Nephi uses the expression “the land of Jerusalem” when referring to his homeland. However, several scriptural passages make it obvious that his home could not have been in or adjacent to the city of Jerusalem, though we’re told that Lehi “dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days” (1 Nephi 1:4). While the usage of these terms seems contradictory, they actually reflect historical fact. In ancient Jewish documents, “the land of Jerusalem” is described as an area larger than the city of Jerusalem. The same documents reveal that in Palestine and Syria, a large area around a city would share the city’s name, as would the inhabitants. According to Hugh Nibley, “This was a holdover from the time when the city and land were a single political unit, comprising a city-state; when this was absorbed into a larger empire, the original identity was preserved, though it had lost its original political significance” (Echoes, 456–457).