Golden Plates From 600 BC Found In Bulgaria

This is the second post in the Authenticity of the Book of Mormon series that I have written about.  Those familiar with Mormon history will know that Joseph Smith claimed that he was given golden plates from which he translated the writings which now comprise the Book of Mormon.  Many disbelieve this claim and it is often a stumbling block for people who try to believe in the Book of Mormon.  However, an ancient record, recorded on golden plates has been discovered in Bulgaria.  This record has been dated to around 600 BC and is considered the oldest complete book in the world.  

Joseph Smith described the plates, from which he translated the Book of Mormon, as follows; 

These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving. (History of the Church, 4:537)

 While the plates found in Bulgaria do not contain the same information as the Book of Mormon it is still a fascinating find in the fact that it shows plates existed as a means of preserving records around 600 BC, which is the time that Lehi and his family left Jerusalem.  


Here is the source link if you would like to read more: Maxwell Institute