The Jaredites’ Eight Days to Destruction

It appears that the number 8 was important to the Jaredites for some reason. This post is part of a small series where I talk about this interesting detail.

We all know that the Jaredite civilization ended in a gruesome battle. This final battle, from start to finish, took 8 days. Check it out (all references from Ether 15):

Day 1

• 15And it came to pass that when they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he would, with their wives and their children—both men, women and children being armed with weapons of war, having shields, and breastplates, and head-plates, and being clothed after the manner of war—they did march forth one against another to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not.
• 16And it came to pass that when it was night they were weary, and retired to their camps; and after they had retired to their camps they took up a howling and a lamentation for the loss of the slain of their people; and so great were their cries, their howlings and lamentations, that they did rend the air exceedingly.

Day 2

• 17And it came to pass that on the morrow they did go again to battle, and great and terrible was that day; nevertheless, they conquered not, and when the night came again they did rend the air with their cries, and their howlings, and their mournings, for the loss of the slain of their people.
• 18And it came to pass that Coriantumr wrote again an epistle unto Shiz, desiring that he would not come again to battle, but that he would take the kingdom, and spare the lives of the people.
• 19But behold, the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them, and Satan had full power over the hearts of the people; for they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their minds that they might be destroyed;

Day 3

• 19 … wherefore they went again to battle.
• 20And it came to pass that they fought all that day, and when the night came they slept upon their swords.

Day 4

• 21And on the morrow they fought even until the night came.
• 22And when the night came they were drunken with anger, even as a man who is drunken with wine; and they slept again upon their swords.

Day 5

• 23And on the morrow they fought again; and when the night came they had all fallen by the sword save it were fifty and two of the people of Coriantumr, and sixty and nine of the people of Shiz.
• 24And it came to pass that they slept upon their swords that night, 

Day 6

• 24 … and on the morrow they fought again, and they contended in their might with their swords and with their shields, all that day.
• 25And when the night came there were thirty and two of the people of Shiz, and twenty and seven of the people of Coriantumr.
• 26And it came to pass that they ate and slept, and prepared for death on the morrow. And they were large and mighty men as to the strength of men.

Day 7

• 27And it came to pass that they fought for the space of three hours, and they fainted with the loss of blood.
• 28And it came to pass that when the men of Coriantumr had received sufficient strength that they could walk, they were about to flee for their lives; but behold, Shiz arose, and also his men, and he swore in his wrath that he would slay Coriantumr or he would perish by the sword.
• 29Wherefore, he did pursue them, 

Day 8

• 29 … and on the morrow he did overtake them; and they fought again with the sword. And it came to pass that when they had all fallen by the sword, save it were Coriantumr and Shiz, behold Shiz had fainted with the loss of blood.
• 30And it came to pass that when Coriantumr had leaned upon his sword, that he rested a little, he smote off the head of Shiz.
• 31And it came to pass that after he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised up on his hands and fell; and after that he had struggled for breath, he died.
• 32And it came to pass that Coriantumr fell to the earth, and became as if he had no life.
• 33And the Lord spake unto Ether, and said unto him: Go forth. And he went forth, and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled; and he finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them.

The destruction of the Jaredite civilization was complete in eight (8) days. Is that number significant? I think so. But why 8? Any ideas?

Stay tuned for more posts on the number 8 among the Jaredites.