This is the land and city of Jacobugath. The city of Jacobugath is located in the same general vicinity as the cities of Laman, Josh, Gad, Kishkumen, and Zarahemla. It is located northward of all of these cities.
Commentaries (
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III NEPHI 3:44 [7:9]: Now this secret combination which had brought so great iniquity upon the people, did gather themselves together, and did place at their head a man whom they did call Jacob; and they did call him their king;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Jacobugath. The practice of the Nephites to name a place after the first person that establishes it indicates that Jacob established a place named Jacobugath.
III NEPHI 3:48 [7:12]: Therefore Jacob seeing that their enemies were more numerous than they, he being the king of the band, therefore he commanded his people that they should take their flight into the northernmost part of the land,
Commentary: This verse references the places of Jacobugath and Zarahemla. Jacob and his people fled from the land of Zarahemla to the northernmost part of the land. There they established the city of Jacobugath.
III NEPHI 3:49 [7:12]: And there build up unto themselves a kingdom, until they were joined by dissenters, (for he flattered them that there would be many dissenters,) and they become sufficiently strong to contend with the tribes of the people.
Commentary: This verse references the place of Jacobugath. It is a kingdom, so it is a land as well as a city.
III NEPHI 4:8 [8:8]: And the city of Zarahemla did take fire; and the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Gad, Jacobugath, Josh, Kishkumen, Laman, Moroni, the Sea East, and Zarahemla. The city of Moroni is near enough to the Sea East shore to sink into the depths of the sea. By Occam's Razor, the city of Zarahemla would be near the other cities destroyed by fire. These would be the cities of Kishkumen, Gad, Josh, Laman, and Jacobugath.
III NEPHI 4:36 [9:9]: And behold, that great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of the king of Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire, because of their sins and their wickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth, because of their secret murders and combinations;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Gad, Jacobugath, Josh, Kishkumen, Laman, and Zarahemla. Being destroyed by fire places it with the other lands that were destroyed by fire. These were the city of Laman, city of Josh, city of Gad, city of Kishkumen, and city Zarahemla. A 'great city' may indicate possibly a large number of inhabitants. Earlier verses called the area a kingdom, which would confirm a great city.
III NEPHI 4:38 [9:10]: And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishkumen, have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets, and stoning those whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations;
Commentary: This verse references the places of Gad, Jacobugath, Josh, Kishkumen, Laman, and Zarahemla. When places are listed in order in the same verse, they share a border in the order they are listed. So, these cities are located next to each other. However, this is the only verse that describes these cities and no information is provided about their location relative to other places. These cities and the cities of Jacobugath and Zarahemla were also destroyed by fire. Using Occam's Razor, these cities should be in proximity to the cities of Jacobugath and Zarahemla. Since the city of Jacobugath is north of the city of Zarahemla and none of these cities were mentioned in any of the descriptions of places south of the city of Zarahemla, again using Occam's Razor, these cities are probably north of the city of Zarahemla.
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