In Alma 2:15 we find the first mention of the river Sidon. The river ran "by" the local land of Zarahemla. This might infer that the local land of Zarahemla lay essentially on one side of the river. For most readers, it seems logical that the River Sidon would have passed by somewhat on the east of the local land of Zarahemla at this time. In Alma 2:25-27 we are informed that the Amlicite battles were first fought on the Hill Amnihu east of the river Sidon. Later, the Amlicites joined up with some Lamanites and marched towards Zarahemla. The Nephites rushed to get to Zarahemla before them; however, before the Nephites got to Zarahemla, and as they crossed the river Sidon, they were attacked by the Amlicites who had already crossed the river and were on the "west side" (Alma 2:26-35).
On the other hand, according to the models of Hauck and Mask, the local land of Zarahemla might have been situated between two branches of the river Sidon. In Alma 8:3 there is a verse that could be interpreted to mean that the local land of Zarahemla was also on the east of the river Sidon. The text had previously mentioned that "Alma returned to his own house at Zarahemla to rest" (Alma 8:1). Then, in verse 3 it says "that Alma departed from thence and took his journey over into the land of Melek, on the west of the river Sidon. Although the phrase "over into" can be interpreted relative to elevations, it also might be associated with bodies of water. If Alma was already in Zarahemla (presumably on the west of the river Sidon) one might wonder why the text would not simply say, "that Alma departed from thence and took his journey over into the land of Melek, on the west of Zarahemla."
We know from Alma 22:27,29 (if our interpretation is correct) that the head of the river Sidon was "by" the narrow strip of wilderness that separated the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and that the head was close to the land of Manti. In Alma 3:3, bodies were thrown into the river "and behold their bones are in the depths of the sea"; thus, apparently the river Sidon flowed into a sea. We are not told, however, which sea; and nothing is ever mentioned in the future stories of the Book of Mormon when there are battles in the east "in the borders by the sea" (Alma 51, 52) or battles "by the west sea" (Alma 53, 56, 57, 58) of armies crossing any "river Sidon"; neither is there any mention of a river Sidon in the land of Bountiful, which was "north" of the land of Zarahemla (Alma 51, 52; Helaman 4). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]