The current text of Alma 11:18-19 reads:
18 Now this is their number,
according to their reckoning. 19 Now an antion of gold is equal to
three shiblons.
However, if one consults the
extant Original and the Printer’s Manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, what is
now verse 18 came after v. 19—in other words, the order of the sentences was
switched.
The
Original manuscript of the Book of Mormon reads:
now an antio[n of Gold is equal to three shiblo]ns now
this is their number acco[rding to their reckoning]
The
Printer’s manuscript reads:
now an antion of Gold is equal to three shiblons now this
is their number according to their reckoning.
This error has persisted in
all published editions of the Book of Mormon since 1830. As Royal Skousen
noted:
Somehow the 1830 typesetter switched the order of these
two sentences, placing the specific statement regarding the antion of gold
after the summarizing statement “now this is their number according to their
reckoning”. The fact that both sentences begin with now probably played
a role in causing this confusion. Both the original and printer's manuscripts
support the original order. (Royal Skousen, Analysis of Textual
Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part 3: Mosiah 17-Alma 20, p. 1811)
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