The Book of Abraham is part of Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism), one of the four scriptural "Standard Works" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Book of Abraham can refer to a number of texts: Book of Abraham, a Latter Day Saint movement religious text published by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... For other uses of Pearl of Great Price, see the Pearl of Great Price page. ...

Portions of the Book of Abraham were originally published in 1842 in the Latter Day Saint movement newspaper Times and Seasons together with facsimiles of portions of the papyrus, with Smith's interpretations of selected portions. It was republished as part of the Pearl of Great Price. They have been included in the canon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1880. The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Times and Seasons was a nineteenth-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846. ... A biblical canon is a list of Biblical books which establishes the set of books which are considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular Jewish or Christian community. ... For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ...

The Book of Abraham recounts a story of Abraham's early life as well as a vision concerning the creation of the world. The text expresses some distinctive Latter-day Saint doctrines such as the exaltation of humanity, the plurality of gods, priesthood, pre-mortal existence, and other inhabited worlds in the cosmos. A Latter-day Saint is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ... Exaltation or Eternal Progression is a seminal doctrinal belief among devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or Mormons) that mankind, as spirit children of their Father in Heaven, can become like, not equivalent to, Him. ... The plurality of gods usually refers to a unique doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is based on interpretations of the Bible, the canonical Book of Abraham, the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... In Mormonism, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority to act in the name of God, including the performance of sacred rites and ordinances, and the performance of miracles. ... In Abrahamic religions, pre-existence is the belief that each individual human soul existed before conception, and at conception (or later, depending on when it is believed that the soul enters the body) God places one of these pre-existent souls in the body. ... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the Mormon church) teaches that God is not only the God of this world, but the God of the Universe. ...

For many years the original papyri were thought to be lost. In 1966 fragments were found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Both Mormon and non-Mormon Egyptologists have stated that the surviving fragments are parts of the originals used to create at least one of the facsimiles in the Pearl of Great Price and are segments of funerary texts, dating from the third century B.C to the second century A.D. Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Elevation The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as the Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza against Khafres Pyramid at the Giza pyramid complex. ... The literature that make up the Ancient Egyptian Funerary Texts are a collection of religious documents that were used in Ancient Egypt, usually to help the spirit of the concerned person to be preserved in the afterlife. ...

History of the Book of Abraham Papyrus

In July 1835, an Irishman named Michael Chandler brought a traveling exhibition of four Egyptian mummies and papyri to Kirtland, Ohio, then home of the Latter-Day Saints. The papyri contained Egyptian hieroglyphics.^[1] As the Rosetta Stone had been discovered in 1799 but not completely deciphered, the ability to read Egyptian was not widely known until the 1850s. Joseph Smith, Jr. was asked to review the scrolls to give some insight into what might be written on the papyrus — due to his notoriety and claims to translate ancient records. Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. ... Hieroglyphics redirects here. ... 141. ... Joseph Smith redirects here. ...

After examining the papyrus rolls, Joseph Coe, Simeon Andrews and Joseph Smith purchased the four mummies and the papyri for $2400. Joseph Smith never discussed the method he used to translate the scrolls. Warren Parrish, one of Joseph Smith's scribes stated: "I have set by his side and penned down the translation of the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks as he claimed to receive it by direct inspiration of Heaven."

Joseph Smith mentioned the documents over a dozen times in his personal writings and journals. The majority of them refer to exhibiting them to curious visitors. Four entries refer to translating and one to transcrption. From those records it appears the bulk of the translation work was done in July and the remainder in October and November of 1835. In the "History of the Church" B. H. Roberts wrote that Joseph Smith stated:

... with W.W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as scribes, I commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc. — a more full account of which will appear in its place, as I proceed to examine or unfold them.^[2] William Wines Phelps (also W.W. Phelps, and William W. Phelps) (February 17, 1792–March 7, 1872) was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Joseph interprets the dream of the Pharaoh. ...

Between 1835 and 1837 several individuals recorded their first hand impressions of the mummies and papyri. From these accounts it appears there were two papyrus scrolls and a few additional fragments. In December of 1835 Oliver Cowdery, one of Joseph Smith's scribes, gave a detailed, but partial, description of their contents and stated that they were; "...beautifully written on papyrus with black, and in small part, red ink, in perfect preservation."

One of the most frequently quoted statements concerning the scrolls was made by Josiah Quincy, then mayor of Boston, who saw them in 1841. He quoted Joseph Smith as saying; "That is the handwriting of Abraham, the Father of the Faithful", said the Prophet." and "This is the autograph of Moses, and these lines were written by his brother Aaron. Here we have the earliest account of the Creation, from which Moses composed the First Book of Genesis."

Charles Francis Adams, who accompanied Quincy, also described the visit: "He <Joseph> also conducted them on a tour of his house, where he showed them four Egyptian mummies and explained (for a fee of twenty-five cents) the contents of a manuscript - "written by the hand of Abraham" - which had been found in one of them."

Joseph Smith's statement in the March 1, 1842 edition of the Times and Seasons was that the manuscript was one "purporting to be the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand upon papyrus."

In 1842, portions of the text of the Book of Abraham were published in the Latter Day Saint newspaper Times and Seasons in Nauvoo, Illinois. In 1851, the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith's corrections to the New Testament Book of Matthew, a history of Joseph Smith and a list of core beliefs of the church called The Articles of Faith were compiled into a single volume called the Pearl of Great Price. The main faction of the Latter Day Saint movement, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adopted them as part of the church's canon on October 10, 1880.^[3] The Times and Seasons was a nineteenth-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846. ... There is also a Nauvoo, Alabama, and a Nauvoo, Pennsylvania Nauvoo (נָאווּ to be beautiful, Sephardi Hebrew Nåvu, Tiberian Hebrew Nâwû) is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. ... The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church; see also Mormonism) and some other Latter Day Saint denominations. ... For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

After Joseph Smith's death, the Egyptian artifacts were held principally by his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, and after her death on May 14, 1856, by his widow, Emma Hale Smith. On May 25, 1856, Emma sold four Egyptian mummies with the records with them to Mr. Abel Combs.^[4] Combs then sold two mummies with some papyri, which were sent to the St. Louis Museum. In 1863 they went to the Chicago Museum, where they were apparently burned in the Great Chicago Fire. The fate of Combs's two other mummies is unknown, but some papyri survived. In 1918, Mrs. Alice Heusser of Brooklyn, a daughter of Combs's housekeeper, approached the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA) with the papyri. In 1947 the MMA acquired them from her widower. Aziz S. Atiya of the University of Utah found eleven of these fragments in May 1966.^[5] The papyri were fragmentary, of origin from the late Ptolemaic period, and of very familiar Egyptian texts. Thus they were of little value to a museum. According to Henry G. Fischer, curator of the Egyptian Collection at the MMA, an anonymous donation to the MMA made it possible for the church to acquire the papyri.^[6] These papyrus fragments, originally called the Sensen Papyrus, were designated Joseph Smith Papyrus [JSP] I, XI, and X.^[7] Egyptologist John A. Wilson stated that the recovered fragments indicate the existence of at least six to eight separate documents.^[8] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Emma Hale Smith Emma Hale Smith (10 July 1804 - 30 April 1879) was the wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Artists rendering of the fire, by John R Chapin, originally printed in Harpers Weekly The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Chicago, Illinois. ... Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Elevation The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as the Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt began following Alexander the Greats conquest in 332 BC and ended with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. It was founded when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt, creating a powerful Hellenistic state from southern Syria...

Two additional indications that Jospeh Smith had access to these papyri are that the fragments were pasted down to paper with "drawings of a temple and maps of the Kirtland, Ohio area." and an affidavit from Emma Smith that these papyri had been in the possession of Joseph Smith.^[9]

Content of the Book of Abraham

The Book of Abraham has five chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 include details about Abraham’s early life and his struggle against idolatry in his own family and society. It recounts how pagan priests tried to sacrifice him to their god, and how an angel appeared and rescued him. Chapter 2 includes information about God’s covenant with Abraham, and how it would be fulfilled. Chapters 3 through 5 are a vision in which God shows Abraham the organization of the universe, the creation of the world, and the creation of man.^[10] Summary of the Book of Abraham

Facsimiles from the Book of Abraham

At least two artists, including woodcutter Reuben Hedlock, created facsimiles of three vignettes which were part of the papyri found with the mummies. These facsimiles, which contain hieroglyphics and hieratic writing, were published in conjunction with the text of the Book of Abraham in Times and Seasons. Joseph Smith offered a detailed explanation or interpretation of various elements of the ancient Egyptian iconography and writings. Non-LDS Egyptologists disagree with Smith's interpretations of these facsimiles.^[11] Some believe that under his direction missing or destroyed portions of the fragments were restored in order to make the image complete and aesthetically pleasing.^[12] A section of the Papyrus of Ani showing cursive hieroglyphs. ... Development of hieratic script from hieroglyphs; after Champollion. ... The Times and Seasons was a nineteenth-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846. ...

Facsimile No. 1

Facsimile No. 1 from the Book of Abraham.

According to Joseph Smith, this depicts Abraham fastened to an altar with the “idolatrous priest of Elkenah” about to sacrifice him. Smith interpreted the four shapes underneath the altar as four idolatrous gods with the names Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, and Korash. ^[13] He also mentioned "a god like unto that of Pharaoh, king of Egypt." Image File history File links Scanned version of Facsimile No. ... Image File history File links Scanned version of Facsimile No. ...

Egyptologists agree that the four figures depict four canopic jars. Canopic jars were used to hold the viscera of the mummified corpse and represented the four sons of Horus, who were Egyptian gods. They are depicted with the heads of a human, a baboon, a jackal, and a falcon. They are named respectively Imset, Hapi, Duamatef, and Qebehsenuf.^[14] Among the ancient Egyptians, canopic jars were covered funerary vases, normally composed of clay, intended to keep the viscera of mummified corpses. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Egyptian mythology, Imsety (also transcribed Imset, Amset, sety, Mesti, and Mesta) was a funerary deity, one of the Four sons of Horus, who were associated with the canopic jars, specifically the one which contained the liver. ... Hapi was one of the sons of Horus depicted in funerary literature as protecting the throne of Osiris in the Underworld. ... In Egyptian mythology, Duamutef (also known as Tuamutef) was one of the Four sons of Horus and a funerary god who protected the stomach and large intestines of mummified corpses, kept in a canopic jar. ... In Egyptian mythology, Kebechsenef is a funerary god, associated with falcons and canopic jars (specifically: the jar which contained the viscera of the lower body). ...

Facsimile No. 2

Facsimile No. 2 from the Book of Abraham.

The figure represented by Facsimile 2 is a hypocephalus. In ancient Egyptian burials, it was placed under the head of the deceased to assist them in remembering what to say and how to behave in relation to the 'gods' and trials they would meet after death. These instructions often accompanied a personalized copy of a Book of the Dead and/or a Book of Breathings, and were a synopsis of information in the companion Book of the Dead. No two hypocephali or Books of the Dead appear to be the same, with portions left out or included depending on the wealth or status of their owner. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A hypocephalus A hypocephalus is a small disk-shaped object made of papyrus, stuccoed linen, bronze, gold, wood, or clay, which Egyptians placed under the head of their dead (hypocephalus = hypó {Greek: under, below} + cephalus {Latin: head}). They believed it would magically cause the head and body to be enveloped...

Joseph Smith provided explanations for several figures in this facsimile. He said that the central figure represents "Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God."^[15]. He gave other astronomical interpretations for some of the figures and for the others he stated that their interpretations “will be given in the own due time of the Lord”.^[16] In Mormonism, Kolob is a star or planet mentioned in the Book of Abraham as being nearest to the throne of God. ...

Facsimile No. 3

Facsimile No. 3 from the Book of Abraham.

The explanation of Facsimile No. 3 in the Pearl of Great Price states: Image File history File links Scanned version of Facsimile No. ... Image File history File links Scanned version of Facsimile No. ...

• Fig. 1. Abraham sitting upon Pharaoh’s throne, by the politeness of the king, with a crown upon his head, representing the Priesthood, as emblematical of the grand Presidency in Heaven; with the scepter of justice and judgment in his hand.
• Fig. 2. King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head.
• Fig. 3. Signifies Abraham in Egypt as given also in Figure 10 of Facsimile No. 1.
• Fig. 4. Prince of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, as written above the hand.
• Fig. 5. Shulem, one of the king’s principal waiters, as represented by the characters above his hand.
• Fig. 6. Olimlah, a slave belonging to the prince.

One of the challenges in interpreting a scene like this is that the headdresses and regailia of the figures are significant. For example, Figure 2 has been identified by some some Egyptologists as Isis, but since the headdress lacks the cobra motif it more likely represents Hathorwho is often pictured as a woman wearing cow's horns with a sun disk between them.

The seated figure is wearing the atef crown which was worn for religious rituals and is holding a crook and flail which symbolized kingship. In order to be pharoah of Egypt Osiris had to wear this crown. The image in Facsimile 3 lacks the typical ram horn motif.

The person in front of the seated figure, but with their face turned away, is wearing the headdress of Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of justice, truth and order. ^[17]

Some Egyptologists say this scene frequently depicts the judgment of the dead before the occupied throne of the Egyptian god, Osiris.^[18] However, complete judgment scenes typically include Thoth, the judge of truth, weighing the heart of the deceased against a feather, as depicted in Chapter 30B of the Book of Going forth by Day, also known as the Papyrus of Ani.

Analysis of the papyrus

Upon the return of the papyri in November 1967, the LDS church asked Hugh Nibley, a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University (BYU) to study them. Nibley had significant experience with ancient languages, but did not claim to be an Egyptologist. The LDS church published sepia photographs of the papyri in one of its church magazines and a line by line translation was provided in "The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri - An Egyptian Endowment" .^[19] The editors of an independent quarterly journal, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, requested a translation of the papyri on the basis of these photographs from three American Egyptologists, John A. Wilson (University of Chicago, Oriental Institute), Klaus Baer (University of Chicago, Oriental Institute), and Richard A. Parker (Director of the Department of Egyptology, Brown University).^[20] They produced translations that were published in the journal in 1968. Hugh Winder Nibley (born March 27, 1910 in Portland, Oregon - died February 24, 2005) was one of Mormonisms most celebrated scholars. ... , Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is a private coeducational school completely owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and run under the auspices of its Church Educational System. ... For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ... Richard Anthony Parker (December 10, 1905 - June 3, 1993) was a prominent professor of Egyptology. ... Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island. ...

The Joseph Smith Papyrus fragment containing facsimile 1 is divided into three parts. Klaus Baer was the first person to publish a literal translation of the writing flanking the original of facsimile 1. His translation is as follows:

... the prophet of Amonrasonter, prophet [?] of Min Bull-of-his-Mother, prophet [?] of Khons the Governor… Hor, justified, son of the holder of the same titles, master of secrets, and purifier of the gods Osorwer, justified [?]… Tikhebyt, justified. May your ba live among them, and may you be buried in the West…May you give him a good, splendid burial on the West of Thebes just like ...^[21] The Egyptian God Min This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Thebes Thebes (, ThÄ“bai) is the Greek designation of the ancient Egyptian niwt (The) City and niwt-rst (The) Southern City. It is located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile (). Thebes was the capital of Waset, the fourth Upper Egyptian nome...

Hor is the name of the mummified deceased and Tikhebyt is the name of Hor’s mother. The ba is his spirit. Updated translations consistent with Klaus Baer have been provided by others including BYU researcher Michael D. Rhodes,^[22] BYU Egyptologist, John Gee,^[23] and another University of Chicago Egyptologist, Robert K. Ritner.^[24] Akh redirects here. ...

The middle section of the Joseph Smith Papyrus fragment following facsimile 1 was initially translated by Richard Parker of Brown University. His translation is as follows:

this great pool of Khonsu [Osiris Hor, justified], born of Taykhebyt, a man likewise. After (his) two arms are [fast]ened to his breast, one wraps the Book of Breathings, which is with writing both inside and outside of it, with royal linen, it being placed (at) his left arm near his heart, this having been done at his wrapping and outside it. If this book be recited for him, then he will breathe like the soul[s of the gods] for ever and ever.^[25]

Translations of this section have also been made by Baer,^[26] Nibley,^[27] and Ritner^[28] and they are consistent with Parker's.

For the third section, Klaus Baer noted that Hor’s Book of Breathings would end with facsimile 3, however the vignette is missing or lost in the original papyrus. Using the facsimile, the following translations have been made by Robert K. Ritner.^[29]

Label for Osiris (text to the right of figure 1 of facsimile 3): For other uses, see Osiris (disambiguation). ...

Recitation by Osiris, Foremost of the Westerners, Lord of Abydos(?), the great god forever and ever(?). Abydos (Arabic: أبيدوس, Greek Αβυδος), one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, is about 11 km (6 miles) west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10 N. The Egyptian name was Abdju (technically, 3bdw, hieroglyphs shown to the right), the hill of the symbol or reliquary, in which the sacred...

Label for Isis (text to the right of figure 2 of facsimile 3): This article discusses the ancient goddess Isis. ...

Isis the great, the god's mother.

Label for Maat (text to the left of figure 4 of facsimile 3): [1] Maàt, reconstructed to have been pronounced as * (Muh-aht)[2], was the Ancient Egyptian concept of law, morality, and justice[3] which was deified as a goddess. ...

Maat, mistress of the gods.

Label for Hor the deceased (text in front of figure 5 of facsimile 3):

The Osiris Hor, justified forever.

Label for Anubis (text in front of figure 6 of facsimile 3): For other uses, see Anubis (disambiguation). ...

Recitation by Anubis, who makes protection(?), foremost of the embalming booth,...

Invocation (text at bottom line below the illustration):

O gods of the necropolis, gods of the caverns, gods of the south, north, west, and east grant salvation to the Osiris Hor, the justified, born by Taikhibit.

The link of facsimile 3 with facsimile 1 and the papyrus scroll is established by the translation of the name of the deceased, Hor and the name of his mother, Taikhibit . Another translation of facsimile 3 has been made by Rhodes^[30] which is consistent with Ritner's.

Criticism and response

The identification of texts is used by critics as evidence against the Book of Abraham's authenticity. The main arguments are:

• Neither the recovered papyri nor the facsimiles published with the Book of Abraham bear any direct connection, either historical or textual, to Abraham. Abraham's name does not appear anywhere in the papyri or the facsimiles.^[31]
• Joseph Smith’s interpretation of the facsimiles do not bear any similarity to modern Egyptologists' translations of the text in these figures.^[32] Apologists respond that some of Joseph Smith's translations restore the original author's symbolic representations and not the literal Egyptian translations.^[33]
• The Joseph Smith Papyri have been determined to be from the late Ptolemaic or early Roman period which is at least 1500 years after Abraham’s lifetime.^[34] Apologists respond that the papryi need only be copies of the original written by Abraham and also claim that there exist some Egyptian scrolls from the same time period that contain the name of Abraham.^[35]
• Anachronisms exist in the Book of Abraham which indicate that it was not written in Abraham’s time.^[36]
• Within a series of documents written by Joseph Smith's scribes, the "Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar", also known as the "Kirtland Egyptian Papers", some manuscripts support the notion that the Book of Abraham was wrongly translated from extant papyrus.^[37]

Mormon apologists have presented a number of theories in defense of the authenticity of the Book of Abraham. The most popular theories argue the following: The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt began following Alexander the Greats conquest in 332 BC and ended with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. It was founded when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt, creating a powerful Hellenistic state from southern Syria... The conquests of Alexander the Great brought Egypt within the orbit of the Greek world for the next 900 years. ... An anachronism (from Greek ana, back, and chronos, time) is an artifact that belongs to another time, a person who seems to be displaced in time (i. ...

• The remaining papyrus fragments are not the ones Smith used to translate the Book of Abraham from or the fragments may have merely been a starting point for Smith's reconstruction and that the bulk of the original papyri had been destroyed.^[38] Critics respond noting that facsimile 1 matches the vignette in the existing papyrus and there is a direct reference in the Book of Abraham to facsimile 1.^[39]
• Joseph Smith may have received the account by revelation, rather than a standard "translation" of text from one language to another, in a process similar to his translation of the Bible.^[40] Critics note that the existence of the “Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar” shows that Smith did attempt a direct translation.^[41] Others note that the revelation theory contradicts Smith's own statements that the Book of Abraham is a translation as described in the original handwritten manuscript of the book as well as in other church documents.^[42]
• Abraham's writings may be esoterically encoded within the Egyptian funerary scrolls, such as through a mnemonic device.^[43]
• The facsimiles were not penned by Abraham, but by a Jewish redactor many centuries later.^[44]
• The text of the Book of Abraham should be evaluated in the light of other religious texts. There are at least a dozen unique thematic elements in the Book of Abraham that are supported by extrabiblical material that was not available to Joseph Smith. ^[45]

The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, also called the Inspired Version of the Bible or the JST, is a version of the Bible dictated by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... For other uses, see Mnemonic (disambiguation). ...

Interpretations and contributions to Mormonism

The text of the Book of Abraham contains statements that support or clarify several Latter-day Saint doctrines, including the exaltation of man, plurality of gods, priesthood, and pre-mortal existence. Some of these beliefs are not found in any of the other canonized scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Exaltation or Eternal Progression is a seminal doctrinal belief among devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or Mormons) that mankind, as spirit children of their Father in Heaven, can become like, not equivalent to, Him. ... Henotheism (Greek heis theos one god) is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a single God while accepting the existence of other gods. ... In Mormonism, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority to act in the name of God, including the performance of sacred rites and ordinances, and the performance of miracles. ... In Abrahamic religions, pre-existence is the belief that each individual human soul existed before conception, and at conception (or later, depending on when it is believed that the soul enters the body) God places one of these pre-existent souls in the body. ... For other uses, see Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation). ...

The Community of Christ, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), has not accepted the Book of Abraham as canonical. In 1896, the leaders of the church at the time, Joseph Smith III and Heman C. Smith made the following observation on the Book of Abraham, RLDS redirects here. ... Joseph Smith III — Leader of the 1860 Reorganization of the Latter Day Saint church. ...

The church has never to our knowledge taken any action on this work, either to indorse [sic] or condemn; so it cannot be said to be a church publication; nor can the church be held to answer for the correctness of its teaching. Joseph Smith, as the translator, is committed of course to the correctness of the translation, but not necessarily to the indorsement [sic] of its historical or doctrinal contents.^[46]

See also

• Mormon cosmology

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the Mormon church) teaches that God is not only the God of this world, but the God of the Universe. ...

Notes

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Ashment, Edward H (December 1979), "The Facsimilies of the Book of Abraham: A Reappraisal", Sunstone 17.18, <http://www.sunstoneonline.com/magazine/searchable/mag-text17.18.asp#Page33>. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
• Ashment, Edward H (Winter 2000), "Joseph Smith's Identification of "Abraham" in Papyrus JS1, the "Breathing Permit of Hor"", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 33 (4): 121-126, <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2Fdialogue&CISOPTR=8716&REC=10&CISOBOX=Ashment>.
• Baer, Klaus (Autumn 1968), "The Breathing Permit of Hor: A Translation of the Apparent Source of the Book of Abraham", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 3 (3), <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=1014&REC=11>. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
• Barney, Kevin (2006), Gee, John & Brian M Hauglid, eds., "The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources", Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (Brigham Young University), ISBN 0934893764, <http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/bookschapter.php?chapid=168>.
• Gee, John (1992), written at Provo, Utah, "A Tragedy of Errors (Review of By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri by Charles M. Larson)", FARMS Review of Books (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies) 4 (1): 93-119, <http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=92>. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
• Parker, Richard A (Summer 1968), "The Joseph Smith Papyri: A Preliminary Report", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=1659&REC=10>. Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
• Rhodes, Michael D (1992), written at Provo, Utah, "The Book of Abraham: Divinely Inspired Scripture", FARMS Review of Books (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies) 4 (1): 120-126, <http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=93>. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
• Rhodes, Michael D (2005), The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary, Brigham Young University, ISBN 0934893632.
• Ritner, Robert K (Winter 2000), "The "Breathing Permit of Hor" Thirty Four Years Later", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 33 (4), <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=8716&REC=10>. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
• Ritner, Robert K (July 2003), "'The Breathing Permit of Hôr' Among the Joseph Smith Papyri", Journal of Near Eastern Studies.
• Smith, Milan D. Jr (Winter 1990), ""That is the Handwriting of Abraham"", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 23 (4): 167-169, <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=21741&REC=10>.
• Thompson, Stephen E (Spring 1995), "Egyptology and the Book of Abraham", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 28 (1): 143-160, <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=26881&REC=7>. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
• Wilson, John A (Summer 1968), "The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri Translations and Interpretations", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 3 (2): 67-85, <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=1659&REC=10>. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.

External links

Latter-day Saints Portal

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1065x800, 99 KB) Summary Christus statue on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah Taken by Ricardo630 in August 2005 Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms...

Neutral perspectives

• The Book of Abraham from Wikisource.
• The Pearl of Great Price (containing the Book of Abraham) from The LDS Church website
• Egyptian Hieroglyphics and Egyptology Page An online guide to general hieroglyphic meanings.

The original Wikisource logo. ...

Supporter's perspectives

• Brigham Young University: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies: Book of Abraham: links to many discussions from LDS perspectives.
• The Joseph Smith Hypocephalus...Twenty Years Later, by Michael D. Rhodes. Views of differences and similarities in translations and meanings by one Mormon scholar.
• Book of Abraham project
• Critical analysis of the hypocephalus, argues for the validity of Joseph Smith's translations.
• Symbolism of the Book of Abraham Paul Osborne's Website
• Joseph Smith's Use of Hebrew, background information on Joseph Smith's use of Hebrew in, among other places, the Book of Abraham.
• Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought Independent Mormon journal with scholarly works on the Book of Abraham.
• Eyewitness, Hearsay and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith Papyri
• LDS Church website search results concerning the Book of Abraham
• The Pearl of Great Price Student Manual

Critical perspectives

• The Book of Abraham Info Clearinghouse, a website "devoted to the idea that the Book of Abraham...is not what it purports to be."
• The Book of Abraham: reaction from Egyptologists since 1860
• The Mormons and Egyptology Page An opinion by an egyptologist including other related links.
• Examining the Book of Abraham A nine-part essay that is a fairly detailed overview of the critics' perspective of the Book of Abraham.
• By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri, by Charles M. Larson
• Solving the Mystery of the Joseph Smith Papyri, from Jerald and Sandra Tanner's newsletter archive

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