<Dt> Book of Mormon inhabitants </Dt> <P> During the 19th century a common belief was that the Jews, particularly the Lost Ten Tribes, were the ancestors of Native Americans and the Mound Builders . The Book of Mormon (published first in 1830) provides a related belief, as its narrative describes two major immigrations to the Americas from Mesopotamia: the Jaredites (c. 3000--2000 BCE) and an Israelite group in 590 BCE (termed Nephites, Lamanites and Mulekites). While the Nephites, Lamanites, and Mulekites were all of Jewish origin coming from Israel around 590 BCE, the Jaradites were a non-Abrahamic people separate in all aspects, except in a belief in Jehovah, from the Nephites . The Book of Mormon depicts these settlers building magnificent cities, which were destroyed by warfare about CE 385 . </P> <P> Some Mormon scholars have considered The Book of Mormon narrative a description of the mound - building cultures; other Mormon apologists argue for a Mesoamerican or South American setting . Theories about a Mesoamerican setting for the Book of Mormon did not develop until after Latter - day Saints were influenced by publicized findings about the Central American stone ruins . This occurred after the Book of Mormon was published . </P> <Dl> <Dt> Black civilizations </Dt> </Dl>

Where did the largest settlement of mound builders exist