Why doesnt the translation of the egyptian papyri found. Mormon handbook the book of abraham facsimile 2 facsimile 2 is a common egyptian hypocephalus. In the book of abraham, facsimile 2, figure 7, joseph smith identified the ithyphallic egyptian god min as. The church released its official response to the book of abraham in its july 8. Ancient egyptian documents from thebes show that the name abraham can be plausibly connected with hypocephali inasmuch as abraham is called the pupil of the wedjateye in one. Apologetics press facsimile 1 from the book of abraham. Facsimile 2 posted on april 12, 2015 november 26, 2015 by wes trexler facsimile 2 is actually a representation of a hypocephalus. The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. Although this seems like evidence against the validity of the book of abraham, the case of strange words in the book of abraham is not unusual at all. For many who have left the church, facsimile 3 is the biggest evidence against the book of abraham. Contemporary egyptologists translations of figures 811 in the book of abraham bare an eerie resemblance to a phrase used in the temple. Answers to the hebrew word raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the.
Critical appraisal of the book of abraham wikipedia. The recent web posting on the book of abraham by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints hereafter the lds church represents new reflection on a document whose authenticity as verifiable history is now officially acknowledged to be in serious dispute. The lds church admits on their website that the book of abraham is not a translation of the papyri joseph claimed it was a translation of. Ritners direct response than they would in several weeks of mining through obfuscated unofficial mormon apologetic materials. This explanation is completely bogus because the book of abraham contains smiths translations of facsimile drawings included in the papyri. An early rendering of it reveals damage, and egyptologists agree that facsimile 2 is a poor and inaccurate restoration. Michael marquardt, it seems clear that smith had the bible open to genesis as he dictated this section i. An open response to an apologists explanation of the book. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham a. The book of abraham is a work produced between 1835 and 1842 by joseph smith based. In number 3 of facsimile 2, joseph says the egyptian pagan god of sun. This article points to known cases where jewish authors adapted egyptian iconography and scenes to a jewish point of view andcontinue reading.
Ritner, like before, wants to insist that lds members must believe abraham himself wrote the text, and what we have is a perfect copy of what abraham wrote, and since there are elements in the text after abraham, therefore this book is false. The facsimiles and semitic adaptation of existing sources. Mormon and nonmormon egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do not match the translation given in the book of abraham. The literature on the book of abraham ranges from doctrinal commentaries on the pearl of great price the lds book of scripture containing the book of abraham to some studies directed to the history of joseph smiths involvement with the egyptian artifacts with. The inspiration and basis for the text of the book of abraham is p. According to smith, the book comprised ancient records. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham a response. Joseph smiths notes to facsimile 2 identify it as representing god sitting. Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director book of. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham. For lds, the two biggest problems that arise are 1 the text found just next to what we call facsimile 1 in the papyrus fragment that the church owns is not the story of abraham, but is rather from an egyptian funerary text.
Source hypocephalus as published in the book of abraham. Latterday saints can learn more accurate and pertinent data and information in 2 hours of reading both the churchs translation and historicity of the book of abraham essay and dr. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 3. Ashment, egyptian, egyptian alphabet and grammar, facsimile no. Were looking at the translation of joseph smiths hypocephalus and comparing it with the translations of egyptologists. The first issue is whether the facsimiles were correctly restored. As for the egyptian facsimiles published with the book of abraham see.
Some resources for the puzzling facsimile 3 of the book of. Today it is presumed that the papyri that formed the basis for facsimiles 2 and. The book of abraham is an 1835 work produced by latter day saints lds movement founder joseph smith that he claimed were translated from egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. Section 2 section 5 section section 20 section 27 section 48 section 101 pearl of great price book of abraham facsimile 1 facsimile 2 facsimile 3 translation manuscripts king james bible the inspired version journal of discourses other scriptures. Facsimile 2 as found in the kirtland egyptian papers. The above donut chart shows percentages of the book of abraham section of letter to a ces director that fairmormon is in agreement, disagreement, and neutral on if one assumes that fairmormons undisputed silence is acceptance of the facts, fairmormon agrees with 90. The book of abraham is the second book in the pearl of great. Eldon tanner suggested to nelson that it was his duty as an elder in the church to handle the matter in a way that would be sympathetic to lds doctrine, but nelson refused to make alterations to his translation. After his kind compared with the book of moses, the book of abraham seems to more forcefully state the idea that all beings could only reproduce after their own kind. Book of abraham facsimile 2 that one mission thing. Joseph smiths interpretation of these cuts is a farrago of nonsense from beginning to end. There are passages in the text of the book of abraham which are attributed to abraham and which refer to facsimile 1 abr. This would make the book of abraham the only existing original copy of a scriptural book.
Labeled as facsimiles 1 through 3, smith claimed they too were part of the book of abraham. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 2. Egyptian characters can now be read almost as easily as greek, and five minutes study in an egyptian gallery of any museum should be enough to convince any educated. Through the years, whenever the book of abraham was printed there were included with the printed text three drawings, each designated as a facsimile from this alleged book of abraham.
Joseph smith 20 polygamy 11 translation 11 book of mormon 9 brigham young 7 god 6. The three facsimiles found in the book of abraham all derive from ancient egyptian. Nearly half of the book of abraham shows a dependence on the king james version of the book of genesis. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of god. To find these four old friends at home in the apocalypse of abraham is an undeniable link between the book of abraham and the book of the dead. Joseph only interpreted one figure of anubis as a priest, in facsimile 1. Official response of the mormon church to the book of abraham. A response december 2, 1983 by ben crowder abraham, anubis, apocalypse of abraham, bonwetsch, book of abraham, edward h.
There are a number of foreign words in the book of abraham that we have found no ancient counterparts forwords such as kaeevanrash, the explanation for figure 5 in facsimile 2. In the book of abraham also we are told that the plan of the cosmos, represented by facsimile no. The facsimiles and semitic adaptation of existing sources as found in astronomy, papyrus, and covenant, edited by john gee and brian m. Latter day saints, dictated what he claimed was a translation of an ancient egyptian papyrus containing the writings of abraham. First, the association of facsimile 1 with the book of abraham cannot derive from abraham, since facsimile 1 dates to approximately 100 b. The illustration represented by facsimile 2 is a hypocephalus, a disc made of linen, papyrus, or bronze, covered with inscriptions and images which relate to one of the last spells in the book of the dead. Smith who had claimed to have translated the book of mormon from golden. The book of abraham is a book of lds scripture that joseph smith translated from a collection of ancient egyptian papyri the church purchased. The evidence suggests that the book of abraham reflects concepts of joseph smiths time and place rather than those of an ancient world.
First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. All five chapters of the book of abraham, along with three illustrations now known as facsimiles 1, 2, and 3, were published in the times and seasons, the churchs newspaper in nauvoo, between march and may 1842. Joseph smith either translated the book of abraham by the gift and power of god, or he made it all up. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham university of. An online handbook to the lds church mormon comparing the source hypocephalus to the published facsimile while we dont have the original hypocephalus, an early rendering of it reveals damage, and egyptologists agree that facsimile 2 is a poor and inaccurate restoration. The mormon god and a phallic god could be considered one and the same. There is another facsimile in the book of abraham revealing additional areas of mistranslation. Ritner 5 early mormonism and the magic world view, 244. Ancient egyptian documents from thebes show that the name abraham can be plausibly connected with hypocephali inasmuch as abraham is called the pupil of the. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of.
He included copies of 3 vignettes found among the papyri and his interpretations of them. Abraham sitting upon pharaohs throne, by the politeness of the king, with a crown upon his head, representing the priesthood, as emblematical of the grand presidency in heaven. Not only does joseph smith get the translations here wrong, but we have what looks like pretty clear evidence that he had the lead printing plate altered to cut the snout off anubis because he believed the figure was a slave, likely. The web posting notes also two writings by john gee notes 44 and 45, purporting to prove a memory of the sacrifice of abraham by pharaoh in later egypt. What do you think of the lds churchs book of abraham. Facsimile 2 see it online at is an egyptian hypocephalus, a figure placed under the head of a deceased person to provide light and guidance to help him through the night of death into the day of resurrection. Speaking of the translation of the book of mormon, the lord said, you cannot. Ritners response to the book of abraham essay general. The following is a sidebyside comparison of what joseph smith translated in facsimile 2 versus what it actually says according to egyptologists and modern egyptology. Most latter day saints dont realize that in at least one case, that prophecy has come true. The book of abraham, it is hardly necessary to say, is a pure fabrication. Since his translation did not support the book of abraham, elder n. It seems obvious that smith improvised facsimile no. Wilford woodruff recorded in his diary on february 19, 1842 that the book of abraham was literally written by abraham himself.
Facsimile 2 the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Smith explained the similarities by reasoning that when moses penned genesis, he used the book of abraham as a guide, abridging. The book of abraham is easily the most esoteric book in the latterday saint canon. Official church response to book of abraham problems. The following are common criticisms associated with facsimile 3. The book of abraham includes facsimile 2 as shown here, complete with. It is not fully accurate to claim that the thirdcentury demotic papyrus cited by gee connects abraham with an illustration similar to facsimile 1 in the book of abraham. It would also date the record of abraham about 2,000 b. Ritners response to lds statement on the book of abraham. Abraham refers to a picture in the text of the book of abraham, and this picture is presumed to be the one we call facsimile one. The book of abraham issues translation problems mormonthink. Fairs apologetics regarding the book of abraham offends intellect.
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