Copies of Egyptian Characters, circa Summer 1835–A

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Copies of Egyptian Characters, circa Summer 1835–A
Source Note

Copies of Egyptian Characters, [
Kirtland Township
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Geauga Co., OH, ca. Summer 1835]; hieratic characters in unidentified handwriting; one page; Kirtland Egyptian Papers, CHL.

Bifolium with leaves measuring 13½ × 7¾ inches (34 × 20 cm). Each leaf contains about thirty-seven blue lines that are now faded. Judging from the size of the paper, the color and number of lines, and the spacing between the lines, it appears the paper used for this document may also have been used for “Valuable Discovery,” circa Early July 1835,
1
“Valuable Discovery,” ca. Early July 1835.
perhaps linking the two documents in both purpose and time of creation. The recto of the first leaf is inscribed with characters, and the remaining three pages are blank. Slight wear and small tears are present along the three outer edges of the paper, and the left edge has some minor folding, suggesting that this sheet was placed in a bound volume (perhaps the Grammar and Alphabet volume). This document has no later pagination or classification marks, which suggests that it was not with other related documents when they were labeled in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. This document was, however, presumably included with the Egyptian material identified in various Historian’s Office inventories throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which suggests continuous institutional custody.
2
“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1]; “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th. April 1855,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Inventory, G. S. L. City March 19, 1858,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Catalogue Book March 1858,” [7], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 17 Oct. 1855.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

This document contains nine lines of characters on the top half of the page,
3
Some of these characters are found on Miscellaneous Scraps of Book of the Dead for Semminis, ca. 300–100 bc. According to Egyptologists, these characters come from portions of chapters 1–7 and 10–14 of the Book of the Dead for Semminis. (Ritner, Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, 159–165, 204; Rhodes, Books of the Dead, 25–35.)
Ritner, Robert K. The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, P. JS 1–4 and the Hypocephalus of Sheshonq. Salt Lake City: Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2011.
Rhodes, Michael D. Books of the Dead Belonging to Tshemmin and Neferirnub: A Translation and Commentary. Studies in the Book of Abraham 4. Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2010.
while the bottom half contains some scattered characters, two drawings of baboons,
4
For a discussion of the illustrations of baboons and the hieratic characters accompanying them, see Ritner, Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, 165–166; and Rhodes, Books of the Dead, 35.
and a drawing of a priest offering water.
5
For a discussion of this figure and the hieratic characters accompanying it, see Ritner, Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, 165–166; and Rhodes, Books of the Dead, 35.
Footnotes
[1]
“Valuable Discovery,” ca. Early July 1835.
[2]
“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1]; “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th. April 1855,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Inventory, G. S. L. City March 19, 1858,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Catalogue Book March 1858,” [7], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 17 Oct. 1855.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.
[3]
Some of these characters are found on Miscellaneous Scraps of Book of the Dead for Semminis, ca. 300–100 bc. According to Egyptologists, these characters come from portions of chapters 1–7 and 10–14 of the Book of the Dead for Semminis. (Ritner, Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, 159–165, 204; Rhodes, Books of the Dead, 25–35.)
[4]
For a discussion of the illustrations of baboons and the hieratic characters accompanying them, see Ritner, Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, 165–166; and Rhodes, Books of the Dead, 35.
[5]
For a discussion of this figure and the hieratic characters accompanying it, see Ritner, Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri, 165–166; and Rhodes, Books of the Dead, 35.
Historical Introduction
See Introduction to Copies of Egyptian Characters, ca. Summer 1835.
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[9 lines of hieratic characters]

[drawing of a baboon]

[drawing of a baboon, with associated hieratic characters]

[drawing of a priest offering water, with associated hieratic characters] [p. [1]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Copies of Egyptian Characters, circa Summer 1835–A
ID #
8106
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, R4:44–45
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