Criticism of Mormonism/Video/Robert Ritner

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A review of claims made in Dr. Robert Ritner's three-episode interview with John Dehlin

Summary: On July 31, 2020, critic John Dehlin was joined by Dr. Robert Ritner, an egyptologist at the University of Chicago and long-time critic of the Book of Abraham, to discuss the Book of Abraham and its authenticity. Dehlin and Dr. Ritner spent over twelve hours discussing different aspects of the Book of Abraham. This page was created as an index to all the major arguments made and to provide responses to claims that FAIR already had written material for. More responses will be forthcoming. Ritner spends most of his time criticizing the Book of Abraham generally but attempts character assassinations on Dr. John Gee of BYU and Michael Rhodes—former professor at BYU—and their scholarship on the Book of Abraham. This response will focus specifically on claims made about the Book of Abraham.

Thus we are reviewing the claims made in the following three episodes of Mormon Stories podcast:

• Mormon Stories #1339: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 1
• Mormon Stories #1340: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 2
• Mormon Stories #1341: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 3

This page is still under construction. We welcome any suggestions for improving the content of this FAIR Answers Wiki page.

Claims about the Book of Abraham Generally

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1339: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 1 make(s) the following claim:

Ep. 1: 92:16-92:25 - These fragments date between the third century BCE and the first century BCE long after Abraham lived.

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim is based upon correct information - The author is providing knowledge concerning some particular fact, subject, or event

The surviving fragments of the papyri in Joseph Smith's possession and from which he may have translated the Book of Abraham date to anywhere between the third century BCE and the first century AD. But this does not have to deter us from believing that Abraham could have played a role in the authorship of the Book of Abraham.

Book of Abraham > Evidences for the Book of Abraham's Authenticity

Criticism of Mormonism/Video/Robert Ritner

Summary: This page is a summary of additional evidence for the Book of Abraham. We have already discussed on other pages evidences for the authenticity of Joseph Smith's explanations of the Facsimiles (Facsimile 1 | Facsimile 2 | Facsimile 3). This page, however, will list all the other evidence for the Book of Abraham's authenticity.

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Abraham's Astronomy

Latter-day Saint Egyptologists Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and John S. Thompson explain that Chapter 3 of the Book of Abraham and Facsimile 2 include an ancient view of the stars and planets, which they call Abrahamic astronomy, and that different scholars have offered several ways to understand this section. One strong idea they describe is that the astronomy in the Book of Abraham fits an ancient geocentric view of the universe, meaning people long ago thought the sky and heavenly bodies revolved around the earth—similar to how ancient Egyptians pictured the heavens. They show that this ancient model helps make sense of the text and teaches gospel ideas in ways Abraham’s people could understand, even though it doesn’t match modern science. For Latter-day Saints, this article can be used to show that the Book of Abraham’s astronomy makes sense in the context of ancient Near Eastern thinking and isn’t just a modern invention, helping readers appreciate the text as something that could reflect an authentic ancient worldview rather than a modern one.—(Click here to read more)

Abraham's Converts in Haran

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that when Abraham and his family left Haran in the Book of Abraham, the text says they took with them “the souls that we had won in Haran” (Abraham 2:15), which means they brought people they had helped join God’s covenant, not just servants or property. They compare this to the similar passage in Genesis 12:5 and show that ancient Jewish interpreters also read it as people Abraham converted rather than as slaves, so the Book of Abraham’s wording makes sense in that ancient context. The article presents Abraham as a missionary who taught and gathered people to follow God before he journeyed to Canaan. For Latter-day Saints, this article can be used to support the idea that the Book of Abraham’s account fits with ancient understandings of conversion and shows Abraham’s faith-filled efforts to share God’s message, which helps readers see the Book of Abraham as grounded in real ancient themes rather than modern ones.—(Click here to read more)

Abraham and Idrimi

An ancient inscription by a king named Idrimi from about 1500 BC shares some similarities with the Book of Abraham, because both texts are written in the first person and tell of the writer’s life, travels, connection to their ancestors, and relationship with God or divine promises. In the ancient Near East, people sometimes wrote about their own lives in this way, and the Idrimi inscription is one example of that kind of writing that archaeologists have found long after the Book of Abraham was published. Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson argue that because these kinds of autobiographical texts existed in the ancient world, this supports the idea that the Book of Abraham could also reflect an ancient literary tradition rather than being purely a modern creation. For Latter-day Saints, this article can be used to suggest that the style and form of the Book of Abraham fit with real ancient Near Eastern writings, helping readers see the Book of Abraham in a broader historical and cultural context.—(Click here to read more)

Abraham the Seer

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham repeatedly shows Abraham as a “seer”—someone who receives visions or sees divine things, often with the help of special instruments like the Urim and Thummim mentioned in Abraham 3:1, and that words like see and show appear again and again in the story to emphasize this idea. They argue that the way the book talks about Abraham seeing heavenly things is both one of its main themes and something readers might otherwise miss, because the text uses both clear and subtle language to paint Abraham as someone who interacts with the divine through visionary experience. For Latter-day Saints, this article can be used to help readers understand the Book of Abraham by showing that its style and focus on Abraham as a visionary figure make sense within ancient religious ideas about how prophets saw God’s will, reinforcing that the book presents Abraham in a way that fits ancient seer traditions rather than just being a modern story.—(Click here to read more)

Abrahamic Legends and Lore

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that many Jewish, Christian, and Islamic stories about Abraham—called extrabiblical traditions—contain details similar to the Book of Abraham, such as Abraham facing idolatry, living through a famine in the Chaldean lands, nearly being sacrificed, receiving visions of God and the stars, and engaging in astronomy with the Egyptians, which suggests these themes were part of ancient storytelling about Abraham, not just modern ideas. These legends come from sources most people in Joseph Smith’s time probably didn’t have access to and often differ in important ways, but when read alongside the Book of Abraham they show that many of its unique elements fit well with ancient traditions about Abraham rather than only nineteenth‑century ideas about him. For Latter‑day Saints, this article can be used to show that the Book of Abraham shares core ideas with long‑standing ancient Abraham stories, helping readers see the book as part of a wider ancient tradition instead of something entirely new or invented.—(Click here to read more)

The Ancient Egyptian View of Abraham

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that ancient Egyptians knew about Abraham long before modern times, showing that stories about him circulated in Egypt from about the 300s BC through the early centuries AD, including in Jewish and Egyptian writings and magical papyri where Abraham appears alongside other important biblical names. These texts tell of things like Abraham living in Egypt, teaching astronomy to priests, being connected with the true God, and even being mentioned in Egyptian religious and magical traditions, which means Egyptians mixed their own beliefs with stories about Abraham that came from Israelite religion. Because these traditions existed at times and places connected to the ancient Joseph Smith papyri and reflect how Egyptians viewed Abraham in history and legend, the article argues that the Book of Abraham fits into a real Egyptian cultural context rather than being something completely new or out of place. For Latter-day Saints, this can be used to show that the Book of Abraham’s themes and details about Abraham would have made sense in ancient Egypt and that the figure of Abraham was known in Egyptian and Jewish tradition long before the modern era.—(Click here to read more)

Ancient Near Eastern Creation Myths

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the creation account in the Book of Abraham (chapters 4–5) is similar not just to the Bible’s story in Genesis but also to ancient creation myths from Egypt and Mesopotamia, where people described creation as organizing chaos rather than creation out of nothing, and often listed events in a similar order, like separating heaven from earth and forming humans and animals. For example, the Coffin Texts and some Mesopotamian myths begin with a dark, watery chaos and then talk about how the sky and earth were formed—parallels that are close enough that ancient Egyptians could recognize common ideas when hearing Abraham’s teachings. These similarities help place the Book of Abraham’s creation story in a real ancient Near Eastern context rather than making it seem completely foreign to the ancient world. For Latter-day Saints, this can be used to show that the way creation is described in the Book of Abraham fits with how people in Abraham’s time and region thought about beginnings, and that these shared ideas make the text more understandable as part of ancient creation traditions.—(Click here to read more)

Another Lion Couch Scene that Mentions Abraham

Another lion couch scene has been discovered which actually includes Abraham's name. The wording under the figure states "Abraham epi" ("Abraham upon" in the Greek) and then it becomes unintelligible. Abraham's name is encircled. Though there is some valid doubt to be raised, one can make a compelling argument that the encircling of Abraham's name is the identification of Abraham as the one lying on the lion couch.

Photo appearing in John Gee, "Research and Perspectives: Abraham in Ancient Egyptian Texts," Ensign 22, no. 7 (July 1992): 60. Caption: "A lion couch scene appears in Leiden Papyrus I 384 (PGM xii). The outline marks Abraham’s name, written in Greek. (Courtesy of Rijksmuseum van Oudheden.)" (click to enlarge)

Authentic Names and Words in the Book of Abraham

John Tvedtnes explains that many of the names and words found in the Book of Abraham and the associated Kirtland Egyptian Papers have been studied by scholars like John Tvedtnes, Hugh Nibley, Robert F. Smith, John Gee, and others, and that some of these names are actually attested in ancient Near Eastern documents or can be traced to ancient Egyptian and Semitic roots used in Abraham’s time rather than being random English inventions. The article points out that these names were carefully compared with the original manuscripts and that researchers have been able to postulate ancient etymologies for names of deities, individuals, and celestial terms in the text based on known ancient languages, showing that they are consistent with what would have been familiar in ancient Egypt and the Near East. Because critics often claim such names are anachronistic or made up, the fact that many correspond to real or linguistically plausible ancient names can be used by Latter‑day Saints to argue that the Book of Abraham reflects genuine ancient material, supporting the idea that the text has roots in the ancient world rather than being only a 19th‑century creation.—(Click here to read more)

The Blood of the Canaanites

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that in Abraham 1:21–22, the Book of Abraham says the king of Egypt was “a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites,” and although that sounds unusual, Egyptian history shows a period when rulers of Egypt had names and ancestry from Canaan (Syria-Palestine), especially during the Fourteenth Dynasty after the Twelfth Dynasty, which makes the phrase “blood of the Canaanites” make historical sense in an ancient setting. They also suggest that if Abraham lived toward the end of the Twelfth Dynasty, there could have been Canaanite rulers in Egypt during his lifetime, which might explain why he was welcomed and given certain privileges such as teaching astronomy (Facsimile 3) at Pharaoh’s court. This article can be used by Latter-day Saints to show that small details in the Book of Abraham align with real ancient Egyptian history and names, helping support the idea that the text fits into a plausible ancient context rather than being only a modern story.—(Click here to read more)

Creation from Chaos

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham’s creation story teaches that God and heavenly beings organized the universe out of preexisting chaos rather than creating everything from nothing, which was also how Joseph Smith taught creation and how many ancient Near Eastern cultures like the Egyptians and Mesopotamians imagined the world beginning. In the Book of Abraham, important words like “organized” and “formed” show this idea clearly, and this mirrors other ancient stories where order comes out of chaos instead of creation out of nothing. The article reminds readers that many people in Joseph Smith’s time believed in creation ex nihilo, but ancient cultures did not, and so the Book of Abraham’s viewpoint fits with how people really thought about creation thousands of years ago. For Latter-day Saints, this article can be used to help show that the way the Book of Abraham describes creation makes sense in a real ancient worldview and is not just a modern idea.—(Click here to read more)

The Divine Council in the Book of Abraham

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham talks about a group of heavenly beings working together during creation, which they call the divine council, and that this idea appears clearly in Abraham chapters 3–5 when God and other “gods” take counsel together about how to organize the world (Abraham 4:1; 4:26). This is different from how most people in Joseph Smith’s day understood creation, but many ancient Near Eastern texts discovered later show similar stories of a council of gods who meet and work together during creation, and scholars now see traces of a divine council idea even in the Hebrew Bible. Because the Book of Abraham’s language matches this ancient concept and similar imagery in other ancient texts, the article suggests that the way the Book of Abraham depicts heavenly beings fits with real ancient ideas about a heavenly council, not just modern views, and so Latter-day Saints can use it to understand the book in a broader ancient context and see its portrayal of premortal life and divine cooperation as consistent with ancient thought rather than something only invented in the nineteenth century.—(Click here to read more)

Egyptianisms in the Book of Abraham

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham’s English text contains some features that look like they come from the Egyptian language, called Egyptianisms, and they argue that finding these in the Book of Abraham could mean the text reflects an ancient Egyptian source rather than being written only in English by someone who did not know Egyptian. For example, they point to a passage where two slightly different English versions of a sentence would have been the same in Egyptian grammar, and to wordplay in Abraham 3 where words for “spirit” and ideas about stars match how Egyptians connected spirits with celestial light in their language and thought. Because people in Joseph Smith’s time did not really understand Egyptian, the presence of these Egyptian-style features is consistent with the idea that the Book of Abraham came from ancient Egyptian material rather than being purely modern. For Latter-day Saints, this article can be used to support the belief that the Book of Abraham reflects authentic ancient perspectives and linguistic patterns familiar to Egyptians, which helps place the book in a real ancient cultural and literary context.—(Click here to read more)

The Foreordination of Abraham

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham teaches that Abraham lived as a spirit before his birth and was chosen by God ahead of time for an important mission, a teaching called foreordination that appears clearly in Abraham 3:22–23. They show that this idea was not unique or modern, but fits with ancient Near Eastern beliefs in which gods selected certain people in advance, assigned them destinies, and revealed these choices through councils or heavenly assemblies. Ancient texts from Mesopotamia and Egypt often describe divine plans made before a person’s birth and kings or prophets being chosen by the gods for special roles, which closely matches how the Book of Abraham describes God choosing Abraham among the “noble and great ones.” For Latter-day Saints, the article can be used to show that the Book of Abraham’s teaching about foreordination fits well within ancient religious worldviews, helping place its doctrines about premortal life and divine purpose in a believable ancient context rather than seeing them as purely modern ideas.—(Click here to read more)

Hebraisms in the Book of Abraham

Julie M. Smith explains that Abraham 3:22‑23 is written in a chiastic structure, which is a way of organizing ideas so they mirror each other around a central point. In this passage, ideas about the premortal “intelligences,” the “noble and great ones,” God’s approval of them, and Abraham’s placement among them are arranged in a pattern that goes forward and then backward. This structure makes the passage easier to remember and highlights its main message. Chiastic patterns were commonly used in ancient Semitic and Egyptian writing to show emphasis and organize important ideas. Because the Book of Abraham uses this same ancient literary style, Latter‑day Saints can see it as evidence that the text reflects real ancient writing techniques rather than being made up in modern times, supporting the idea that it has authentic ancient origins.—(Click here to read more)

Human Sacrifice in Egypt

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the beginning of the Book of Abraham tells how Abraham’s own family tried to offer him up to their “strange gods” in a ritual that looked like human sacrifice or ritual killing, and that the text says this practice was done “after the manner of the Egyptians,” with a priest involved (Abraham 1:7–11). They then look at ancient Egyptian history and archaeology and show that, although scholars use terms like "ritual slaying," "sanctioned killing," or "sacred violence" instead of simply “human sacrifice,” there is evidence that ancient Egyptians sometimes killed people in ritual or religious contexts, especially for offenses against sacred space or religious norms, and that this kind of sanctioned killing happened during the time Abraham is thought to have lived. This ancient evidence matches many details of the Book of Abraham’s story about Abraham nearly being killed, suggesting that the narrative fits with what we know about ancient Near Eastern practices rather than being just a modern invention. For Latter-day Saints, the article can be used to show that the Book of Abraham’s dramatic opening accounts of ritual killing are connected to real ancient religious beliefs and rituals, helping readers understand the story in a historical and cultural context instead of seeing it as only a symbolic or made-up scene.—(Click here to read more)

Jews in Ancient Egypt

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that Jewish people lived in Egypt for many centuries before and after the time when the Joseph Smith papyri were written, especially during the Greco‑Roman period (about 300 BC to AD 30), with large Jewish communities in cities like Alexandria, Thebes, and Oxyrhynchus, and that these communities not only brought Jewish religious texts into Egypt but also wrote new Jewish works and interacted with Egyptian culture and religion. They show that Jews lived in Egypt from at least the time of the Babylonian exile and continued to grow in number, often maintaining their identity while also exchanging ideas with Egyptians, including religious ideas, languages, and customs. This helps explain how a copy of Abraham’s writings might have ended up in Egypt centuries after his lifetime—for example, an Egyptian priest could have acquired or copied it in a multicultural city where Jews and Egyptians shared texts and beliefs. For Latter‑day Saints, the article can be used to provide a plausible historical background for how the Book of Abraham could have been transmitted into Egypt and preserved on papyri, showing that ancient Egypt was home to Jewish communities that participated in literary and religious exchange rather than being isolated from Israelite religion.—(Click here to read more)

Kolob, the Governing One

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham describes Kolob as the star or planet closest to God’s throne, the greatest and governing one over other stars, and a measure of time for the cosmos (Abraham 3, Facsimile 2). They explore the possible meanings of the name Kolob, suggesting it may come from ancient Egyptian or Semitic roots meaning “first,” “near,” or “chief,” which fits its role as the preeminent celestial body. The authors also propose Sirius as a likely candidate for Kolob, noting its brightness, prominence in the night sky, and importance in Egyptian astronomy and religious symbolism. By connecting the name, its meaning, and its identification with Sirius to ancient Egyptian cosmology, the article shows that the Book of Abraham’s depiction of Kolob aligns with ancient ways of understanding the heavens. For Latter‑day Saints, this can be used to understand that the Book of Abraham contains astronomical and linguistic details consistent with ancient traditions, supporting the idea that its descriptions of the cosmos are grounded in real ancient knowledge rather than being purely modern inventions.—(Click here to read more)

The Name of the Lord

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham records God revealing His true name, Jehovah, to Abraham on two separate occasions (in Abraham 1 and 2), and they show that this focus on divine names fits ancient Near Eastern and especially ancient Egyptian beliefs about the power and importance of names, where knowing a name was thought to connect a person with the essence and authority of what was named. Because ancient Egyptians and other Near Eastern cultures treated names as crucial in religious and ritual life, the fact that the Book of Abraham highlights God’s name and Abraham’s use of it in covenant rituals can be seen as consistent with ancient ways of thinking rather than a modern literary invention. For Latter‑day Saints, this article can be used to argue that the Book of Abraham’s detailed treatment of names makes sense in a real ancient cultural and religious setting, supporting the idea that the text reflects authentic ancient themes rather than only 19th‑century theology.—(Click here to read more)

The Plain of Olishem

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham mentions a place called Olishem (Abraham 1:10) and explore whether this name matches an ancient place called Ulisum found in old Akkadian records from about 4,000 years ago. These records place Ulisum west of the Euphrates River, in an area that fits well with where Abraham is said to have lived. The article notes that the names Olishem and Ulisum sound similar and come from the same time period, even though the place name does not appear in the Bible. While the authors admit there is no final proof, they argue the match is reasonable and worth taking seriously. For Latter-day Saints, the article can be used to demonstrate that the Book of Abraham contains realistic ancient place names, thereby supporting the idea that the text fits an authentic ancient setting.—(Click here to read more)

Potiphar's Hill

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham mentions a location called Potiphar’s Hill “at the head of the plain of Olishem” where a priest of Pharaoh made offerings to gods and performed rituals (Abraham 1:9–12), and they show that this fits ancient Near Eastern religious sites called cult centers, which were common places of worship and offerings across Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt in ancient times. They point out that the name Potiphar itself comes from an Egyptian naming formula linking a person to a god (like Re), and that Egyptian influence and solar worship were present in northern Syria and surrounding regions in the second millennium BC, making it plausible that Abraham’s relatives could have adopted mixed Egyptian‑Canaanite religious practices before his conversion. The article also shows that sacred hills and high places were important in ancient religion as places where heaven and earth met and where people sought encounters with the divine, so the Book of Abraham’s setting of revelation and threat of sacrifice on a hill matches real ancient religious geography and ritual practice. Because the Book of Abraham’s details about a specific cult site, a named priest, and religious behavior align with what scholars know about ancient Near Eastern cult centers and names, Latter‑day Saints can use this article to argue that the narrative contains authentic ancient cultural and geographical elements rather than being purely a modern creation.—(Click here to read more)

Shinehah, the Sun

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham uses the word Shinehah to mean “the sun” in Abraham 3:13, and they show that this term closely matches an actual ancient Egyptian word from texts used in Abraham’s time for the sun’s celestial path or sky canal, which was part of Egyptian astronomy and religion; this Egyptian word š‑n‑ḫꜣ appears in the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, religious writings from around and before Abraham’s day, and its consonants line up well with Shinehah in the Book of Abraham. Because Shinehah is not just a made‑up word but corresponds to an ancient Egyptian astronomical term that would have been known in the broader ancient Near Eastern world, the article can be used by Latter‑day Saints to argue that the Book of Abraham contains authentic ancient linguistic and cultural details, which supports the idea that the book reflects real ancient context rather than being purely a modern 19th‑century invention.—(Click here to read more)

The Son of Man

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that in the premortal council scene in Abraham 3:25–27, the Book of Abraham describes God asking which premortal spirit should be sent as the redeemer, and the one who answers first is called “one … like unto the Son of Man,” a title later associated with Jesus Christ in scripture, even though he is not explicitly named in this passage. They show that the phrase “Son of Man” has ancient roots in Jewish and apocalyptic literature (such as Daniel and later Jewish works) where it refers to a divine or exalted figure given authority and rule, and that this usage reflects ancient ways of thinking about divine messengers and heavenly figures rather than being a modern invention. For Latter‑day Saints, this article can be used to support the idea that the Book of Abraham’s language about premortal figures and divine roles aligns with ancient religious concepts about the Son of Man and Christ’s role, which helps argue that the book’s wording and themes reflect genuine ancient theological ideas rather than only 19th‑century ideas.—(Click here to read more)

Ur of the Chaldees

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham repeatedly names Ur of the Chaldees as Abraham’s homeland and gives extra details about it that aren’t in Genesis, such as connections with Egyptian cultural and religious influence and nearby places like the plain of Olishem that match ancient sites in northern Mesopotamia or Syria. The article shows that while many scholars traditionally identify Abraham’s Ur with the Sumerian city of Ur in southern Iraq, there is no firm archaeological evidence for Egyptian influence there in Abraham’s day, and the Book of Abraham’s own geographic and cultural hints fit better in the north, where Egyptian contact, relevant place‑names, and sites like Ulisum make more sense. Because these added details in the Book of Abraham line up with ancient Near Eastern history and geography in ways that the biblical text alone does not, Latter‑day Saints can use this article to argue that the Book of Abraham reflects genuine ancient geographic and cultural knowledge rather than being simply a modern story.—(Click here to read more)

Zeptah and Egyptus

Smoot, Gee, Muhlestein, and Thompson explain that the Book of Abraham’s opening genealogy—where Egypt was first discovered by a woman who is the daughter of Ham and “Egyptes”—actually appears in the earliest 1835 manuscript with the names “Zeptah” (for Ham’s wife) and “Egyptes” (for their daughter), rather than the later published form Egyptus found in the 1842 edition of the Book of Abraham. They show that Zeptah is very similar to the known ancient Egyptian name Siptah (sꜣ Ptḥ), meaning “son of Ptah,” and that names with Ptah were attested in ancient Egyptian records from Abraham’s time, which suggests the Book of Abraham preserves a name that could reflect genuine Egyptian linguistic material rather than a random English invention. Because this points to Egyptian‑style names appearing in the earliest manuscript form before publication, the article can be used by Latter‑day Saints to argue that the Book of Abraham contains authentic ancient Egyptian details in its original form, supporting the view that the text reflects something rooted in the ancient world rather than purely 19th‑century composition.—(Click here to read more)

Notes (click to expand)

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The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1339: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 1 make(s) the following claim:

Ep. 1: 92:37-95:05 - The Church's own Book of Abraham essay says none of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham's name or any of the events recorded in the Book of Abraham. Mormon and Non-Mormon Egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do not match the translation given in the Book of Abraham.

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim is based upon correct information - The author is providing knowledge concerning some particular fact, subject, or event

The Church's essay indeed does say that. Little is known with certitude about the exact relationship between the papyri from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Abraham and the translated text canonized in the Pearl of Great Price today. Three theories have emerged to try and explain this relationship. To become acquainted with these theories, we recommend the reader see this essay by Pearl of Great Price Central on the topic.

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1340: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 2 make(s) the following claim:

Ep. 2: 5:20-6:16 - If there were post-biblical traditions of Abraham, you would expect to find a reflex of that in the continuing cultures in the Near East. They haven't forgotten everything. And the Abraham story is not only alive and kicking, it's predominant, it is more important than Moses in the current world of Egypt. And yet there is not one trace, not a scintilla, not any reflection of the Book of Abraham tradition, whereas the biblical tradition is extremely predominant. So one has to wonder, if there were a second story, why is it that it is not enshrined in living testimony when Abrahamic lore is so strong?

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim is false

There is extra-biblical lore that supports many elements unique to the Book of Abraham. This is made clear by following the links to the two articles below

Did Joseph have "lustful motives" for practicing polygamy?

Summary: Neutral observers have long understood that this attack is probably the weakest of them all. One might reasonably hold the opinion that Joseph was wrong, but in the face of the documentary evidence it is wrong to argue that he and his associates were insincere or that they were practicing their religion only for power and to satisfy carnal desires. Those who insist that “sex is the answer” probably reveal more about their own limited perspective than they do of the minds of the early Saints.

Jump to details:

• Question: Did Joseph Smith institute polygamy because he had a "voracious sexual appetite"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith have a youthful struggle with unchastity?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith have a long history of "womanizing" before practicing plural marriage?
• Stephen H. Webb: "Evidence That Demands Our Amazement... Joseph Smith was a remarkable person"

Claims about the Translation Process

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1339: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 1 make(s) the following claim:

101:59-102:25 Part of the Book of Abraham was sort of translated in 1835, up through Abraham chapter 2 verse 18, and the balance was translated in early 1842 in Nauvoo and then it was printed in the church newspaper starting I think in March of 1842.

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim contains propaganda - The author, or the author's source, is providing information or ideas in a slanted way in order to instill a particular attitude or response in the reader

There is no consensus on the timing of the translation of the Book of Abraham as of this moment. For some different views of the timing of translation, see the citation.

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1340: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 2 make(s) the following claim:

1:26:05-1:26:52 Some try and say that this is a revelation instead of a translation. But if you look in the actual scriptures that we have in the Pearl of Great Price Book of Abraham under the explanations, facsimile number two, you will find, it goes through all these different figures. In the bottom, it says this, "The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give at the present time." It is very difficult, if not impossible, to try and characterize what Joseph Smith presented as doing here as anything other than a translation. That's exactly what he calls it there. So Joseph and his scribes clearly call this a translation in their work.

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim contains propaganda - The author, or the author's source, is providing information or ideas in a slanted way in order to instill a particular attitude or response in the reader

As any scholar of Joseph Smith's translation projects knows, Joseph Smith used the word "translate" in many different ways. Sometimes this means receiving the text by revelation alone like with the Adamic Language. Sometimes it means doing more mechanical translations as was the case with the Kinderhook Plates. What Dr. Ritner's distinction fails to take account for is that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always said that the translation of the Book of Abraham came by revelation. It does not make a big difference that they call it a revelation of if they call it a translation.

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1341: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 3 make(s) the following claim:

Ep. 3: 1:31:45-1:39:20 Joseph Smith pretended to speak Egyptian in his address to the Green Mountain Boys.

Did Joseph Smith pretend to speak Egyptian in his address to the Green Mountain Boys?

Joseph Smith did not write the Green Mountain Boys address.

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim is false

Joseph Smith did not write the Appeal to the Freemen of the State of Vermont, the "Brave Green Mountain Boys," and Honest Men. This was ghostwritten by W.W. Phelps. That Dr. Ritner is not aware of this is shocking given that this point has been settled in Latter-day Saint scholarship since at least 1992 in Bruce Van Orden's BYU Studies paper "William W. Phelps's Service in Nauvoo as Joseph Smith's Political Clerk."

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Articles about Book of Abraham

Papyri translation and related documents	Timeline of events related to the Book of Abraham and Kirtland Egyptian Papers Production of the Book of Abraham The Kirtland Egyptian Papers Identity and nature of the papyrus in the Church's possession Why is the Book of Abraham text not on the papyri? When did the Church disclose that the Joseph Smith Papyri were an Egyptian funerary text? Book of Abraham facsimiles
Relation to other texts	Thomas Dick’s The Philosophy of a Future State Oliver Cowdery and Abraham 1:2 The Book of Abraham and Genesis Thomas Taylor’s The Six Books of Proclus on the Theology of Plato The Book of Abraham and the New Testament
Purported issues	Antiquity of the Book of Abraham Alleged anachronisms in the Book of Abraham The Book of Abraham written by Abraham's "own hand upon papyrus" Abraham lying about his wife Sarah Kolob Listing of Publications on Controversies Surrounding the Book of Abraham from Official, Semi-Official, and Extra-Official Venues One versus multiple creators

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Articles about Joseph Smith

Life and Character	Status in Latter-day Saint belief Joseph's trustworthiness Money digging Folk magic or the occult The Word of Wisdom Alleged narcissism
Youth	Joseph Smith's family as trustworthy and hard-working Education Use of seer stones as a youth The Hurlbut affidavits Joseph Smith's 1826 trial
Revelations and the Church	Witness of Jesus Christ First Vision Book of Mormon Joseph Smith's inspired revision of the Bible (JST) The restoration of the priesthood Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith Production of the Book of Abraham Kinderhook Plates
Prophetic Statements	The U.S. Civil War Rocky Mountain prophecy The White Horse prophecy Alleged false prophecies of Joseph Smith Joseph Smith and Old Testament practices
Society	Legal issues 1826 trial Creation of the Kirtland Safety Society Failure of the Kirtland Safety Society Campaign for President of the United States
Plural marriage (polygamy)	Plural marriage or polygamy Polygamy navigator Plural wives of Joseph Smith
Death	The Nauvoo Expositor Events surrounding the death of Joseph Smith Firing a gun at Carthage Jail Qualification as a martyr 1844 Succession to Joseph Smith

Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Study Guide: "These papyri contain authentic Egyptian writings, but they do not date to the time of Abraham, nor do they contain the actual personally handwritten account of Abraham"

"Unit 31: Day 2, The Coming Forth of the Pearl of Great Price," Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students (2013):

In 1966, 11 fragments of papyri the Prophet Joseph Smith once had were discovered in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. These papyri contain authentic Egyptian writings, but they do not date to the time of Abraham, nor do they contain the actual personally handwritten account of Abraham. It is important to remember that only a few fragments and not all of the papyri that Joseph Smith possessed have been found. The book of Abraham may have been translated from papyri that have not been recovered. These lost papyri may have contained copies of Abraham’s writings.

At the present time we simply do not know the exact nature of the relationship between the book of Abraham and the papyri Joseph Smith possessed. There are various theories proposed as to how the prophet translated these writings, but we simply do not know the details. We do know that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the book of Abraham by the gift and power of God.

How was the text of the Book of Abraham produced by Joseph Smith?

Pearl of Great Price Central, Insight #39: How Did Joseph Smith Translate the Book of Abraham?

The Book of Abraham was claimed to have been received by revelation

Richard Turley notes that the Book of Abraham was received by revelation:

"Very quickly, let me just say a few things about it very simple. Number 1, again, it was received by revelation."
Richard Turley, Questions Asked at 2010 Swedish Fireside

19th century sources confirm that the text of the Book of Abraham was received by revelation

Consider these two quotes, the first from John Whitmer, who was Church Historian from 1831 until his excommunication in 1838, and the second from Warren Parrish, who was one of the scribes during the translation.

John Whitmer said,

"Joseph the Seer saw these Record[s] and by the revelation of Jesus Christ could translate these records . . . which when all translated will be a pleasing history and of great value to the saints."

Warren Parrish said,

"I have set by his side and penned down the translation of the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks [sic] as he claimed to receive it by direct inspiration from Heaven."

A more detailed essay describing the translation of the Book of Abraham was done by Pearl of Great Price Central and may be found by following the link above.

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Did Joseph use his seer stone to receive the text of the Book of Abraham in the same manner as he did for the Book of Mormon?

There is second-hand information that suggests Joseph Smith used his seer stone in the translation of the Book of Abraham

There is also second-hand information that suggests Joseph Smith used his seer stone (or what came to be called the "Urim and Thummim") in the translation of the Book of Abraham; though these accounts must be accepted carefully because of their secondary nature.

Wilford Woodruff said,

"The Lord is blessing Joseph with power to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God; to translate through the Urim and Thummim ancient records and hieroglyphics old as Abraham or Adam which caused our hearts to burn within us while we behold their glorious truths opened unto us."

"The Prophet translated the part of these writings which, as I have said is contained in the Pearl of Great Price, and known as the Book of Abraham. Thus you see one of the first gifts bestowed by the Lord for the benefit of His people, was that of revelation-the gift to translate, by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, the gift of bringing to light old and ancient records."

The official position of the Church is that the Book of Abraham is "an inspired translation of the writings of Abraham. Joseph Smith began the translation in 1835 after obtaining some Egyptian papyri." Anything beyond this is speculation, and does not constitute official Church doctrine relative to the Book of Abraham's origins. Nevertheless, it's clear from the historical evidence that Joseph Smith was not attempting a scholarly translation of the Book of Abraham à la Jean-François Champollion or other Egyptologists, but rather produced a revelatory translation (see Richard Turley's comments below). The exact nature of this revelatory translation is uncertain, with various theories having been offered over the years.

Do we have all of the papyri that Joseph Smith had?

There is no question that we are currently missing some papyri

Even critics of the Book of Abraham must acknowledge this. For example, we are missing the originals to Facsimiles 2 and 3. The question therefore is: how much papyrus are we missing? Professor John Gee has estimated, based on historical eyewitness testimony, papyrilogical considerations, and mathematical calculations, that we're missing a sizable portion of the Joseph Smith Papyri. Professor Gee further argues the likelihood that the text of the Book of Abraham translated (again, via revelation, and not by scholarly means) by Joseph Smith was contained in this missing portion of papyri. Professor Gee is not without his critics, however, who argue instead that we're missing only a small portion of the original papyri.

As such, this is still an open question. Further research is being conducted that will hopefully shed further light on this question. In the mean time, however, Professor Gee's so-called "Missing Papyrus Theory" cannot merely be dismissed. Those who struggle with the Book of Abraham controversy must deal with the evidence presented by Professor Gee.

How does the Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language (GAEL) relate to the Book of Abraham?

The exact relationship between the documents referred to as the "Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language" and the Book of Abraham have not yet been determined

Professor Brian M. Hauglid of Brigham Young University is currently undertaking a critical text edition of the so-called "Kirtland Egyptian Papers," or, more properly, the "Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language" (or GAEL), in conjunction with scholars at the Joseph Smith Papers. Professor Hauglid has published some preliminary thoughts on his research, in addition to comments made by other Mormon scholars.

Before we pass judgment on the GAEL, including it's relationship to the Book of Abraham text, we should be patient and see what Professor Hauglid and other scholars will release in the future, per Richard Turley's advice. This remains a relatively under-studied area of the Book of Abraham debate, and it would be foolish to jump to conclusions before all the relevant data is presented for scholarly scrutiny.

"Again, this concept of translation if you look at the 7th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, it’s a translation of a parchment sent up by the apostle john in the new testament. There’s no evidence it was anywhere around Joseph at the time that he translated it. OK, so again, translation is not character for character translation like you and I think about it, OK?"

Were the characters on the papyri written by Abraham himself?

[Richard Turley]: There are lots of theories on that. The church does believe that the book of Abraham is the word of God and if you read the book of Abraham, there are doctrines and principles you will understand that are important to you. That is the church’s position. Exactly how Joseph Smith did it? There are lots of scholarly debates going on about that. But there’s excellent work going on at BYU that should be out in the next year."

Does the Joseph Smith papyri consist of Egyptian funerary documents?

[Richard Turley]: The papyrus that we have we know what books those are from Egyptian.

Do the Joseph Smith papyri date back to the time of Abraham?

Richard Turley: "There’s a difference between the date of the copy and the date of the text"

[Richard Turley]: There’s a difference between the date of the copy and the date of the text. So the text, yes, we believe is older. The actual copy could be later."

This is a very important point to keep in mind. There is a difference between the date of a text and the date of a particular manuscript of a text. For example, biblical scholars recognize that even though our earliest manuscripts for the books of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) are currently found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date to circa 200-100 BCE, the date of the composition of the text of the books themselves go back many centuries.

The same point applies to the Book of Abraham. As Professor Kerry Muhlestein explains:

Critics say that if this papyrus was written in the second century BC it could not possibly have been written by Abraham himself. In regard to this assumption, I ask, who said this particular papyrus was written by Abraham himself? The heading does not indicate that Abraham had written that particular copy but rather that he was the author of the original. What these critics have done is confuse the difference between a text and a manuscript. For example, many people have a copy of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings; each has a manuscript copy of the text that Tolkien originally wrote. A text, regardless of how many copies of it exist in the world, is written by one author. However, each copy of that text is a manuscript.

The earliest known copies of the book of Isaiah date to hundreds of years after the prophet’s death. Yet this has not led to the conclusion that Isaiah was not the author of the book of Isaiah. Clearly the manuscripts we have are copies of the original text that he wrote during his lifetime. We all know that when an author of the ancient world wrote something, if those writings were to survive or be disseminated, the text had to be copied again and again and again, for generation upon generation. When the heading states that the text was written by Abraham’s own hand, it notes who the author is, not who copied down the particular manuscript that came into Joseph’s possession. If critics had carefully thought through this issue, they would never have raised it.

These issues also highlight the question of how the Book of Abraham came to be in Egypt in the first place. There are a dizzying number of possibilities. Abraham himself was in Egypt, as was his great-grandson Joseph and all of his Israelite descendants for hundreds of years thereafter. After the Exodus, Israelites continued to travel to and live in Egypt. After the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, large groups of Jews settled in Egypt and created longstanding and thriving communities, even to the point that they built a temple. It was during this time period that Joseph Smith Papyri 1, 10, and 11 were created. Copies of these papyri could have moved back and forth between Egypt and Israel during any of these eras.

Could Joseph Smith translate Egyptian?

At that time, nobody could translate Egyptian . The only way Joseph could translate would be through revelation.

Many students of the Book of Abraham have asked if Joseph Smith could have had access to means that he might learn Egyptian and translate the Book of Abraham and/or if he ever claimed to be able to translate Egyptian mechanically. Joseph couldn't translate Egyptian. At that time, hardly anyone in the United States could translate Egyptian. Jean-Francois Champollion would only recently (relatively speaking) be completing his transliteration of the Rosetta Stone. Joseph was able to receive the text of the Book of Abraham in the same manner that he did for the Book of Mormon, by revelation.

Some critics believe that Joseph claimed he knew Egyptian.

Some critics believe that Joseph claimed to know Egyptian for a couple of reasons.

One of these is an 1844 publication entitled Appeal to the Freemen of the State of Vermont, the "Brave Green Mountain Boys," and Honest Men that was purportedly written by Joseph Smith and in which an appeal to the GAEL is made to provide a translation for an Egyptian-sounding phrase. However, this publication has been demonstrated to have been ghostwritten by W.W. Phelps acting as Joseph Smith. Additionally, it would have been written after all the translation of the Book of Abraham was complete thus making it so that, prior to and during the translation, Joseph would not have claimed to know Egyptian.

A second reason is the GAEL itself and Joseph's use of it when doing his one-character "translation" of the Kinderhook Plates. As Latter-day Saint historians Don Bradley and Mark Ashurst McGee have observed in their definitive treatment of the Kinderhook plates, "[Joseph] Smith’s autonomous use of the Egyptian Alphabet book...in the translation of the Kinderhook plates shows that he considered it a legitimate translation tool." However, as the Gospel Topics Essay on the Book of Abraham has stated, the relationship of the GAEL to the Book of Abraham is not certain. Some have argued that the GAEL represents an attempt by Joseph Smith's scribes to reverse engineer the translation of the Book of Abraham to the papyri without the aid of revelation. If that is true, then Joseph Smith is not necessarily claiming by revelation to know how to translate Egyptian mechanically as academic translators do today with grammar books, dictionaries, etc. It simply means that Joseph received a translation of the papyri by revelation and then without the aid of revelation tried to discern the meaning of the characters on the papyri to try and learn Egyptian.

The final reason comes from the Gospel Topics Essay on the Book of Abraham on churchofjesuschrist.org which states the following:

Phelps apparently viewed Joseph Smith as uniquely capable of understanding the Egyptian characters: "As no one could translate these writings," he told his wife, "they were presented to President Smith. He soon knew what they were."

This quotation from Phelps has been interpreted by critics to mean that Joseph Smith was claiming to know the Egyptian language. However, it is clear from context that this did not mean that Joseph was claiming to have a working knowledge of Egyptian that he could use to translate documents mechanically, but that he was capable of discerning the meaning of the writings by revelation given to him because of his role and stewardship as prophet of God and President of the Church.

Are the statements of Abraham 1:12,14 about the altar and Gods at the "beginning of the record" significant for the Book of Abraham?

The earliest manuscripts of Abraham 1:12,14 have the text squeezed either between lines of the text or in the upper margin of the manuscript.

Earliest manuscript for Abraham 1:12,14

There are several criticisms that attach themselves to Abraham 1:12,14. It is postulated that they require that Abraham be familiar with the facsimiles themselves, that they complicate the Missing Papyrus Theory, and so on.

The earliest manuscripts of Abraham 1:12 and 14 have the text squeezed either between lines of text or in the upper margin of the earliest manuscript of these verses. Abraham 1:12 is in the handwriting of Frederick G. Williams, one of Joseph's scribes.

Furthermore, reading the text of the Book of Abraham becomes smoother with the omission of these phrases. The translation retains coherency even without the textual insertions. Scholarly consensus is that these lines in Abraham 1:12 and 1:14 were later additions to the text—perhaps even with the approval of Joseph Smith. Thus they are not significant to the integrity of the Book of Abraham.

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Learn more about the Book of Abraham

FAIR links	Mike Ash, "'Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation and Modern Egyptology'," Proceedings of the 2006 FAIR Conference (August 2006). link Michael Ash and Kevin Barney, "ABCs of the Book of Abraham," Proceedings of the 2004 FAIR Conference (August 2004). link John Gee, "'Book of Abraham, I Presume'," Proceedings of the 2012 FAIR Conference (August 2012). link John Gee, "Egyptian Influence in Ancient Israel," Proceedings of the 2001 FAIR Conference (August 2001). link John Gee, "The Larger Issue," Proceedings of the 2009 FAIR Conference (August 2009). link Kerry Muehlstein, "The Book of Abraham and Unnoticed Assumptions," Proceedings of the 2014 FAIR Conference (August 2014). link Michael Rhodes, "The Book of Abraham: Dealing with the Critics," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link
Online	Kevin L. Barney, "The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources," Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (Studies in the Book of Abraham, No. 3), John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, eds., (Provo: FARMS, 2006): 107–30.off-site Michael Dennis Rhodes, "A Translation and Commentary of the Joseph Smith Hypocephalus [pdflink]," Brigham Young University Studies 17 no. 3 (1977), 259. Hugh W. Nibley, "The Meaning of the Kirtland Egyptian Papers," Brigham Young University Studies 11 no. 1 (Summer 1971), 350–399.off-site E. Douglas Clark, "A Powerful New Resource for Studying the Book of Abraham (Review of Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham)," FARMS Review 15/1 (2003). [91–95] link Hugh W. Nibley, "Phase One," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 3 no. 2 (Summer 1968), 101. Benjamin Urrutia, "The Joseph Smith Papyri," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 4 no. 2 (Summer 1969), 129–134. John Gee, "Research and Perspectives: Abraham in Ancient Egyptian Texts," Ensign (July 1992): 60. John Gee, "A Method for Studying the Facsimiles; Review of A Study Guide to the Facsimiles of the Book of Abraham," FARMS Review 19/1 (2007). [348–353] link John Gee, "A Tragedy of Errors (Review of By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri by Charles M. Larson," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4/1 (1992). [93–119] link John Gee, "'Abracadabra, Isaac and Jacob (Review of The Use of Egyptian Magical Papyri to Authenticate the Book of Abraham: A Critical Review by Edward H. Ashment)'," FARMS Review 7/1 (1995). [19–84] link John Gee, "Bird Island' Revisited, or the Book of Mormon through Pyramidal Kabbalistic Glasses: Review of Written by the Finger of God: A Testimony of Joseph Smith's Translations by Joe Sampson'," FARMS Review 7/1 (1995). [219–228] link John Gee, "New Light on the Joseph Smith Papyri," FARMS Review 19/2 (2007). [245–260] link John Gee, "One Side of a Nonexistent Conversation (Review of The Papyri of Abraham: Facsimiles of the Everlasting Covenant)," FARMS Review 15/1 (2003). [81–85] link John Gee, "Some Puzzles from the Joseph Smith Papyri," FARMS Review 20/1 (2008). [113–138] link John Gee, "Telling the Story of the Joseph Smith Papyri (Review of The Facsimiles of the Book of Abraham: A Study of the Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri by James R. Harris)," FARMS Review 8/2 (1996). [46–59] link Brian M. Hauglid, "Nibley's Abraham in Egypt: Laying the Foundation for Abraham Research," FARMS Review 15/1 (2003). [97–90] link Quinten Barney, "A New and Most Welcome Resource for Book of Abraham Studies," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 56/6 (12 May 2023). [259–264] link John Gee, "Fantasy and Reality in the Translation of the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 42/7 (29 January 2021). [127–170] link John Gee, "Shulem, One of the King's Principal Waiters," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/15 (29 April 2016). [383–396] link Mark J. Johnson, "Scriptures with Pictures: Methodology, Unexamined Assumptions, and the Study of the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 25/1 (7 April 2017). [1–60] link Jeff Lindsay, "Book of Abraham Polemics: Dan Vogel's Broad Critique of the Defense of the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 47/4 (10 September 2021). [107–150] link Kerry Muhlestein, "Assessing the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Introduction to the Historiography of their Acquisitions, Translations, and Interpretations," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 22/2 (23 September 2016). [17–50] link Julie M. Smith, "A Note on Chiasmus in Abraham 3:22-23," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 8/13 (31 January 2014). [187–190] link Stephen O. Smoot, "Framing the Book of Abraham: Presumptions and Paradigms," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 47/8 (24 September 2021). [263–338] link Stephen O. Smoot, "Pressing Forward with the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/17 (20 April 2018). [299–308] link Stephen O. Smoot, "Temple Themes in the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 60/6 (2 February 2024). [211–238] link Adam Stokes, "The Hamites: The Pre-Restoration Monotheism of the Children of Ham in the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 59/2 (20 October 2023). [33–52] link John S. Thompson, "'Being of that Lineage': Generational Curses and Inheritance in the Book of Abraham," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 54/3 (2 December 2022). [97–146] link Larry E. Morris, "The Book of Abraham: Ask the Right Questions and Keep On Looking ('Review of 'The ‘Breathing Permit of Hor’ Thirty-four Years Later' Dialogue 33/4 (2000): 97–119)," FARMS Review 16/2 (2005). [355–380] link Hugh W. Nibley, "'Approach to John Gee, Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri (Review of A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri)'," FARMS Review 13/2 (2001). [63–64] link Michael D. Rhodes, "The Book of Abraham: Divinely Inspired Scripture (Review of By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri by Charles M. Larson)," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4/1 (1992). [120–126] link off-site Hugh Nibley, "The Facsimiles of the Book of Abraham," Sunstone 4:5-6 no. (Issue #17.18) (December 1979), 49–51. off-site
Video	Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology, Mike Ash, 2006 FAIR Conference Part 1:Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology Part 2:Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology Part 3:Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology Part 4:Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology     ABCs of the Book of Abraham, Michael Ash, Kevin Barney, 2004 FAIR Conference Part 1: ABCs of the Book of Abraham Part 2: ABCs of the Book of Abraham Part 3: ABCs of the Book of Abraham Part 4: ABCs of the Book of Abraham Part 5: ABCs of the Book of Abraham Part 6: ABCs of the Book of Abraham "Kolob," BH Roberts Foundation print-link. Video version: "Do Mormons believe God is an alien that lives on the planet Kolob?,"  (15 December 2023). video-link. "Race in the Pearl of Great Price," BH Roberts Foundation print-link. Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss
Print	H. Donl Peterson, The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1995); ISBN 0875798462, ISBN 978-0875798462. John A. Tvedtnes, "The Use of Mnemonic Devices in Oral Traditions, as Exemplified by the Book of Abraham and the Hor Sensen Papyrus," Newsletter and Proceedings of the SEHA 120 (April 1970): 2–10. Michael D. Rhodes, "The Joseph Smith Hypocephalus...Twenty Years Later." Richley Crapo and John A. Tvedtnes, "A Study of the Hor Sensen Papyrus." Newsletter and Proceedings of the SEHA 109 (25 October 1968): 1–6. Richley Crapo and John A. Tvedtnes. "The Hor Sensen Papyrus as a Mnemonic Device: A Further Study." Newsletter and Proceedings of the SEHA 114 (2 June 1969): 6–13. Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant, edited by John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, (Provo: FARMS, 2005). (Studies in the Book of Abraham, Vol. 3) John Gee, A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 2000). Traditions About the Early Life of Abraham, edited by John A. Tvedtnes, Brian M. Hauglid, and John Gee, (Provo: FARMS, 2001). (Studies in the Book of Abraham, Vol. 1) Hugh W. Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 2nd edition, (Vol. 14 of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley), edited by Gary P. Gillum, Illustrated by Michael P. Lyon, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book Company ; Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000). ISBN 157345527X. Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Abraham, edited by John Gee, Vol. 18 in the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah: Deseret Book / FARMS, 2009). ISBN 1606410547. Hugh Nibley, One Eternal Round, edited by Michael D. Rhodes, Vol. 19 in the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah: Deseret Book / FARMS, 2009). ISBN 9781606412374 . Michael D. Rhodes, The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary (Provo: FARMS, 2005). (Studies in the Book of Abraham, Vol. 2) John Gee, A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 2000). Hugh W. Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment, 2nd edition, (Vol. 16 of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley), edited by John Gee and Michael D. Rhodes, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book Company ; Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2005), 1. ISBN 159038539X. 1st edition GL direct link John Gee, "Eyewitness, Hearsay, and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith Papyri," The Disciple As Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, eds., Stephen D. Ricks, Donald W. Parry, and Andrew H. Hedges (Provo: FARMS, 2000). Brian M. Hauglid, “Thoughts on the Book of Abraham,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011), 245–258. Kerry Muhlestein, “Egyptian Papyri and the Book of Abraham: A Faithful, Egyptological Point of View,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011), 217–243. Michael D. Rhodes, “Teaching the Book of Abraham Facsimiles”, Religious Educator 4/2 (2003), 115-123. Michael D. Rhodes, “The Book of Abraham: Dealing with the Critics”, FAIR Conference, 2003, xxx.
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Source(s) of the criticism

Critical sources

John Dehlin, "Questions and Answers," Mormon Stories Podcast (25 June 2014).

Notes (click to expand)

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Claims about the Kirtland Egyptian Papers

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1340: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 2 make(s) the following claim:

55:44-57:11 [RFM:] The Kirtland Egyptian Papers were kept by the Church in its vault, for many, many, many decades and didn't tell anyone they had them and these only got produced when the Tanners and others sort of forced the church's hand in the ‘65, ‘66 timeframe. The Tanners did have leaked to them a transcript of the Abraham Egyptian papers and then they had leaked to them an actual microfilm version of the Abraham Egyptian papers, which is what I think Dr. Ritner had to use in his 2014 response to the church essay. Because until the last couple of years now, as a result of the efforts of Brian Hauglid and the Joseph Smith papers project only in the last three or four years, to my understanding has the church finally allowed to be published the actual papers that were used by Joseph Smith and his scribes to translate the Book of Abraham, i.e. The Abraham Egyptian papers. I was shocked to find out that as recently as six years ago, in 2014, they were not publicly available and that Dr. Ritner had to go to extraordinary links in order to find the Tanners version of it so he could use it in responding to the church essay because the church would not allow him to have access to the originals or reproductions of the originals through the church.

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1341: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 3 make(s) the following claim:

2:24:36-2:44:35 The “Valuable Discovery” document proves that the KEP were intended to be translations of the Egyptian characters. This [the Amenhotep Book of the Dead] likely would have been the Book of Joseph had Joseph Smith continued to work on translating the papyrus.

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of Mormon Stories #1341: Dr. Robert Ritner - An Expert Egyptologist Translates the Book of Abraham Pt 3 make(s) the following claim:

The KEP show that Joseph Smith thought he was translating characters from Fragment XI into the text of the Book of Abraham. Warren Parrish said, “I have sat by his side and penned down the translation of the Egyptian hieroglyphics as he claimed to receive it by direct inspiration of heaven.” Also, Egyptian is more difficult to write than Hebrew, despite what the Book of Mormon claims.

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim is false

The KEP do not have this type of a relationship with the Book of Abraham. Tim Barker and Kerry Muhelstein have provided excellent evidence of that.

Tim Barker, "Translating the Book of Abraham: The Answer Under Our Heads"

Tim Barker,  Proceedings of the 2020 FairMormon Conference, (5 August 2020)

Not everybody listening to this presentation may be fluent or even familiar with the controversies regarding The Book of Abraham. I will not attempt to summarize every criticism leveled against The Book of Abraham here, of course, but I will be addressing the primary argument that has been used against the translation of The Book of Abraham for over fifty years now. The substance of this argument has not changed nor has it been materially improved upon since it was put forth by Grant Heward and Jerald Tanner in 1968. The only noticeable changes to this argument since 1968 has been with respect to the aesthetics in presentation.

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Claims about Chapter 1 of the Book of Abraham

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

Claims about Facsimile 1 Generally

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

Claims about Specific Figures in Facsimile 1

Claims about Facsimile 2 Generally

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

The author(s) of 8: The Mormon Proposition make(s) the following claim:

Fred Karger states that Latter-day Saints "didn’t allow blacks in the Church until 1978."

Author's sources:

1. No source provided

FAIR's Response

Claims about Specific Figures in Facsimile 2

Claims about Specific Figures in Facsimile 3