AMALEKITES

Lehite gentilic

1.

Sect of apostates (many after the order of NEHOR), allies of the LAMANITES who built the city of JERUSALEM, ca. 90 BC (Alma 21:2, 3, 4 (x2), 5, 16; 22:7; 23:14; 24:1 (x2), 28, 29; 27:2, 12; 43:6 (x2), 13, 20, 44)

Etymology

For the etymology of AMALEKITES that appear in Alma 21-27 and 43, see AMLICITE(S). The onomasticon accepts the scholarly consensus that the current Book of Mormon spelling of this group of people, AMALEKITES, is a possible scribal error for AMLICITE(S). The latter spelling, Amlicite, is attested in Alma 2-3 in the printer’s manuscript and all subsequent LDS printed editions, and thus appears in the text prior to the first mention of the AMALEKITES. Note that in the printer’s manuscript, Alma 2:11-12, the first time the Amlicites appear in the text, it is written Amlikites, “but afterwards, for 25 more occurrences (from Alma 2:13 through Alma 3:20), we have a consistent Amlicites” in the printer’s manuscript, suggesting that the c in AMLICITE(S) is pronounced as a hard c, that is, /k/, Unfortunately, the original manuscript is not extant for any of these passages. A hard c could have contributed to the confusion about the origin of the AMALEKITES.

If AMALEKITES is not an error for AMLICITE(S), they it may be related to the biblical ethnic designation, AMALEKITES, one of the peoples, mentioned already in Genesis 14:7, who inhabited greater Canaan and who were later traditional enemies of the ISRAELITES.

See Book of Mormon AMALEKI and biblical AMALEKITES

See also Amalekite(s) Amlicite(s) Variant

Variants

Amlikites, Amelekites, Amaleckites, Amalickites, Amelicites, Am( ), Amelic( ), Amelickites

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐈𐐣𐐈𐐢𐐇𐐗𐐌𐐓𐐝 (æmælɛkaɪts)

Notes

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