The truth of the book of abraham is ultimately found through careful study of its teachings, sincere prayer, and the confirmation of the spirit. Book of abraham facsimile number 2 wikimedia commons. The book of abraham is a work produced between 1835 and 1842 by joseph smith based, he said, on egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. And on smith goes, quoting brief clips of turkish, german, syrian, spanish. Travis wayne goodsell goes over josephs manner of translation of the facsimiles of the book of abraham in a step by step level process to explain this mystery.
The lds church issued a new article on the book of abraham on its official website in 2014, arguing that it does not matter that the text of the book of abraham does not match the text of the papyri joseph smith said he had translated. I dont know why anyone would be shocked that the facsimiles are egyptian. Manuscripts for the contents of both facsimile 3 and the last nine verses in the times and seasons version of the book of abraham currently abraham 4. The book of abraham has with uncanny skill anticipated the trends of modern scholarship. Stands next to kolob, called by the egyptians oliblish, which is the next grand governing creation near to the celestial or the place where god resides.
Also printed with the book of abraham are three facsimiles numbered one. Book of abraham facsimile 2 book of abraham kirtland egyptian papers. Reprint of the actual papyrus used by joseph smith. Facsimile 2 as found in the kirtland egyptian papers. Annotations and commentary from the printed volume will be included.
To me, this shows that joseph smith clearly altered the reproduction of the facsimile. It usually represents the embalming of the deceased individual in preparation for burial. Evidence suggests that elements of the book of abraham fit comfortably in the ancient world and supports the claim that the book of abraham is an authentic record. The facsimiles and their respective explanations were later included with the text of the pearl of great price in a reengraved format. Facsimile 3 published in the book of abraham is a scene from the ancient egyptian book of the dead. In this chapter we will examine another book of the mormon scriptures called the book of abraham. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham response. It is regarded as scripture by beta israel ethiopian jews, but not by any other jewish or christian groups.
Common egyptian hypocephalus 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. The following is his translation, interpretation, and commentary on facsimile 2 as found in our present book of abraham. The book of abraham makes explicit reference to this facsimile, noting. Facsimile 3 is described by joseph smith as 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. It is obvious to anyone trained in reading such hieroglyphs that joseph did not translate the book of abraham from papyri that early lds members purchased while in kirtland, ohio. Joseph smiths manner of translating the book of abraham and its facsimiles is shrouded in mystery. Disproves lds claims that joseph smith received the book of abraham through revelation and proves that joseph smiths source for his translation was a pagan egyptian text, the book of breathings. In it he included the findings of eight scholars who had examined the facsimiles or drawings which are found in the book of abraham. 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 editors are to be praised for their impressive handling and publication of this fascinating material that opens the door to not only smiths book of abraham, but also the. Joseph smith knew that they translated to an egyptian context, but he did not give a word for word translation. The false translation of the book of abraham, therefore, casts serious doubt on the book of mormon as well, forever debilitating josephs claim he was a true, inspired prophet of god. In his periodical,times and seasons, joseph smith identified the same illustration as a facsimile from the book of abraham, showing that he mistakenly thought this breathing permit was actually the work of the patriarch abraham some two thousand years earlier. He goes over the 7 translation types that joseph used in an easy to understand. There is another facsimile in the book of abraham revealing additional areas of mistranslation. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 2 in the. If you follow carefully through the printed explanation of facsimile no. The book of abraham skinny frequently, when reading a discussion on the lds problem of the book of abraham, the apologists and critics beat around the bushconfusing the reader.
You can complete the translation of abrahmen given by the german english collins dictionary with other dictionaries. The video demonstrates that facsimile 1 from joseph smiths book of abraham. Egyptian context is different skeptics say joseph smith mistranslated facsimile 3. For instance, on a webpage previously housed at byu, a farms author avoids the most obvious question that any lds person would have regarding facsimile 2. I want to say to you, read the book, the pearl of great price, and read the book of abraham. Spaulding published a 31page booklet entitled joseph smith, jun. These are egyptian illustrations and they have nothing to do with abraham, skeptics claim. A translation of some ancient records, that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of egypt. Translation for abraham lincoln in the free englishgerman dictionary and many other german translations. According to smith, the book was a translation of some ancient records. Rhodes never comments on how his english translation of the egyptian texts supports or does not support the book of abraham.
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. The previous description of the book of abraham read, a translation from some egyptian papyri that came into the hands of joseph smith in 1835, containing writings of the patriarch abraham. Let us remember, incidentally, that this book of moses was written in 1830, long before anyone heard of the joseph smith papyri or the book of abraham, to say nothing of the apocalypse and testament of. I know of none of the lds scholars who left the church because of their translation, but if such is the case, i would put that person in the same category as your friend. Lds egyptologist doubts joseph smith translated the book of.
May 24, 2015 my explanation of the facsimiles in lds scripture. 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. Of all the sacred texts of the mormon church, one of the most fascinating is the book of abraham, a fivechapter book that purportedly records the travels of abraham in egypt. I return herewith, under separate cover, the pearl of great price. Facsimile 3 translation manuscripts king james bible the inspired version journal of discourses. Book of abraham and facsimiles, 1 march16 may 1842, page 703. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. Facsimile 2 in the book of abraham is a common egyptian hypocephalus. Thompson presented his reasons for concluding that joseph smith did not produce the book of abraham by translating it, as he claimed, from an.
We have a few things to look at here so lets start at the beginning. Joseph smiths notes to facsimile 2 identify it as representing god sitting in the heavens. According to joseph smiths introductory comments in the translation, abraham wrote the book himself, by his own hand, upon papyrus smith, 1842, 93. Joseph smith and the lds church for over 170 years have claimed that the book of abraham is a translation of a portion of the papyri scrolls purchased by the church in 1835 kirtland, ohio, and that this portion contains the writings of abraham written by abraham s own hand. When the book of abraham was first published to the world in 1842, it was published as a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into joseph smiths hands from the catacombs of egypt, purporting to be the writings of abraham while he was in egypt, called the book of abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus. With reverso you can find the german translation, definition or synonym for abrahmen and thousands of other words. The testament of abraham is a pseudepigraphic text of the old testament. The published insights explore the book of abraham text, the facsimiles, and the coming forth and translation of the record. The book of abraham is a book of lds scripture that joseph smith translated. All three facsimiles are said to be from the book of abraham, but facsimile 2 apparently was not a part of a scroll but was a separate document on its own. Mar 26, 2007 according to the documentary history of the church dhc 2.
Did joseph smith give a correct meaning for facsimile 3, years before egyptologists unlocked the mysterious of ancient egyptian. The book of abraham translation watchman fellowship, inc. Purporting to be the writings of abraham while he was in egypt, called the book of abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus. New joseph smith papers volume published book of mormon. Examining facsimile one from the book of abraham youtube. Wikipedia, lexilogos, langenscheidt, duden, wissen, oxford, collins dictionaries. The book of abraham is a work produced between 1835 and 1842 by the latter day saints lds movement founder joseph smith that he said was based on egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. Jump to navigation jump to search the article book of abraham facsimile number. Explores the joseph smith papyrus and demonstrates that joseph smiths claim that he had translated the book of abraham from it was a fabrication. All of the documents presented in this new volume are available for examination online at the joseph smith papers website.
This vignette is called a lion couch scene by egyptologists. The book of abraham issues translation problems mormonthink. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 1. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of.
As explained on the pearl of great price central website, these short articles aim to provide readers with useful insights as they explore this rich and rewarding text and to bolster confidence in joseph smiths. It is claimed that facsimile 1 is simply a typical funerary scene and there are many other papyri showing the same basic scene, and that the missing portions of the drawing were incorrectly restored. In this article, egyptologist robert ritner responds to that article. The following essay is the official lds released essay entitled translation and historicity of the book of abraham. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 3. In the last chapter, we saw some of the problems mormonism faces with the book of mormon and archaeology. The recently modified description creates ambiguity regarding the origin and nature of the text. In sum, volume 4 of the joseph smith papers, revelations and translation series, book of abraham and related transcripts, is an extraordinary scholarly accomplishment. It is in these that joseph smith finished the drawing resulting in. Thousands of mormons left the church as the result of this discovery, while thousands more are completely unaware of this important piece of evidence. According to smith, the book was a translation of some ancient records since its printing, the book of abraham has been a source of controversy. The book of abraham translated from the papyrus, by joseph smith. The three facsimiles found in the book of abraham all derive from ancient egyptian papyri that joseph smith obtained in kirtland in 1835.
The following are common criticisms associated with facsimile 3. Illustration 2 incorrect reconstruction of the beginning illustration of the original papyrus prepared for horus. Book of abraham hypocephalus, facsimile 2 english and thai version. Egyptologists study the three facsimiles included in the book of abraham as well as. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 2. An inspired translation of the writings of abraham.
Evidence from multiple sources suggests that js may have produced other abraham material that is no longer extant. The mormon god and a phallic god could be considered one and the same. Latter day saints, dictated what he claimed was a translation of an ancient egyptian papyrus containing the writings of abraham. Sometime between 1818 and 1822, antonio lebolo, who was working as superintendent of the archaeological excavations for bernardino drovetti in upper egypt, discovered many mummies in a tomb in thebes. Arabic bulgarian chinese croatian czech danish dutch english estonian finnish french german greek hebrew hindi hungarian icelandic indonesian italian japanese korean latvian lithuanian malagasy norwegian. The papyrus with the illustration represented in facsimile 1 is the only recovered item that has any connection to the text of the book of abraham. Apologetics press facsimile 1 from the book of abraham. A study of the book of abraham byu scholarsarchive. Also, since the translations of the facsimiles were taken from copies of the original papyri and each contains such blatant translation errors as listing drawings of women as men and canopic jars as idols, critics reject the claim made by apologists that the book of abraham was translated from portions of the scrolls that were lost. In a paper given at the 1993 sunstone symposia in salt lake city august and boston november dr. Facsimile in tagalog, translation, englishtagalog dictionary. One day in kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which is called by the. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of god. They clearly indicate portions of an egyptian book of the dead.
Jan 26, 2012 in a paper given at the 1993 sunstone symposia in salt lake city august and boston november dr. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of mormonism. Probably composed in the 1st or 2nd century ce, it is of jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the apocalyptic literature. A portion of the original papyrus text which accompanied the illustrations used for facsimile nos. Critical appraisal of the book of abraham wikipedia. However, we have an opportunity here to verify or not verify the book of abraham through facsimile no.
Facsimile 1 was taken from part of the book of breathings. A facsimile from the book of abraham church of jesus christ. It is obvious to anyone trained in reading such hieroglyphs that joseph did. Understanding his efforts to decipher the egyptian language adds nuance and detail to the complex story of the translation of the book of abraham. Joseph smith provided this explanation in book of abraham, facsimile 2, figure 5. 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. What is happening to abraham is no unique experience. That you may have a knowledge of this altar, i will refer you to the representation at the commencement of this record. The main puzzle used to challenge joseph smiths translation of the book of abraham is the fact that facsimile 1, the opening figure of the book of abraham mentioned in the text abraham 1.
There is no evidence that the few fragments found in the metropolitan museum of art contained any part of the book of abraham. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham. Thompson presented his reasons for concluding that joseph smith did not produce the book of abraham by translating it, as he claimed, from an egyptian papyrus scroll he had obtained in 1835. A careful study of the book of abraham provides a better measure of the book s merits than any hypothesis that treats the text as a conventional translation. The inspiration and basis for the text of the book of abraham is p. The facsimiles are not said to be authored by abraham, but have been attached as illustrations relevant to the text. Thus the moses scenario repeats the enoch story and the abraham story, and facsimile no. My latest translations in 2018 were in french, german, italian, portuguese. Joseph smith began his translation of the book of abraham from the hieroglyphics at right. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 3 in the.
The book of abraham is a book of lds scripture that joseph smith translated from a collection of ancient egyptian papyri the church purchased. I wanted to know how things came about and how we got to the time and place of joseph smiths translation of egyptian for the book of abraham, so heres the timeline. The pearl of great price i hold to be one of the most intelligent, one of the most religious books that the world has ever had. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 2 in the book of abraham. Nonlds egyptologists, beginning in the lateth century, have heavily criticized joseph smiths explanations of the facsimiles, with many stating that his interpretations are entirely inaccurate. The color images provided below, while not always accurate, may help in visualizing each figure complete color facsimile 2 available here. Joseph smith claimed to have translated the book of abraham from some. There are numerous examples of egyptian papyri that have more than one text on them, and thus there could have been a copy of the book of abraham on the same papyrus as the hor book of breathings. Note the lacuna, or missing portions of the vignette. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham the university. Lds egyptologist doubts joseph smith translated the book.
In 1912, a letter about the book of abraham was published by arthur cruttenden mace, assistant curator in the department of egyptian art in new yorks metropolitan museum of art. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham a. It was released by the church to help explain how it can be possible that joseph smiths translation of the book of abraham does not match what we now know egyptian to mean, and how it can still be the word of god when even the church itself admits in this essay that the. My latest translations in 2018 were in french, german, italian, portuguese and spanish. In my recent study of the facsimiles i began with facsimile 2 and will be posting further articles soon.
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