Page 8 - Insights Into The Scriptures - The Jaredites

what could be considered a commando squad. In all cases, the goal is the
same; to control the leader.
Understanding the history of chess can give us insight into a culture
or cultures that are similar to the Jaredites.

Figure 2: The Game of Chess

Chess History

According to Murray, Chess seems to have either been invented in
India and spread to China or was invented in China and spread to India [4].
Murray leans to India as being the place it was created. There are many
legends about it, and we will explore one later. Either way, it appears to
have had its roots in Asia. Some scholars feel chess, or some variant of it,
was invented as early as 455 BC. It may have gone through some
iterations, but most scholars think that by 800 A.D., the game was well
known in a form close to what is familiar to us today. That would mean
th
that when Joseph Smith started his work in the 19 century, the game of
chess was probably quite familiar to many. However, it was not as
common in the United States as in other countries.
Murray says that chess was modeled after the way of fighting in the
Orient [4]. The war could end with the killing or capturing of one of the
kings, or the destruction of one king’s army, so he was left helpless. In the
case of the king being killed or captured, his army would then fade away.

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