The Plates of Brass: The Book of Mormon’s Biggest Historical Problem
There’s been a lot of debate lately regarding the gold plates: could all of the material in the Book of Mormon have physically fit on the plates? Could Joseph Smith have physically handled them? Could they have been preserved miraculously?
All of this debate, though, misses what may be the biggest historical problem of all: not the gold plates, but the plates of brass that Lehi supposedly brought from Jerusalem.
These plates allegedly contained at a minimum the Five Books of Moses, a record of the Jews, genealogies, all of Jeremiah’s prophecies, lost prophets like Zenock and Zenos, and even prophecies of Joseph. They had to exist before 600 BCE, survive the Babylonian plundering of Jerusalem, be transported out of the city in the middle of the night, hauled across deserts and oceans by Nephi and his family, and preserved for generations so that later prophets like Abinadi could quote them hundreds of years later.
The practical, logistical, and historical challenges are staggering, yet this aspect of the Book of Mormon rarely gets attention in debates about its plausibility.
Why the Plates of Brass Are Historically Implausible
Length and Weight of the Plates
The plates of brass are described as containing at a minimum the Five Books of Moses, a record of the Jews, genealogies, all the prophecies of Jeremiah, writings of lost prophets Zenock and Zenos, and prophecies of Joseph.
In 1 Nephi 13:23 Nephi’s description suggests that the plates he had contained significantly more writing than all of the current Old Testament.
Based on this, I estimate three scenarios for the length and weight of the plates of brass:
Scenario 1: Minimal History (Conservative Estimate)
- Contents: Five Books of Moses, genealogies, Jeremiah’s prophecies, selected records of the Jews.
- Word count: ~120,000–150,000 words.
- Estimated weight (brass): ~30–35 lb.
- Logistical issues: heavy but theoretically movable by one or two people.
Scenario 2: Realistic History (Most Likely)
- Contents: Five Books of Moses, full record of the Jews (Joshua–2 Chronicles), genealogies, Jeremiah, lost prophets, prophecies of Joseph.
- Word count: ~250,000–285,000 words.
- Estimated weight (brass): ~85–95 lb.
- Logistical issues: extremely heavy, difficult to transport, high risk of loss or damage.
Scenario 3: Full Length (Taking 1 Nephi 13:23 literally)
- Contents: More numerous than the Old Testament.
- Word count: likely 350,000+ words (the Old Testament has over 300,000 in Hebrew).
- Estimated weight (brass): ~120 lb+.
- Logistical issues: essentially impossible to move or preserve, even ignoring other historical or textual concerns.
Transportation Concerns
Zoram’s Transport of the Plates at night
Nephi describes Zoram and Nephi sneaking the plates out of Jerusalem at night. Under even the most conservative estimate (~30–35 lb), they would have been lugging a solid block of brass. Under a full-length scenario (~120 lb+), the task becomes essentially impossible.
Logistics Across Deserts and Seas
- Minimal scenario (~30–35 lb): manageable for short stretches, but exhausting over multi-year desert treks.
- Realistic scenario (~85–95 lb): would require multiple carriers or a pack animal; long-term preservation during desert travel is highly impractical.
- Full scenario (~120 lb+): essentially impossible for humans alone; maritime travel on small vessels becomes high-risk, and preserving inscriptions over years strains credibility.
Pre-Codex Timing
The plates are dated to ~600 BCE, long before the earliest known compilation of the Torah or codification of biblical texts.
In that era, biblical writings were preserved on scrolls, parchment, or skins. While some texts may have been combined (like the 12 “minor prophets”), there is no indication of so many biblical texts being combined into a single codex or volume let alone one engraved on metal plates. The practice of compiling texts into one book or codex simply did not exist until Christianity centuries later.
Jeremiah’s Prophecies
Jeremiah was still alive and actively preaching at the time the plates of brass were supposedly compiled.
Prophetic writings were normally collected gradually, often posthumously. The rulers of Jerusalem—whom Jeremiah was denouncing—would have had no reason to preserve his words in an official record, let alone engrave them on valuable brass.
Deuteronomy
Latter-day Saints often lean on critics of the “Deuteronomists” like Margaret Barker. But if those theories are correct, then Deuteronomy was a contested book and unlikely to appear together with the other books of Moses in one unified volume and referred to as the “five books of moses.”
As I’ve written before, I reject that theory. But it’s worth noting that LDS defenders who embrace Barker’s view rarely address this tension.
Isaiah 53 and Later Material
At a minimum the plates of brass had to contain Isaiah’s writings, including Isaiah 53 which Abinadi quotes verbatim as part of his argument to King Noah.
Some scholars argue Isaiah 53 was composed during or after the exile. Even if you assume an earlier authorship, as I do, however, you still face the problem that Isaiah likely had not yet been neatly compiled into a single volume. For Abinadi to quote it hundreds of years later also assumes either additional copies were made (which the Book of Mormon never mentions) or that this one set of brass plates somehow made it to the court of King Noah.
Jerusalem’s Looting by Babylon
Lehi supposedly took the plates shortly after the start of the reign of Zedekiah. But by this time, Babylon had already looted Jerusalem of valuable objects. Massive brass plates would have been a prime target, and their survival—unmentioned in any biblical or historical record—strains credibility.
Inclusion of Lost Prophets (Zenock and Zenos)
The plates reportedly contained writings from prophets Zenock and Zenos, for which there is no historical or archaeological evidence.
If their writings were important enough to engrave in a central archive of Israelite scripture, it is hard to imagine that every trace of them would vanish from Jewish history.
Why Gold Plates Defenses Don’t Apply
Arguments used to defend the gold plates—miraculous preservation, compact writing systems, etc.—cannot be applied here. The brass plates had to exist fully compiled before 600 BCE, in physical history, and not as the result of a later miracle.
Conclusion
Even the most conservative scenario presents heavy, unwieldy plates with unprecedented textual content, while the types of plates Nephi actually describes are essentially impossible.
The gold plates raise questions, but defenders can appeal to miracles or a special more compact script. The plates of brass allow no such escape hatch. Their sheer implausibility makes them the weakest link in the entire Book of Mormon narrative.