The Jaredites built cities, but there is no mention of towns or villages. It appears the term “city” applies to settlements of all sizes. The city Nehor is the only named city. The record states that Shule, a member of the Jaredite ruling family, “returned to the city Nehor, and gave battle unto his brother Corihor, by which means he obtained the kingdom and restored it unto his father Kib” (Ether 7:8-9). The record mentions that Coriantum, an early Jaredite king, “did walk in the steps of his father, and did build many mighty cities” (Ether 9:23). Also Shez, a great-grandson of Coriantum, “build up many cities upon the face of the land, and the people began again to spread over all the face of the land” (Ether 10:4). Morianton, another Jaredite king, “gathered together an army of outcasts, and went forth and gave battle unto the people; and he gained power over many cities” (Ether 10:9). Thus Morianton “built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds” (Ether 10:12). Near the end of the Jaredite record, Shiz, the brother of Lib, “pursued after Coriantumr,” his nemesis, and “did overthrow many cities, and he did slay both women and children, and he did burn the cities” (Ether 14:17). It is difficult to burn cities consisting of stone buildings. We assume these Jaredite structures were mainly made of wood, as were the Nephite buildings.

Moroni mentions that the Jaredites “built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land” (Ether 10:20). This description provides a known physical location, the narrow neck of land, where we can place this Jaredite city in relation to the Nephite-named lands of Desolation and Bountiful. A location “by the narrow neck of land” also allows us to place this Jaredite city within a known area of Baja California. The phrases, “great city” and “mighty city” can be misleading. In old English the term “great” in this context refers to the role of the city and not its size. A great city would be a capital city (political, administrative or monarchical) or a city that functions as a central marketplace, even though its size could be rather small. The term “mighty” refers to a city’s power and strength as a fortified or defensible center and not its size.

Omer, the great-great-grandson of Jared who came from the great tower, “departed out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed, and from thence eastward, and came to a place which was called Ablom, by the seashore, and there he pitched his tent” (Ether 9:3). This brief travel description places the hill Shim, the hill where Mormon obtained the records of Nephites, near the place where the Nephites were destroyed—the hill and land of Cumorah (Morm. 1:1-5; 2:17-18). The hill Cumorah is the same hill as the hill Ramah where the Jaredites were destroyed and the place where Mormon hid all the records of Nephites, save the plates he gave to his son Moroni (Morm. 6:6; Ether 9:3; 15:11). Eastward of the hill Ramah (Cumorah) was the seashore location of a place called Ablom. The casual and offhand wording of Moroni’s travel narrative strengthens the impression that the three locations—hill Shim, hill Ramah (Cumorah) and Alblom by the sea—were relatively close together and well-known even among the Nephites. This travel account also places the hill Cumorah in a location just to the west of a sea. We propose that the sea in question is the “sea east,” the sea that bordered the eastern seacoast of all the major Book of Mormon lands. We also propose that the Sea of Cortez, to the east of Baja California, is the “sea east.” (See our topic article, From the Sea West to the Sea East)