The letter displays a graphic from called the book of abraham hypocephalus, a funerary amulet, which compares joseph smith s interpretations of elements of facsimile 2 with those provided by egyptologists. Cuts 1 and 3 are inaccurate copies of well known scenes on funeral papyri, and cut 2 is a copy of one of the magical discs. Remember, joseph smith said this is heavenly father revealing the grand key words of the priesthood, with the sign of the holy ghost in the form of a dove. Complete translation of the joseph smith papyri published. The joseph smith papers, revelations and translations. This volume features two manuscript books into which scores of joseph smith s revelations, dated from 1828 to 1834, were copied by early church scribes. The four sons of horus facsimile 2, figure 6 pearl of. Joseph smith copied three drawings from the egyptian scrolls, labeled them facsimile no. One of the most disturbing facts the ces letter author discovered in his research of facsimile 2. Egyptologists call facsimile 2 a hypocephalus greek forunder the head, and numerous examples are preserved in museumsaround the world. The vignette is one and the sameand its been a delight to visit the church history library of late, where the vignette is on display. In addition to ritner, several other authors contributed essays to the book. The joseph smith book of breathings opens with a vignette representing osiris on a lioncouch.
Later that year and in early 1836, joseph smith and his scribes spent considerable time engaged in two separate but related endeavors. Indeed, one can reasonably wonder if thats what gave smith the idea for a god the father who was separate and distinct from jesus, and. Latterday saints often bring up the examples of old testament saints who were involved in polygamy and even go so far as to claim that god endorsed these relationships. Joseph smith 20 polygamy 11 translation 11 book of mormon 9 brigham young 7 god 6 humor 6 child bride 5 christianity 5 honesty 5 polyandry 4 racism 4 facsimile 3 godhood 3 grace 3 prophecy 3 eternal progression 2 faith 2 gordon hinckley 2 hill cumorah 2 jesus christ 2 legalism 2 lorenzo snow 2 meme. Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director book of.
An egyptian book of the dead was a corrupted mishmash of original teachings from adam down to subsequent patriarchs, such as abraham. The joseph smith papyri jsp are egyptian funerary papyrus fragments from ancient thebes dated between 300 to 100 bc which, along with four mummies, were once owned by joseph smith, the founder of the latter day saint movement. And joseph smith never equates egyptian or hebrew with the pure language spoken of in the book of moses. In a recent post on my lds blog, mormanity, i suggested that the name shulem given by joseph smith in his comments on facsimile 3 might be more interesting than just a mere blunder. The joseph smith papers, revelations and translations, vol. Joseph smith began translating the papyri in early july 1835, with oliver cowdery and william w. Joseph smith s notes to facsimile 2 identify it as representing god sitting in the heavens among the stars and others of his creations.
A book of commandments, for the government of the church of christ, organized according to law, on the 6th of april, 1830. The joseph smith papers publishing project puts into one comprehensive collection the writings attributed to this religious leader, offering information and insight about joseph smith, early mormonism, and nineteenthcentury american religion. Critical appraisal of the book of abraham wikipedia. Is joseph smith papyri facsimile 1 common and similar to other such scenes. The standing figuretowering like a colossusalso appears on many other hypocephali. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the. Joseph smith identified the drawing shown on page 103 facsimile no. As for joseph s interpretation of figures from the hypocephalus facsimile 2, he was correct. A preliminary survey and first translation of facsimile no. Book of abraham facsimile 2 that one mission thing. Book of mormon by joseph smith, first edition abebooks. Some book of abraham editions in facsimile 2 show min without the pornography.
This image is included as one of several appendices to the book of abraham, where it is called facsimile no. With facsimile 2, the diagram in ces letter puts the egyptian text translation in red text which emphasizes to me that joseph smiths failed to give a real literal translation. The joseph smith hypocephalus lds scripture teachings. They are now referred to as the joseph smith papyri. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The book of abraham narrative clearly demonstrates the manner in which the lds church works diligently to massage or reinterpret inconvenient facts to continue to defend its most extraordinary truth. Figure 6 of facsimile 2 of the book of abraham was interpreted straightforwardly by joseph smith as representing this earth in its four quarters. This facsimile edition of revelations and translations. In conjunction with facsimile 2, which joseph smith indicates contains astronomical concepts among other things, it is noteworthy that the ancient jewish historian josephus states that abraham taught the egyptians astronomy. First of all, let me say that the interpretation of illustrations is one of the most difficult parts of understanding egyptian texts.
The fragile facsimile b, from the time of abraham, was rediscovered in 1988 by l. This book presents the original transcription of joseph smith s dictated translation of the golden plates. Joseph smith s notes to facsimile 2 identify several figures as representing god sitting in the heavens among the stars and others of his creations. Additional book of abraham excerpt with facsimile 2 published in times and seasons, nauvoo, illinois. Initially joseph smith was only mildly interested in the mummies, until he discovered that the burial documents contained, among other things, the books of abraham and joseph of egypt, sometimes. Facsimile 2 and its partial translation by joseph smith are given below. The joseph smith papers revelations and translations volume 4 contains the book of abraham and related manuscripts. We may walk away thinking he tried to give a wordforword text translation, but that was never the intent. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 3 in the book. Very good but cloth is peeling away from covers at edges. How are the egyptian alphabet and the book of abraham related. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimiles fairmormon. Joseph smith and the papyri religious studies center. Two things joseph smith got right about the book of abraham facsimiles ive been studying up on the book of abraham a bit lately, and as fascinating as all the scholarly, arcane parallels are, its even more exciting to see that some of joseph smith s explanations of these symbols are easy to confirm in accessible pop culture.
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. Note the lacunae, or missing portions of the papyrus. Manuscript revelation books, facsimile edition, the joseph smith papers salt lake city. 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. Harris, the facsimiles of the book of abraham, in h. Joseph smith s manner of translation is shrouded in mystery despite the recovery of textual evidence.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Feb 16, 2012 that young man was joseph smith, who had translated the book of mormon from an ancient americanindian record about four or five years earlier. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 2 in the. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of god. Volume 2 of the journals series, published in 2011, features the first nauvoo, illinois, journal of joseph smith as well as part of the second. 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 recently modified description creates ambiguity regarding the origin and nature of the text. Does book of abraham facsimile 1 show a hand, or does it show the wing of a second bird. If joseph smith is to be regarded as one who manages the church of god, then the new testament is clear that he is to be the husband of only one wife 1 timothy 3. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 3. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of mormonism. The book of abraham was published in the churchs periodical times and seasons in nauvoo. Book of abraham facsimile 2 by jtobler on deviantart.
Egyptian context is different skeptics say joseph smith mistranslated facsimile 2. As noted above, most critics have assumed that the source of the text is the hieroglyphs adjacent to facsimile 1 on the papyri, but a closer look at the ancient sources themselves and contemporary accounts of joseph smiths translation process brings that assumption into question. In the mormon joseph smiths facsimile 2, why does he say. It is actually a rather common funerary amulet termed a hypocephalus, socalled because it was placed under hypo a mummys head cephalus. In translating the book of abraham and providing partial translations of the facsimiles, joseph smith s work has profound implications for the state of egyptology.
However, like so many old manuscripts, those that are still extant are not available for public scrutiny, as constant handling could damage and perhaps even destroy them. Joseph smith then continued translating the rest of the book of abraham abraham 2. However, in 1966 several fragments of the papyri were found in the archives of the metropolitan museum of art in new york and in the lds church archives. There is no known case of any vignette remotely like facsimile 1 that is associated with the type of text that is adjacent to it. Very good with soiled top edges and former owners name with a date written on front pastedown. This is an exact facsimile reprint of the original, 1830 edition of the book of mormon, the authoritative scripture of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Stands next to kolob, called by the egyptians oliblish, which is. According to the preface to the book of abraham, smith believed his document was actually written by abrahams own hand written upon papyrus. Isis and maat in facsimile 3 of the book of abraham. The book of abraham papyri were thought to have been lost in the 1871 great chicago fire. However, facsimile 3 also shows anubis, yet smith made him out to be a tinyheaded, racist caricature of an african slave. Criticisms related to facsimile 2 are related to joseph smith s explanations of the individual elements. Apologists have failed to convince critics and lds members have lost faith and left the church. A facsimile from the book of abraham church of jesus christ.
Joseph smith declared that many of the papyrus documents, including facsimile no. The following are common criticisms associated with facsimile 3. Linear b is a facsimile of egyptian papyrus, drawn by joseph smith s hand. In response, one critic raised a fair question, though with a typical dismissive tone. Did joseph smith give a correct meaning for facsimile 2, years before scientists unlocked the mysterious of ancient egyptian. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 3 in the. Reprint of the actual papyrus used by joseph smith. Interestingly, joseph smith did not focus on mercifully gathering lost sheep, which is what the crook would immediately represent to me, but instead he focused on the crooks aspect as it relates to dominion and justice, which is a perfect bullseye for the facsimiles egyptian context. 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. Joseph smith 20 polygamy 11 translation 11 book of mormon 9. Mormon pearl of great price facsimile 1, 2, 3 replicas on.
Hyrum hyde, in the mormon archives, affixed between kinderhook plates. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 2 in the book. Joseph smith said that the papyrus contained the records of the ancient patriarchs abraham and joseph. The results are that joseph smith was correct with his explanations, but shows that he was incomplete on the facsimiles translations. Female egyptian deities isis and maat in facsimile 3 of the book of abraham.
Facsimile 3 and book of the dead 125 book of mormon central. The book of abraham opens with a vignette, in facsimile, representing abraham upon an altar. Joseph smith claimed that a hypocephalus, depicted as facsimile 2 in the book of abraham, was part of a collection of writings by abraham and joseph of. Its pages present, in the exact size as the originals, facsimile reproductions of joseph smiths manuscript revelation books. The current published text of the book of abraham, and probably more, seems to have been translated by the end of july 1835.
The church believed that the papyri were preserved through the millennia to be translated by joseph smith for the benefit of the restored church and the world. Fletcher, another look at the facsimiles of the book of abraham n. On its pages are shown fragments of papyri which joseph smith and others acquired in 1835, along with 4 egyptian mummies, this at a time when there was an explosion of interest in ancient egypt that occurred in early 19th century. The revelations copied into these two books became the primary basis for the canonized books of joseph smith s revelations. 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. I now turn to the illustrations on the joseph smith hypocephalus and compare joseph smiths explanations of them with an interpretation based on modern egyptology.
In doing so, smith proclaimed that one of the roles contained the writings of abraham, another the writings of joseph of egypt documentary history of the church dhc 2. Teaching the book of abraham facsimiles religious studies center. Travis has identified nine level translation types and goes over each character of with the egyptian creation story vignette being translatable on different levels, travis wayne goodsell has applied these levels. In a visually appealing format for better understanding. Explanation to accompany facsimile 2, circa 15 march 1842 book of abraham manuscript, 8circa 15 march. Its pages present, in the exact size as the originals, facsimile reproductions of joseph smith s manuscript revelation books. Joseph smith began his translation of the book of abraham from the hieroglyphics at right. The fact that the church and its apologists are now moving away from its 180yearold claim and teaching of a literal physical translation of the book of abraham over to a its really revelation instead catalyst theory is a powerful testament indeed of just how damning the physical evidence is against the book of abraham and joseph smith s.
According to smith, the book was a translation of some ancient records. Well, i dont know why anyone would be shocked that the facsimiles are egyptian. A guide to the joseph smith papyri byu scholarsarchive. These are egyptian illustrations and they have nothing to do with abraham, skeptics claim. Note the lacuna, or missing portions of the vignette. Egyptologists have viewed the drawings and found joseph smith s interpretation of them to be wrong. The prophet, in his explanation, quashes all such nonsense in the bud. Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director book of abraham. Book of mormon photographic facsimile of 1830 edition. Facsimile 2 the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Joseph smith 20 polygamy 11 translation 11 book of mormon 9 brigham young 7 god 6 humor 6 child bride 5 christianity 5 honesty 5 polyandry 4 racism 4 facsimile 3 godhood 3 grace 3 prophecy 3 eternal progression 2 faith 2 gordon hinckley 2 hill cumorah 2 jesus christ 2 legalism 2 lorenzo snow 2. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham university of. An inspired translation of the writings of abraham.
Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrifacsimilesfacsimile 2. Michael marquardt a historian and author of over 45 articles and books on mormon historical topics who provides a history of the acquisition of the papyri, and translation by joseph smith and the subsequent publishing history of the book. The book of abraham, it is hardly necessary to say, is a pure fabrication. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of.
On 26 may, emma smith bidamon, the remarried widow of joseph smith, sold them to abel combs. Abraham with an illustration similar to facsimile 1 in the book of abraham. In other words, joseph smith copied characters and symbols from hors breathing permit also known as the facsimile 1 papyri and filled up the missing sections of the facsimile 2 hypocephalus with the copied characters. Do any of joseph s explanations of book of abraham facsimile 1 agree with what egyptologists say about the figures. 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. This facsimile edition of manuscript revelation books opens a new series of the joseph smith papers that will provide transcripts of many of the earliest manuscripts of joseph smiths written revelations and translations, together with reproductions of editions of these documents that were published during his lifetime.
Explanation to accompany facsimile 2, circa 15 march 1842. It is in these that joseph smith finished the drawing resulting in facsimile. There is another facsimile in the book of abraham revealing additional areas of mistranslation. F or many mormons, an examination of the book of abraham and its true history becomes the most significant stumbling block to joseph smith s claim as a prophetic translator of ancient languages. Two things joseph smith got right about the book of. Joseph smith provided this explanation in book of abraham, facsimile 2, figure 5. In the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, our most precious founding documents are the handwritten manuscripts of the revelations that constitute the scriptures. Interestingly, joseph smith did not focus on mercifully gathering lost sheep, which is what the crook would immediately represent to me, but instead he focused on the crooks aspect as it relates to dominion and justice, which is a perfect bullseye for the facsimile s egyptian context. Three images facsimiles of vignettes on the papyri and joseph smiths. It is in these that joseph smith finished the drawing resulting in facsimile no.
244 753 1273 1399 494 1156 123 287 657 772 1094 358 763 852 1512 582 906 880 1439 1213 268 1431 1171 100 86 1261 1275 943 824 1243 1344 1151 400 1256 1016 619 2 424