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The Book of Abraham and Joseph Smith's Hebrew Classes with Joshua Seixas
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The Book of Abraham and Joseph Smith's Hebrew Classes with Joshua Seixas
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Summary: Several transliterations of Hebrew words in the Book of Abraham stem from Joseph Smith's classes with Rabbi Joshua Seixas. Critics allege that this constitutes plagiarism on the part of Joseph Smith. As supporting evidence, critics allege that the Hebrew used is Sephardic Hebrew. Sephardic Hebrew had its origins in 1492 following the exile of Jews from Spain. Thus, how could it have been spoken by Abraham? What's more, critics allege that Hebrew itself isn't a language old enough to have been spoken by Abraham.
The following chart demonstrates similarities to Joshua Seixas' Manual Hebrew Grammar (1834):[1]
| Book of Abraham Transliteration | Manual Hebrew Grammar (1834) Transliteration | Society of Biblical Literature Transliteration | Hebrew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raukeeyang (Facsimile 1, Fig. 12; Fac. 2, Fig. 4) | raukeeyagn | rāqîʿa | רָקִיעַ |
| Shaumau (Fac. 1, Fig. 12) | *shaumau | *ŝāmāh | שָׁמָה* |
| Shaumahyeem (Fac. 1, Fig. 12) | shaumayeem | ŝāmayîm | שָׁמַיִם |
| Kokob (Abraham 3:13) | kokaub | Kôkāb | כּוֹכָב |
| Kokaubeam (Abraham 3:13, 16) | kokaubeem | kôkābîm | כּוֹכָבִים |
| Hah-ko-kau-beam (Fac. 2, Fig. 5) | hakokaubeem | ha-kôkābîm | הַכּוֹכָבִים |
| Gnolaum (Abraham 3:18) | gnolaum | ʿôlām | עוֹלָם |
This chart shows that Joseph Smith was indisputably influenced by his study of Hebrew. However, it is not clear whether this shows that Joseph Smith plagiarized from Seixas' grammar.[2]
Notes
- ↑ Taken from Stephen O. Smoot, "Joseph Smith Jr. as a Translator: The Book of Abraham as Case Study," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 64 (2025): 357.
- ↑ Matthew J. Grey, “'The Word of the Lord in the Original': Joseph Smith's Study of Hebrew in Kirtland,” in Approaching Antiquity: Joseph Smith and the Ancient World, eds. Lincoln H. Blumell, Matthew J. Grey, and Andrew H. Hedges (Religious Studies Center; Deseret Book, 2015), 249–302.