FAIR Study Aids/Book of Abraham

History

• Introduction to Book of Abraham Manuscripts (Joseph Smith Papers)

Overview

• Kerry Muhlestein, "Egyptian Papyri and the Book of Abraham: A Faithful, Egyptological Point of View" (Religious Educator)
• John Gee, "Book of Abraham, I presume" (FAIR)
• Book of Abraham Wiki Entries (FAIR)
• Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" (BYU Religious Studies Center)
• Michael D. Rhodes, "The Book of Abraham: Dealing with the Critics" (FAIR)(FAIR video part 1)(FAIR video part 2)video part 3)
• Michael D. Rhodes, "The Book of Abraham: Divinely Inspired Scripture"(Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "A Tragedy of Errors" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "Abracadabra, Isaac and Jacob" (Maxwell Institute)
• Kerry Muhlestein, "Approaching Understandings in the Book of Abraham" (Maxwell Institute)
• Michael Ash and Kevin Barney, "The ABCs of the Book of Abraham" (FAIR)
• Michael Ash, "Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology" (FAIR)
• Larry E. Morris, "The Book of Abraham: Ask the Right Questions and Keep On Looking" (Maxwell Institute)
• Daniel C. Peterson, "News from Antiquity" (Ensign)
• Daniel C. Peterson, "Mormonism as a Restoration" (Maxwell Institute)
• Brian Hauglid, "Investigating the Kirtland Egyptian Papers" (http://www.fairlds.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2006-Brian-Hauglid.pdf (FAIR)
• David E. Bokovoy, ""Ye Really Are Gods": A Response to Michael Heiser concerning the LDS Use of Psalm 82 and the Gospel of John" (Maxwell Institute)
• David E. Bokovoy, "Joseph Smith and the Biblical Council of Gods" (FAIR)
• William Schryver's videos (Vimeo)
• Hugh W. Nibley, "Abraham in Egypt (Collection)" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee and Stephen D. Ricks, "Historical Plausibility: The Historicity of the Book of Abraham as a Case Study" [(error in link)]
• Kerry Muhlestein, "Encircling Astronomy and the Egyptians: An Approach to Abraham 3" (Religious Educator)
• Kerry Muhlestein, "Prelude to the Pearl: Sweeping Events Leading To The Discovery of the Book of Abraham" [(error in link)]
• Matthew Porter Wilcox, "The Coming Forth of the Book of Abraham" [(error in link)]

Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" [(error in link)]

Second FAIR blog post (FAIR)

Chapter 1

Text (LDS.org)

• Abraham 1:1 "In the land of the Chaldeans"
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" (BYU Religious Studies Center)
• Abraham 1:2 "peace and rest"
• Abraham 1:2 "prince of peace"
• Abraham 1:6 "god of Elkenah, and the god of Libnah and the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt"
  • Kevin L. Barney, "On Elkenah as Canaanite El" (Maxwell Institute)
  • John Tvednes, "Authentic Ancient Names and Words in the Book of Abraham and Related Kirtland Egyptian Papers" (FAIR-pdf)
• Abraham 1:7 "sacrifice of the heathen in offering up their children unto these dumb idols"
• Abraham 1:7 "The priest of Elkenah was also the priest of Pharaoh"
  • Kevin L. Barney, "On Elkenah as Canaanite El" (Maxwell Institute)
• Abraham 1:8 "Now, at this time it was the custom of the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to offer up upon the alter which was built in the land of Chaldea, for the offering unto these strange gods, men, women, and children"
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" (BYU Religious Studies Center)
• Abraham 1:9 "unto the god of Pharaoh, and also unto the god of Shagreel, even after the manner of the Egyptians."
• Abraham 1:9 "Now the god of Shagreel was the sun."
• Abraham 1:10 "Potiphar's Hill, at the head of the plain of Olishem"
  • John Gee, "A Tragedy of Errors" (Maxwell Institute)
  • Daniel C. Peterson, and Matthew Roper, "Ein Heldenleben? On Thomas Stuart Ferguson as an Elias for Cultural Mormons" (Maxwell Institute)
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Mormonism as a Restoration" (Maxwell Institute)
• Abraham 1:11 "Now, this priest had offered upon this altar three virgins at one time... ...These virgins were offered up because of their virtue; they would not bow down to worship gods of wood or of stone, therefore they were killed upon this altar, and it was done after the manner of the Egyptians."
  • John Gee, "Egyptian Society during the Twenty-sixth Dynasty" (Maxwell Institute) (This may be the wrong time period, need to read it.
  • John Gee, and Kerry Muhlestein, "An Egyptian Context for the Sacrifice of Abraham" (Maxwell Institute)
• Abraham 1:12 "and that you may have a knowledge of this altar, I will refer you to the representation at the commencement of this record."
• Abraham 1:13 "It was after the form of a bedstead, such as was had among the Chaldeans, and it stood before the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmakrah, Korash, and also a god like unto that of Pharaoh, king of Egypt"
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" (BYU Religious Studies Center)
• Abraham 1:14 "which manner of figures is called by the Chaldeans Rahleenos, which signifies hieroglyphics."
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" (BYU Religious Studies Center)
• Abraham 1:15 "and the Lord hearkened and heard and filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angle of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands;"
  • Mark Alan Wright, ""According to Their Language, unto Their Understanding": The Cultural Context of Hierophanies and Theophanies in Latter-day Saint Canon" (Maxwell Institute)
  • William James Adams Jr., "Human Sacrifice and the Book of Abraham" (BYU Studies)
• Abraham 1:17 "the god of Elkenah"
  • Kevin L. Barney, "On Elkenah as Canaanite El" (Maxwell Institute)
• Abraham 1:18 "and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the priesthood of thy father"
• Abraham 1:20 "Behold, Potiphar's Hill was in the land of Ur, of Chaldea."
• Abraham 1:21 "Now this king was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth."
• Abraham 1:22 "...Egyptus, which signifies that which is forbidden"
• Abraham 1:23 "The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman"
  • Hugh W. Nibley, "A Pioneer Mother" (Maxwell Institute)
• Abraham 1:24 "When this woman discovered the land it was under water"
• Abraham 1:24 "sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land."
• Abraham 1:25 "it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal"
• Abraham 1:26 "but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood."
• Abraham 1:27 "Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood..."
• Abraham 1:29 "priest of Elkenah was smitten that he died"
  • Kevin L. Barney, "On Elkenah as Canaanite El" (Maxwell Institute)
• Abraham 1:29 "there came a fulfillment of those things which were said unto me concerning the land of Chaldea, that there shoud be a famine in the land."
• Abraham 1:31 "I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me."

Chapter 2

Text (LDS.org)

Chapter 3

Text (LDS.org)

Chapter 4

Text (LDS.org)

Chapter 5

Text (LDS.org)

Facsimiles Overview

• Kevin L. Barney, "The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources" (Maxwell Institute)
• Michael D. Rhodes, "Teaching the Book of Abraham Facsimiles" (Religious Educator)
• John Gee, "A Method for Studying the Facsimiles" (Maxwell Institute)

Facsimile 1

Image and Explanation (LDS.org)

Facsimile 2

Image and Explanation (LDS.org) Michael D. Rhodes, "The Joseph Smith Hypocephalus. . . Twenty Years Later" (pdf copy of paper)

• Fig. 1: "The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit."
  • Hollis R. Johnson, "One Day to a Cubit," [1]

Facsimile 3

Image and Explanation (LDS.org)

Papyri

High resolutions photographs of the known existing Joseph Smith Papyri (Joseph Smith Papers)

• John Gee, "A guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "Formulas and Faith" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "Some Puzzles from the Joseph Smith Papyri" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "Eyewitness, Hearsay, and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith Papyri" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "New Light on the Joseph Smith Papyri" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee, "A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri (Collection)" (Maxwell Institute)
• John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, "Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (Collection)" (Maxwell Institute)
• Kerry Muhlestein, "The Book of Breathings in Its Place" (Maxwell Institute)
• Kerry Muhlestein, "Egyptian Papyri and the Book of Abraham: Some Questions and Answers" [(error in link)]