The Book of Abraham

I want to say to you, read the book, the Pearl of Great Price, and read the Book of Abraham. 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; but more than that, to me the Pearl of Great Price is true in its name. It contains an ideal of life that is higher and grander and more glorious than I think is found in the pages of any other book unless it be the Holy Bible. It behooves us to read these things, understand them: and I thank God when they are attacked, because it brings to me, after a study and thought, back to the fact that what God has given He has given, and He has nothing to retract." - Levi Edgar Young, Conference Report (April 1913), 74

"...it must be evident to all who seriously consider the matter, that if the Book of Abraham as given to us by Joseph Smith be true, it must have been translated by a greater than human power." - George Reynolds, The Book of Abraham: Its Authenticity Established as a Divine and Ancient Record (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1879), 4

Friday, August 12, 2016

Notes: Abraham and Cultural Adaptation and Appropriation

The usage of Biblical figures and traditions in the context of "pagan mythology" was, according to Wacholder, "typical Hellenistic fashion":

"according to Pseudo-Eupolemus, however, Belus, Kronos, Atlas and the Babylonian and Greek pantheons are none other than pagan names for the ancestors of Abraham. In typical Hellenistic fashion Pseudo-Eupolemus utilized exegesis to fuse biblical traditions with pagan mythological accounts."

_________________________
Ben Zion Wacholder, "Pseudo-Eupolemus' Two Greek Fragments on the Life of Abraham," Hebrew Union College Annual 34 (1963), 91; Wacholder adds in footnote 59: "For the contamination of biblical traditions with pagan mythology, see Artapanus, 726 FF 1-3; Cleodomus-Malchus, 727 F 1; Theodotus, 732 F 1, p. 692, line 15; Or. Sibyll., III, 97 ff."

A Collection of Lion Couch Scenes

The following images are provided for convenience in comparing the similarities and differences between lion couch scenes. The images were obtained online and references will be added in the future. This is a preliminary draft since this collection does not attempt to provide any context (and limited referencing for now), rather, it simply attempts to collect similar images for purposes of future study. The few references below have not yet been corroborated. This post is a work in process.

JSP I

A Study of the Facsimiles - Translation

A translation ("Explanation") of a scene all too "common" in our modern-day culture:

Figure	Non-Expert	Expert
1	Harrison Ford	Han Solo with blaster gun preparing to engage enemies
2	Carrie Fisher	Princess Leia showing a look of concern regarding the improbability of escaping from an imperial star base
3	Mark Hamill	Luke Skywalker attempting to protect and rescue Princess Leia from stormtroopers (not depicted but clearly present). This scene has been condensed and does not show a wookie or stormtroopers that clearly belong in this scene.

Which translation/explanation is correct? Which one is wrong?

While this satirical "translation" oversimplifies things when it comes to the facsimiles, it does illustrate the false dilemma presented in juxtaposing Joseph Smith's translation against the (generic appellation of) Egyptologists. My point here is that the Joseph Smith vs. Egyptologists comparison is a problematic oversimplification.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Dependence of Alphabet and Grammar on non-Book of Abraham Materials - William Schryver

William Schryver, "Dependency of the Alphabet and Grammar on Materials not Related to the Book of Abraham," privately produced (2011)

No typescript of this presentation is currently available.

Dependency of Alphabet and Grammar on Pre-Existing Text - William Schryver

William Schryver, "The Dependency of The Alphabet and Grammar on a Pre-Existing Text of The Book of Abraham," privately produced (2011)

No typescript of this presentation is currently available.

Alphabet and Grammar Explanation - William Schryver

William Schryver, "Alphabet and Grammar Explanation," privately produced (2011)

No typescript of this presentation is currently available.

Abraham Manuscripts Explanation - William Schryver

William Schryver, "Abraham Manuscripts Explanation," privately produced (2011)

No typescript of this presentation is currently available.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Questions and Answers - Kerry Muhlestein

The following videos were produced by FAIRMormon in 2013 and are hosted online at their YouTube page.

Q1: "Papyri Found and It Doesn't Relate?"

Q2: "Facsimile 1 Not About Abraham?"

Q3: "The Three Facsimile Translations Wrong?"

Q4: "Joseph Smith's Attempt at an Egyptian Grammar"

Q5: "Translating Without Knowing Egyptian?"

Q6: "The Joseph Smith Papyri were made nearly 2,000 years after Abraham"

Q7: "Anachronisms?"

Q8: "Evidences"

Q9: "Other Egyptologists Opposed?"

Q9 "Other Egyptologists Opposed?" [revisited]

Q10: "Main Summary: More and More Questions?"

Q11: "What Value is the Book of Abraham text itself?"

Q12: "Are Egyptologists Joining the Mormon Church?"

Q13: "Are You, Kerry Muhlestein, Qualified?"

Q14: "What About the Internet Videos That Prove You're Wrong?"

2008 SANE Conference - Kerry Muhlestein and Alyssa Lewis

Kerry Muhlestein and Alyssa Lewis, "Abraham Upon the Altar: The Role of Violent Rituals in the Egyptian Temple," SANE Conference 2008

No typescript is available for this presentation.

2014 FAIR Conference - Kerry Muhlestein

Kerry Muhlestein, "The Book of Abraham and Unnoticed Assumptions," FAIR Conference 2014

Unable to locate a video for this presentation; however, a typescript is available through FAIRMormon, "The Book of Abraham and Unnoticed Assumptions"