Brant Gardner notes that John W. Welch has described a document from antiquity which has interesting structural and thematic parallels to Lehi’s dream. Welch’s article is entitled “The Narrative of Zosimus and the Book of Mormon” (FARMS publication).
The “Narrative of Zosimus” was originally written in Hebrew “and appears to be at least as old as the time of Christ, and perhaps much older” (Welch, Zosimus, p. 311). Points of correspondence are the righteous man entering a desolate area (Lehi in the wilderness, Zosimus in the desert) and imagery prominently involving a tree and a river. There is also the correspondence of a spiritual guide, which is more prominent in Zosimus than Lehi, but yet present in each.
A major structural difference which Welch does not point out is that while both trees (Lehi‘s and Zosimus’) have fruit, the fruit is the critical element in Lehi’s vision, and only a side reference in Zosimus. The function of the tree in Zosimus is to lift him to a different plane, which uses the function of the tree of life as a conduit, but is not part of the fruit imagery.
The interesting part of the Narrative of Zosimus is that it is an example of Tree of Life imagery from antiquity which does not fit the expected mold of Judaic mythological tradition. In that way, it serves as an excellent model for the Lehi dream, which also borrows some of the tradition, but differs in other ways. [Brant Gardner, “Book of Mormon Commentary,” 1Nephi/1Nephi8.htm, pp. 2-3]
“A Dark and Dreary Wilderness - Potter”
According to George Potter and Richard Wellington, the land of Midian in the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia is a wilderness second only in barrenness to the great Rub’al Khali, or Empty Quarter, of the central Arabian Peninsula. Hardly a blade of grass breaks up the monotony of the terrain. Hugh Nibley pointed out that,
Lehi’s dreams have a very authentic undertone of anxiety of which the writer of 1 Nephi himself seems not fully aware; they are the dreams of a man heavily burdened with worries and responsibilities. The subjects of his unrest are two: the dangerous project he is undertaking, and the constant opposition and misbehavior of some of his people, especially his two eldest sons.
Lehi’s concern here in Wadi Tayyib al Ism is real. The valley is in an isolated wilderness and does not lie on any known routes. Lehi would have been going into an uncharted desert wasteland with only a finite supply of water. Most of the year the temperatures are extremely high and the lack of protection from the burning sun would have forced the family to make their journey at night. What better description of the terrain and conditions that the family traversed in the desert of Midian than a “dark and dreary waste.” In the hot months one cannot survive more than two days without water. Without shelter from the sun the family would not last even that long. In what appears to be an act of desperation, Lehi prayed that the Lord “would have mercy on me” (1 Nephi 8:8). After he had prayed he beheld a large and spacious field. The presence of a field in the midst of the mountainous wilderness was a miraculous find, one which would have indicated to Lehi that the Lord was with the group and would provide for them. He was echoing the words of Isaiah, “I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land spring of water” (Isaiah 41:18). [George Potter and Richard Wellington, Discovering the Lehi-Nephi Trail, pp. 56-57, Unpublished]
1 Nephi 8:4 A dark and dreary wilderness (Potter) [[Illustration] Lehi traveled for the space of many hours in a dark and dreary waste. Midian is one of the bleakest terrains in Arabia, known as Arabia Petrae to the Romans (Rocky Arabia). This picture is looking back from the oasis at the entrance to wadi Tayyib al-Ism. Quite a stark contrast. [George Potter and Richard Wellington, Discovering the Lehi-Nephi Trail, pp. 68-69, Unpublished]
1 Nephi 8:4 A dark and dreary wilderness (Potter) [[Illustration] A normally hardy acacia tree lies dead in the wadi. Wadi Tayyib al-Ism is barren for almost its entire length. By this point, just before the “spacious field” oasis, Lehi would doubtless have been very anxious for the welfare of his family. His dream mirrors this as he offers a prayer in desperation. [George Potter & Richard Wellington, Discovering Nephi’s Trail, Chapter 3, p. 12, Unpublished]