel and feed into the river. Simply stated, such accounts of Alma traveling to the west of Zarahelma, the central Sidon River Valley, went 'over and then into' the provincial land of Melek in his missionary journys (Alma 8:3) and that west and north of Zarahemla was the wilderness of Hermounts or wilderness mountains (Alma 2:27). And there is located one noted 'feeding' canyon valley upon the east of the Sidon Valley and River, which housed the provincial land and presumably city of Gideon, in the eastern valley of Gideon (Alma 2:20, Alma 6:7). And there is likely at least one other 'valley entrance' from the east in the upper regions of the Sidon Valley about Manti, which the Zormaites used when they traveled round and about to Manti traveling south and west at the same time that Captain Moroni used the shorter eastern route into the Sidon valley using the Valley of Gideon access (See Alma 43).
[Note: For the simple reason that the wilderness of Hermounts was both north and west of the province and city of Zarahemla, which wilderness would have continued north into the lower regions of Bountiful; it is presumed that the lower northern course of the River Sidon empties into the sea east of the narrow neck and Bountiful rather than the sea west of the narrow neck and Bountiful.]
Thus, so much for the simple general geography of the River Sidon. Now, without any further presumptions, other than what the Book of Mormon does record which yields this simple mapping; it ought to be pointed out that the River Sidon's general geography parallels that of the Magadalena River of Columbia, South American. This is pointed out simply because of such records of a number of the early church authorities and scholars so reporting that the Magdalena River and the Sidon River were one and the same. Thus we can see how the Book of Mormon record would seem to support their report without such contrivances which actually contradict the Book of Mormon text.
The Sidon River's size and magnitude.
The Sidon river was no small river. It was feed by two parallel mountain ranges upon its east and west and also from the southern mountainous highlands which separated the lands of Nephi and Zarahemla. (That the regions between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi was a mountainous highland becomes apparent since when ever one travels in the Book of Mormon from Zarahemla to the land of Nephi, it is always reported that they are going 'up' to the land of Nephi. And visa versa, whenever one travels from the regions of Nephi to Zarahemla, they are going down to Zarahemla, and this in spite of the temple (the mountain of the Lord) being located at Zarahamla. Further Manti was in the 'Valley of Sidon' and was above Zarahemla, for the river ran 'down' north to the capital city of Zarahemla from Manti. All this, with 'many' lands and cities all along the course of the Sidon River from the South down to the North even until the river reached the sea, so implies a long river valley which forms a great river drainage basin which feeds the river Sidon.
Further, the Sidon River was a large sizable river even in its most upper regions of Manti and with the additional flows into it is must be considered to be a great and powerful river which moved with great force. Imagine casting countless thousands of dead bodies into a river at its upper 'headwater' regions as did Captain Moroni (See Alma 44) and having the river be large enough and strong enough to carry those bodies out to sea what must have been hundreds of miles away without encumbering the land below the upper river. If you were to cast thousands of bodies in the any river in Northern Utah, such as the Jordan river which runs north from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, they would be strewn, built up and clogging the river all along its course with little success in having those thousands of bodies ever to reach and disappear in the Great Salt Lake. Thus, whether from its source in the south to even its mid stream about Zarahamela, where Alma also deposited countless Lamanites bodies destined to the sea (See Alma 2); the flow of the river Sidon was grand and strong enough to carry all such bodies out to the Ocean according to the Book of Mormon record. This represents a grand wide strong river such as the Mississippi, not just some mountain stream, or a river consisting of 'narrows' to clog and byways into which to deposit debris. This also matches the Magdalena River which can be navigated by ships all the way into the interior of Columbia to its capital Bogota, located in an 'eastern' valley off of the main Magdalena Valley, just as was Gideon.
A Laundry List Summary of Characteristics of the Sidon River:
- It runs north and south in its upper valley from Manti to Zarahemla at least.
- Only about half of its distance is above Zarahemla, to the south of Zarahemla since Zarahemla is in the center of the land and Sidon starts at the Southern reaches of the land southward, high up by Manti. Thus approximately half of the river must lie beneath Zarahemla to the sea into which Sidon empties countless dead bodies during the Nephite times (It must be considered that the deposit of Magdalena has widened and spread this outlet out over the years to a large deposit field to the ocean today, especially since the debris of all the destructive force at the death of Christ must have also had to run down its course.).
- The lower half of the river begins from Zarahemla in a northerly direction, but due to the description of the wilderness area of 'Hermounts' it might be accessed that Sidon which continues to flow down to the ocean must take a turn to the northeast to an extent to miss flowing right through the middle of the wilderness of Hermounts which is to the North and West of Zarahemla and which butts into the wilderness of Bountiful. Thus a Northeast flow at least is assumed as the river adjusts to miss Hermounts, Bountiful and the Narrow Neck. Further, Hermounts would be a heavily forested area most likely sloping up to 'her-mounts' or mountians. Rivers run down out of or away from up slopes that are heavily forested rather than up into the forest on the hillsides of 'her-mounts.'
- There are two plains mentioned in the lands of Zarahemla. They are the plains of Nephihah, which is/was a great prominent plain to the east of Zarahemla sloping down to the sea from the east mountains of the Sidon Valley which had one named open valley to the east in the Valley of Gideon. The other plains mentioned are the plains around Bountiful and south to Morianton, North of Zarahemla and east of Bountiful toward Morianton upon which the Lamanites are defeated. Between these two plains, which slope to the sea, the Eastern plains of Nephihah are not a good candidate for the river Sidon to make an abrupt turn and flow back south to exit to the sea on the plains of Nephihah, which are actually accessed by the Valley of Gideon to the South of Zarahemla. Rather the better candidate for the river Sidon to exit to the sea, is from the plains near Morianton which are north and east or Northeast or even North by Northeast of Zarahemla depending on the degree that Sidon does turn to the east to avoid Hermounts. This is more viable also because a strong river, such as Sidon is portrayed to be, would be more difficult to turn abruptly to begin to meander directly east and even southeast to exit onto the Nephihah plains east and southeast of Zarahemla.
- It is most likely that the lower river Sidon, as it approaches the ocean, is joined by another river from the west. This would be the river that flows down the parallel valley to the Sidon valley in which the Land of Melek and all of its surrounding cities, towns, and villages are a part of and of which Ammonihah and Noah and all of its cities, towns and villages are a part of. Alma traveled across the upper mountains to the west to go 'over into' the parallel valley of Melek and traveled three days 'due north' from there down that valley to Ammonihah. This parallel river would also likely turn eastward due to the Wilderness of Hermounts which was North and West of there as well, for Bountiful and the narrow neck was to its north. Thus we look for two rivers to join on the plains of Morianton before they enter the sea together.
The River Sidon was a great river. Zarahemla was about half way down the river from the river's headwaters which began up above and beyond Manti. Zarahemla was in the center of the land. While the River Sidon had to be large enough and powerful enough to carry thousands of bodies down the river to the sea. It also had to be a navigable river. This is power and size. It is of further interest that the Mulekites located and built their chief civilization in the middle of the land, away from the sea, though they arrived then by way of the Ocean. How did they get to their city site? A possible way is for them to have sailed up a navigable river to the center of the land. Lots of rain and lots of drainage out of surrounding mountains had to feed this large river and that must have been a in a large drainage basin or valley which could support large populations of people. Wide and powerful but navigable, at least as far as mid-way up the river into the heart of the land makes sense. Sounds like the Magdalena River to me as so reported by various church authorities and scholars.
How does the Magdalena river fit the Book of Mormon record of Sidon? The Magdalena River is a navigable river up as far as the branching off in the regions of Bogota. That is in the center of the land of Colombia. Its upper regions are North-South running as was the upper Sidon river from Zarahemla to Minon to Manti in the course to the land of Nephi south. And it is a large drainage valley with the cordillera of the upper Andean core and the central and eastern mountain branches cradling the valley and the river as it runs to the sea.
One might ask, what about crossing such a mighty river, such as when Alma crossed the river to fight the Lamanites (See Alma 2). The Lamanites wanted to fight and destroy the Nephites, thus they came to fight, they were ready to fight, they wanted to fight. So rather than preventing the Nephites from crossing the river Sidon from the east, they wanted them to cross and they were ready for them at that point on the west bank where their crossing exited, to fight them and destroy them.
How often we envision the Nephites 'wading waist deep' and even swimming in the River Sidon crossing this river in the water cumbered by their armor and weapons, through the water and climbing up on shore dripping wet? Well maybe that might be. But consider that the nature of the River Sidon was a mighty enough river to carry men's bodies from the inner central regions and even upper regions of the land, all the way out to the sea or the ocean. That does not sound like a river to wade across or even swim across. The Nephites were an intelligent and industrious people. Why did Alma have to travel to a particular point to cross? How did the Lamanites know where to form their forces to receive the Nephites upon crossing? Just what was the means of crossing the River Sidon? If it was not by wading and swimming it what was it? Could it be that the Nephites had bridged the river at a particular junction? Why didn't the Lamanites block or destroy the bridge? They came to fight not to avoid a fight. They were ready to fight and did not want to avoid a fight. They wanted to fight and were willing to let the Nephites cross over the bridge to where they were, ready and waiting to meet them on the western banks of the river. Just maybe. And if not a 'bridge', certainly forms of water craft would have been made available for crossing at such a junction of the major capital city of the land. And if not 'ferries' then one must consider how in mass did Alma move his army from Zarahamela to the east shore to begin with. Certainly such 'in mass' crafts would set ready to take Alma's army back across. It does not make sense for an army to 'wade or swim' across such a mighty river. What makes sense is for a great city as Zarahemla and such large numbers as an army to have other ready resources for such crossing of rivers. Perhaps this was the mode which Captian Moroni left the Zoramite lead Lamanities to experience in the highlands about Manti, but the logic of it fails about Zarahemla and the mid-course of the Sidon River.
Sources of Reports that Sidon is Magdalena:

(Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p. 326)

Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, by George Reynolds, p. 326

SIDON, RIVER

The most important river in Nephite history; known today as the Magdalena. It runs northward through the United States of Colombia and empties into the Caribbean Sea. In the days of the Nephites it formed an important factor in their civilization, as many of their largest cities were built on its banks, and its valleys were the most densely populated of any part of the country. Near its head waters was Manti, the chief city of the south, and further north were Gideon and Zarahemla. It was also the grand trunk road to the land of Nephi, and along its banks poured the hosts of the dark-skinned Lamanites when they forced their way into the land of Zarahemla. Among the most important events that occurred in its immediate neighborhood were:
Related Nephite History Dates:

The Amlicites defeated at the hill Amnihu, B. C. 87.

Two invading armies of the Lamanites defeated, one on its west bank, the other on the east, B. C. 87.

The Lamanites defeated at the hill Riplah, B. C. 74.

Manti captured by the Lamanites, (about) B. C. 68.

Manti reoccupied by the Nephites, B. C. 63.

The Lamanites invade Zarahemla, capture the capital and advance northward, but are finally driven back, B. C. 51.

The Lamanites again invade Zarahemla, B. C. 35.

The Lamanites obtain possession of the whole of South America, B. C. 33.

The Lamanites, being converted, restore to the Nephites Zarahemla and the lands they had wrested from them, B. C. 30.

The Nephites, under Lachoneus, all gather to the lands of Zarahemla and Bountiful, A. D. 17.

The Nephites return to their homes on both continents, A. D. 26.

Zarahemla and other cities destroyed during the great storms and earthquakes that attended the crucifixion of the Redeemer, A. D. 34.

Relationship of the Land of Nephi to the Land of Zarahemla.

Mosiah was warned of God to depart out of the Land of Nephi. The Book of Omni tells of Mosiah's travels from the Land of Nephi to the land of Zarahemla.

13 And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land (of Nephi) into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and they were led by many preachings and prophesyings. And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the power of his arm, through the wilderness, until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla.

Now, from the Book of Mormon, the Land of Nephi is portrayed as being a land in a higher elevation than the land of Zarahemla as the people of Mosiah 'came down' from the Land of Nephi to enter 'into' the land of Zarahemla. Further, from the Book of Mormon we are given to know that Zarahemla was in a river valley on the west bank of the River Sidon. Thus it seems a logical conclusion that the Land of Nephi was in the highlands or 'mountains' if you will and Zarahemla was in a lower land or valley along the River Sidon. Now the River Sidon did not originate in the Land of Nephi as its head waters was still in the land of Zarahemla just above the land of Manti. Therefore there must have been a 'mountainous' divide where the water on the one side flowed from and were the head waters of the River Sidon. And on the other side, beyond the wilderness to the south, beyond the apex of this divide laid the Land of Nephi, which itself was still higher in the mountains highlands than was Zarahemla.
Wandering Thoughts:

Now let me jump to some parallel conditions of the lands I would look to be the primary lands of the Book of Mormon. Chavin was built in the mountains, away from any major water way to the sea. It was a place that just seemed to appear out of no where about 600 BC in the Mountain regions of northern Peru. A temple which is like unto the temple of Solomon was built at Chavin. Nephi built a temple like unto the temple of Solomon in his land of Nephi after departing from his brethren Laman and Lemuel, having traveled many days to reach this highland, mountainous region of the Land of Nephi. Chavin matches just such a place. If you were to travel from the land of Chavin in Peru to the valley of the Magdalena River in Colombia about half way down the river, you would have 'come down into' the land of Central Colombia into its central major valley from Northern highlands of Peru.

Further, Zarahemla is said to be in the center of the land of Zarahemla. Thus if the River Sidon begins at the northern extremity of the Land of Zarahela, then the City of Zarahela must be about half way or midway down the River Sidon. And from there, regardless of where the river flow, it is another half of the river to make it to the sea, into which Sidon empties. Since the mountainous valley of the upper Sidon is implied to run north to south, the it is assumed that the lower half of the river also might flow in a similar direction.

[Final Note: An Objective Assessment? What makes an assessment objective? It is not whether one does or does not associate a site or land with the Book of Mormon geography. It is if one forces the issue and presents such subject self contrived considerations and thoughts. The consideration that the River Magdalena is the River Sidon is not a personal subjective off the cuff consideration. It is not my own consideration, but that of such who are authorities of the church. Thus such application of assessment IS NOT a self-serving subjective attempt. Further, no subject interpretive spin, slant or contrivance as to what the Book of Mormon does or does not state is given of my self. This is a straight forward reading and understanding of the words of the Book themselves. The Book states it. I have merely restated what the Book of Mormon has stated. I've not brought in any outside explanations such as altering of compass directions other than merely stating what the Book of Mormon states as translated by Joseph Smith. North is north, south is south, east is east, and west is west, when mention of other cities and lands are made by the Book of Mormon, only what is stated is given. There is no such attempt to so limit what the Book of Mormon has stated and to alter what it states into something, which needs subjective interpolation in order for an application to be made to any personally contrived considerations. This is just about as objective as one can get and still have some relationship to the world as it is. Objectivity must have a basis in reality. To ignore the parallels between Sidon and Magdalena would to be to cut one's self off from the reality of the matter that many authoritative reports have so stated it to be the case.

Revised: August 2006