Who is this Ishmael spoken of in 1 Nephi?
The descendants of Ishmael from the Bible are given a short geneaology:
These were their descendants:
Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael. 1 Chronicles 1:29-31
That Ishmael lived during the time of Abraham, 1400 years before.
Yet we find after that the name Ishmael was not a common name in Israel, nor were any of the descendants. Ishmael's history is not a good one with Jews.
Esau went to the Ishmaelites and married a wife for himself. Esau's family line became the Edomites, a hated enemy of the Israelites.
The Ishmaelites take Joseph away and sell him to the Egyptians.
Another Ishmael shows up in 2 Kings 25:22-26:
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men. Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
This Ishmael appears at the right time as the Ishmael of 1 Nephi, but he disappears to Egypt. This can't be the same Ishmael.
True Ishmaelites, according to history, have become the Muslims of today. They follow Ishmael as the real promised son that Abraham sacrificed on the mountain. They are the Palestinians, Egyptians, Iraqis, Iranians of today.
Throughout the Book of Mormon there is discussion of marrying into the house and land of Ishmael. In 1 Nephi 16:34, Ishmael dies and his daughters blend into the Nephites. If so, that would make the Nephites related to Muslims.
This would explain some similarities between Muslims and Mormons:
- Both Muhammad and Joseph Smith received a visitation from an angel.
- Both Muhammad and Joseph Smith wrote additional books.
- Both Muhammad and Joseph Smith formed armies.
- Both Muhammad and Joseph Smith married multiple wives and received confirmation from Allah/God that they would marry more than the average person.