Problems with the book of abraham

A journey to the heart of three faiths by bruce feiler. As you most certainly know, the mormon apologists cannot adequately answer the criticisms of the book of abraham. In each instance where the book of moses refers to a singular god, the book of abraham replaces that wording with gods. 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. The difference between egyptologists translation and joseph smiths interpretations has caused considerable controversy. Both historians share the prestigious 2009 lincoln prize for the years best books on abraham lincoln and the civil war.

We now have the churchs official answers and we now have one of the worlds most respected egyptologists direct response to the churchs new answers. However, a second problem arises when one compares the text of the book of abraham with a translation of the book of breathings. I have to smile to myself as i read the 17 th chapter of genesis. The book of abraham was translated by joseph smith from some ancient egyptian papyri and is part of the cannon of lds scripture. The writings of abraham were not on the scroll, but joseph used the scroll to tap into the revelatory spirit, channeling an actual ancient record abraham did write. And the book of mormon has many large and glaring problems with it, too, which ill get to soon enough, but many of those problems are a little bit more underthesurface compared to the this is from abraham. 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.

From the looks of things, god already created the earth, and man too. Perhaps the biggest apologetic difficulty for those following the mormon faith is that surrounding one particular canonical book supposedly. The book of abraham contains some of our most profound doctrines and is deeply connected to our most sacred and inspiring ordinances. The book of abraham is part of the pearl of great price, which mormons consider scripture. Sep 01, 2002 this book portrays the role of abraham in the history, theology and contemporary thought in judaism, christianity and islam. The three facsimiles found in the book of abraham all derive from ancient egyptian papyri that joseph smith obtained in kirtland in 1835.

The book of abraham has long fascinated readers, not only with its content but also with its mysterious origins. The book of abraham was canonized in 1880 by the lds church, and it remains a part of the larger scriptural work, the pearl of great price. Two thousand years and a hundred generations later, another abraham perishes, immolated in the fires of the warsaw ghetto. The most that can be done is to apply the interpretation of modern historical finds to biblical materials so as to arrive at a probable judgment as to the background and patterns of events in his life. There was no reference to extensive scholarship on the book of abraham and the ways of approaching that problems that. Many of the problems addressed in these books were not entirely clear until i read tom fergusons biography and by his own hand. More recently the lds church has softened its position on the book of abraham.

Abraham is tested as few men have been when the lord commands him to offer isaac upon the altar gen. Displaying all worksheets related to abraham lincoln. In this chapter we will examine another book of the mormon scriptures called the book of abraham. The papyri for the book of abraham contained some drawings with egyptian writing that were subsequently published in times and seasons, a mormon newspaper. The origin of the book of abraham ranks among the biggest problems for many who begin to question our faith. If one assumes that fairmormons undisputed silence is acceptance of the facts, fairmormon agrees with 90. Yes, there are a variety of other attacks that critics have thrown at the book of abraham. Joseph smith claimed that the papyri contained the writings of abraham and joseph of. Given the problems with the assumption that the text surrounding facsimile 1 was the source of the book of abraham and the fact that we possess only a small percentage of the original papyrus roll on.

If the papyri were the record of abraham while he was in egypt, they would be the oldest extant manuscript of biblical material. This not an exhaustive work, but covers the essentials in a thorough manner. As a true believer, i had read nibleys the joseph smith papyri and abraham in egypt. Abraham in the bible 4 things you may not know about him. What follows next in the biblical narrative is the story of abrahams journey to follow god and live a life of faith, but here are 4 things you may not remember about abrahams story. Parents need to know that abraham is a biography of abraham lincoln written by frank keating, former republican governor of oklahoma. It lays down, in quite a dramatic and beautiful way, some of the most distinctive doctrines. This is a plausible scenario, for it is not until genesis 17.

The doctrine and covenants was meant to stabilize mormon beliefs, but in the very year of its publication, the papyri rode into kirtland in michael chandlers wagon, bringing news of abraham. 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 problems encountered here are devastating to the credibility of mormonism. They discussed the apparent problems with the book of abraham, but none of the strengths. 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. Joseph also identified specific characters on the facsimiles and gave their translations that egyptologists say are completely in error. The book of abraham in 1,000 words august 26, 2019 i wanted to quickly summarize the problems with the book of abraham and go over why the apologetic responses do not work in just 1,000 words and a few images. Joseph smith purchased ancient egyptian papyri from. 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. The problems with the book of abraham presented by itself with the arguments for the different ways that one might interpret it would be problematic to many but many believers would be willingable to accept it, and the same is true with any individual topic in the ces letter.

The kep shouldnt condemn joseph as it was a completely separate endeavor. 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. The lds church has done its best to respond to two difficult problems with the book of abraham. All anachronisms in the book of abraham are problems only if we assume that the book of abraham must, in every instance, at this very moment, represent a holographic narrative of the prophet many critics speak about some supposed anachronisms in the book of abraham.

Anyone urging us to remove the book of abraham from our canon does not have the best interests of the church at heart and is working against our spiritual welfare. Written by abraham himself, the book found its way into the hands of joseph smith by way of an elusive antiquities trader. The actual text has no similarity to the book of abraham, but is in fact the hor book of breathings. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of. In the last chapter, we saw some of the problems mormonism faces with the book of mormon and archaeology.

His methodology should be applied to the book of abraham as much as that is possible. It is evident that the writings of abraham while he was in egypt, of which our printed book of abraham is a copy, must of necessity be older than. Today were checking out the text in one of joe smiths prophetic canons. If joseph smiths translation of the egyptian parchment could be discredited, and proven false. The book s part of a mount rushmore presidential series, following books on george washington and theodore roosevelt. Corbisphotos abraham lincoln was a prominent, historicallysignificant man in our countrys history. Bruce porter exposes what you need to know about the book of abraham. The papyri which joseph smith said he translated the book of abraham from have been exposed to be nothing more than funeral texts from ancient egypt at least eight egyptologists and semitists have studied the papyri and. 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. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints embraces the book of abraham as scripture.

Worksheets are resource activity book, abraham lincoln work, abraham lincoln, abraham lincoln, who was abraham lincoln, abraham lincoln, lesson 7 lincolns grade 5 8 assassination, a b r a h a m l i n c o l n. Kerry muhlestein please help me understand why videos like this are supported, and not called out by other faithful members. Moses must have been humbled by writing this account because it plainly requires every israelite to. Book of mormon problems lds church members are taught that the book of mormon bom is scripture, as well as a true record of the inhabitants of the americas from about 2200 bc to 420 ad.

John gee, the lds apologist who originally published this image in relation to the book of abraham, recognizes these problems and admits these texts tell us nothing directly about abraham, edward h. After abraham showed willingness to obey god and sacrifice his son, the angel who dictated this book to moses told him not to do so. The book of abraham also contains blatant translation errors, like listing drawings of women as men, and canopic jars as idols. Roberts wrote of the significance of the book of abraham translation. Again, we are forced to conclude from the historical evidence at hand that the fragments we now have are not the source of the book of abraham.

For mormons, it is a very important item because, unlike the book of mormon, it teaches their unique views regarding polytheism the. Dec 23, 2015 the lds church has done its best to respond to two difficult problems with the book of abraham papyri. After the hagar problem, perhaps sarai convinced abraham to try again with a more compliant servant girl. Patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. Kenneth kitchen has done a marvelous job of dealing with these attacks in his book on the reliability of the old testament. For example, in an article previously on the byu site and linked from here with the title criticisms of joseph smith and the book of abraham, there is a very weak rebuttal to the charge that joseph smith filled in portions of. Many have used the same arguments they level against the book of abraham to attack the bible.

Apr 15, 1985 the book of abraham opens on the backdrop of a burning jerusalem in 70 ad as abraham the temple scribe flees the destruction of his home. Full of wonders as it was, the book of abraham complicated the problem of regularizing mormon doctrine. In this article, egyptologist robert ritner responds to that article. It gives a summary of the history of the book of abraham, the problems, and the apologetic explanations. 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. Why doesnt the translation of the egyptian papyri found. Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director book of abraham.

Book of moses vs book of abraham book of abraham mormon. Why doesnt the translation of the egyptian papyri found in 1967. What is the apologetic response to this discrepancy. Enemies of the church have noted this and, without considering any other facts, have assumed. Get an answer for what are some problems that abraham lincoln faced. Major chronology problems in book of abraham life after.

The book of abraham, it is hardly necessary to say, is a pure fabrication. The fact that joseph smith got nothing right on his translation of the book of abraham is a big problem for the lds church and their claim that joseph smith was a prophet. 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. God had no problem doing as satan requested because god had tested abraham previously on many occasions and found him faithful. New problems with the fall of the book of abraham the book of abraham is a small piece of lds scripture found in the pearl of great price, one of the four standard works of their church. Sometimes we assume that certain information is already known by people who visit our site, but thats not always the case. What about all those other problems with the book of abraham. There can be no biography of abraham in the ordinary sense. Jan 04, 2005 in each instance where the book of moses refers to a singular god, the book of abraham replaces that wording with gods. For example, in an article previously on the byu site and linked from here with the title criticisms of joseph smith and the book of abraham, there is a very weak rebuttal to.

Dont mean to be critical, mc, but it seems to me that this post demonstrates. More book of abraham problems seymour bloom writes. Critical appraisal of the book of abraham wikipedia. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham a. Translation and historicity of the book of abraham response. Other issues are addressed at fairlds and other sites listed below. Egyptian papyri and the book of abraham religious studies. In obedience to gods command, abraham was circumcised at the age of 99, as was ishmael and all abraham s household 17. A portion of the papyri used by joseph smith as the source of the book of abraham.

I return herewith, under separate cover, the pearl of great price. And so it goes, in all dispensations and at all times when there are holy men there are also holy. Jeffs site and other apologetic literature may cause some to think that the book of abraham problems arent so great after all. Where the bom says he, the boa says they, and so on.

There is no excuse for 21st century latterday saints to remain ignorant, unclear or confused on the facts and problems of the book of abraham. With the book of abraham problems, the shelf fell finally and swiftly off the wall. His conclusion that the translated portion was destroyed by fire at first glance may make logical sense if one ends their investigation there. The papyri are not old enough to be what joseph claimed, and they dont say what joseph claimed. The book of abraham opens on the backdrop of a burning jerusalem in 70 ad as abraham the temple scribe flees the destruction of his home. Joseph first translated the book of abraham by the power of god. More book of abraham problems seymour bloom writes as you most certainly know, the mormon apologists cannot adequately answer the criticisms of the book of abraham. The chaldeans first appeared in the 9th century bce, years before abraham supposedly lived. 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. John gee is a respected egyptologist who has written on the book of abraham and other subjects on egyptology for years.

Some of these are addressed on part 2 of my book of abraham pages. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of mormonism. The book of abraham issues translation problems mormonthink. Jul 16, 2018 abraham had kept his eyes on the lord throughout his journey and had obediently settled in the land and worshipped him, thanking him for his protection and provision. If joseph smith fraudulently translated the book of abraham, what does that say about his claims that he translated the book of mormon. If the book of moses was inspired, why doesnt it emphasize the idea of multiple gods as the book of abraham does. Abraham lincoln as commander in chief and symondss lincoln and his admirals were the winning books. It lays down, in quite a dramatic and beautiful way, some of the most distinctive doctrines of the restored gospel. Problems with the book of abraham, while semiopenly admitted and whitewashed by the churchs own online essay, are not widely known by members of the church. Mar 26, 2020 the book of abraham contains some of our most profound doctrines and is deeply connected to our most sacred and inspiring ordinances. Ashment, the use of magical papyri to authenticate the book of abraham yes, the papyrus does have a picture of a lion couch and a variation.

Most of the political career of abraham lincoln would have been hard to to follow without that first reading if you didnt go to high school in the us. The truth of the book of abraham is ultimately found through careful study of its teachings, sincere prayer, and the confirmation of the spirit. They pointed to things where joseph seemed to be wrong, but never mentioned the many things that now appear to be plausible or right. All three faiths claim abraham as their own, and they all assert to be the correct modern day representative of the abrahamic religious tradition. Mormon handbook the book of abraham since abraham lived before moses, who authored the torah the first five books of the old testament, it would make the papyrus older than the book of genesis. The book of abraham is a book of lds scripture that joseph smith translated from a collection of ancient egyptian papyri the church purchased. Although it serves primarily as a religious text, it is to be interpreted literally as being an actual, historical record of the inhabitants of the ancient. From the beginning, the book was loved by the saints. So, heres a brief summary of the problems, written for your convenience. Hagar could have been made an example of to keturah. Turning to the book of abraham itself, lds historian, general authority and scholar b.

There is another facsimile in the book of abraham revealing additional areas of mistranslation. There are more than a few major problems in this passage, so lets take a look. This book, a record of the biblical prophet and patriarch abraham. I picked up this book some time after reading battle cry of freedom and i found it was a great companion. Mormon apologists have attempted to give some possible answers to the problems surrounding the.