Unit 12 Flashcards
150 BC 1835, 1842, 1856, 1871, 1967
150 BC - date of Egyptian papyri
1835—JS purchases 2 mummies papyrus scrolls and fragments from Michael Chandler
1842—Book of Abraham first published in Times and Seasons
1856—Emma Smith sells the mummies and papyrus
1871—Many of the papyrus scrolls and fragments destroyed in the great Chicago fire
1967—Church acquired 11 remaining papyrus fragments from a museum in NYC
- Who was Antonio Lebolo and what did he discover in Thebes? Where did he find them? (General location, not the exact tomb #)
- Italian treasure hunter and wealthy man
* Discovered 11 mummies and some papyrus documents in the Valley of the Nobles
- What is a mummy? Why are they preserved? What are they wrapped with?
- A preserved body
- Preserved for their journey in the after life
- Wrapped with linen strips and bitchemann
- What is papyrus? Why was it a good writing material for the Egyptians?
- It is the writing material used in ancient Egypt
- It can be made into sheets as long as you want
- It is lightweight and durable
- What was the general content of the Pyramid texts, coffin texts, and Book of the Dead? Review the lecture presentation on the Egyptian Judgement scene (in conjunction with slides #11 and #14).
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- Egyptian judgement scene: The person would be brought to the god Osiris. They would have to recite all the sins they never committed and their heart would be put on the scale with the feather of Ma’at. If it is lighter than the feather of Ma’at, they would be allowed to enter Egyptian paradise
- Pyramid texts: written on the walls of the pyramid to help the dead get through their journey through the afterlife
- Coffin texts: written on the walls of the coffin
- Book of the dead: same material / text, but now written on papyrus
. What did Joseph Smith purchase from Michael Chandler in 1835? What did he determine was of importance on the Papyrus rolls and /or fragments?
- He purchased two mummies, papyrus scrolls and other papyrus scraps
- He determined that one of the scrolls contained writings of Abraham
- What methods did Joseph Smith use to help with translation? What are three different possibilities for the translation process Joseph Smith may have used to receive the Book of Abraham? (Slide # 32, see also the section labeled “Translation of the Book of Abraham” in reading #22 Gospel Topics essay.)
- From text: The text could have come from one of the scrolls that were destroyed
- Revelation: The papyri could have been a springboard for revelation
- Vision: JS could have seen the writings of Abraham in vision
- JS used the Urim and Thummim to help with translation
- When are the papyrus documents dated to? How might they be connected to Abraham?
- 200-150 BC
- They may be copies of copies of copies of texts written by Abraham
- Illustrations adapted to different uses
- Where was the Book of Abraham first published and when?
1842 in the Times and Seasons
- What happened in 1856 to the papyrus rolls/fragments after Joseph Smith’s death? What happened to the fragments located at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City in 1967? What percentage of the papyrus documents Joseph Smith purchased are still missing?
- 1856 Emma Smith sells the papyri and the mummies
- 1967 The remaining fragments were bought by the church
- 90% are still missing
- What is interesting about some of the nonbiblical writings concerning Abraham discovered after Joseph Smith published the Book of Abraham? (for example—the Apocalypse of Abraham, see also question #4 on reading LS #22 below).
• Found after the BofA were complete
• Parallels found between these texts and the book of Abraham such as:
○ The idolatrous practices of Abraham’s father
○ Abraham shown a host of stars and the creation
Abraham’s panoramic vision
- Why was Michael Chandler interested in meeting Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio?
• He had heard that he is able to translate ancient languages and thought he might be interested in purchasing the papyri
- The Book of Abraham texts written by Joseph Smith and his scribes discussed in this article have Egyptian characters written in the margins—what do modern Egyptologists think about the relationship between these characters and the Book of Abraham? (2ndto last paragraph).
- Modern Egyptologists agree that the translation of these characters is not the Book of Abraham, but from the “Breathing permit of Hor”
- The “Book of Abraham’s status as scripture ultimately rests on faith in _____
___saving truths found within___
