Facsimile 2 of the Book of Abraham is one of the most debated images in Latter-day Saint scripture. Modern Egyptologists identify it as a hypocephalus, a small circular object placed under the head of a mummy. Ancient Egyptians believed hypocephali provided light, warmth, protection, divine power, and rebirth in the afterlife. But Facsimile 2 is … Read more
For years, LDS Egyptologists have assumed that the hieroglyphics to the right of Facsimile 1 were not related to the Book of Abraham. This is primarily because modern Egyptian scholars, utilizing standard translations, have interpreted these characters as a common “funerary permit” belonging to an Egyptian priest named Hor. They claim that they have NOTHING … Read more
The Rosetta Stone chapter in A Letter For My Wife feels an impressive piece of evidence. Showing a real artifact that was instrumental in understanding Egyptian. It’s something most people recognize, so it provides some assumed authority. Faulk uses it to imply that modern Egyptology settled the Book of Abraham question long ago because of … Read more
Facsimile 1 is the only portion of the Egyptian materials Joseph Smith received in 1835 for which any physical fragments still survive today. The mummies, the long scroll, the small scroll, and other papyri described by eyewitnesses in Nauvoo were either destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 or lost sometime afterward. What remains … Read more
The reality is that we know very little with certainty about what the facsimiles in the Book of Abraham originally were or why they were considered significant in the ancient world. While scholars can identify the general type of Egyptian artwork they resemble, there is far more uncertainty surrounding who originally used them, how they … Read more
The Book of Abraham is often discussed in terms of controversy. The papyrus Joseph Smith used during the translation was lost for more than a century. When a portion of that papyrus later resurfaced, it appeared at a time when scholars had a far better understanding of the Egyptian language. Modern scholars give a different … Read more
The GAEL (Grammar and Egyptian Alphabet) project found in the Kirtland Egyptian Papers are a collection of documents created between July and November 1835 that are closely connected to the early work surrounding the Book of Abraham. They include documents titled, The Egyptian Alphabet, the Egyptian Grammar, and the Egyptian Counting document, along with several … Read more
The Book of Abraham teaches doctrine that is not explained clearly anywhere else in scripture. It explains who God is, who we are, why life exists, and why covenants are important. It also helps explain how ancient ordinances and covenants work within God’s plan. God Works Within an Eternal Universe The Book of Abraham discusses … Read more
The Book of Abraham is a short book of scripture translated by Joseph Smith in 1835. The text presents itself as an ancient record connected to Abraham, containing teachings about covenant, priesthood, premortal existence, creation, and God’s relationship with humanity. It now appears in the Pearl of Great Price. Joseph Smith stated that the papyri … Read more