Branches of the Olive Tree: Israel In Asia

One of the great challenges of our time is the disparity between the world view portrayed in the scriptures and what is currently promoted in the teachings of worldly scholars and scientists. But what if the revealed gospel were used as a framework for earth and human history? Is it even possible to confine human history, which some proclaim to extend over hundreds of thousands of years, within the scriptural time frame of a mere 7,000 years?

Erdman’s Temporal Earth Model of world history re-evaluates traditional historical data within a gospel-scriptural framework. Throughout this book Erdman repeatedly demonstrates that by carefully examining the underlying assumptions and unsupported claims in current scientific and historical models, alternative explanations are indeed possible that fit within the timeframe allowed by the scriptures.

This volume focuses on one of the great mysteries of the scriptures: the so-called “Lost Tribes” of Israel. Erdman uses Jacob Chapter 5 of the Book of Mormon as the fundamental framework of his book. He proposes that, as depicted in this “allegory of the olive tree,” God established at least four colonies of Israelites. We know of one of these colonies, in America, from the Book of Mormon. Erdman suggests possible locations for the other three colonies, in India, China, and Iran. Most of the book explores the details of how each of these locations could have been the homes of Israelite colonies that had the gospel, were taught by prophets, and were even visited by the resurrected Savior.

Erdman carefully supports his revolutionary views with numerous references and rigorous scholarship. At the same time, He is unapologetic and unwavering in his acceptance of the scriptures and doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yet far from being dogmatic, he humbly presents his views as being merely one possible alternative, a “what if” scenario, a possible outcome if we were to take the scriptures literally as the basis for our understanding of earth history, and reinterpret archeological and historical data accordingly.