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Book of Abraham Manuscript, circa July–circa November 1835–A [Abraham 1:4–2:6]
Source Note
Source Note
Book of Abraham, [, Geauga Co., OH, ca. July–ca. Nov. 1835]; English in the handwriting of ; hieratic and unknown characters in unidentified handwriting (likely Williams); four pages; Book of Abraham Manuscripts, CHL. Includes archival markings.
Two leaves, the first leaf measuring 12½ × 7⅝ inches (32 × 19 cm) and the second leaf measuring 12½ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm). The first leaf is unruled, and the second leaf is ruled with thirty-seven blue lines that are now mostly faded. Both leaves were originally part of two larger sheets that were cut in half; the other halves of the two larger sheets are now the first and second leaves of Book of Abraham Manuscript–B. The first and second pages each bear a vertical line drawn in graphite; the third page bears a vertical line in ink. The fourth page does not contain a vertical line. These lines formed a margin on the left side of each page, ranging in width from ½ inch to ¾ inch (1–2 cm). Characters from the Book of Breathing for Horos, the Egyptian Alphabet documents or the Grammar and Alphabet volume, and possibly other unknown sources were copied in the margins. It appears that paginated the entire manuscript.
At some point, the leaves were folded in half, perhaps for storage. The edges of the right side of the first leaf and the upper edge of the second leaf are worn. Both leaves have significant staining and foxing. The dimensions and distinct outline of the staining on the verso of the first leaf match the dimensions and outline of the plate used in to print Facsimile 3, the third illustration from the papyri that was printed with the Book of Abraham. This staining indicates that the printing plates and the manuscripts were stored together for some time. By the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, the pages of this document were labeled in blue ink with letters of the alphabet from J to M. The handwriting in which this labeling is inscribed is similar to that of early-twentieth-century apostle James E. Talmage. This document was presumably stored with the Egyptian material mentioned in periodic inventories of the Historian’s Office, which suggests continuous institutional custody.
Footnotes
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- [3]
The lettering on the various Book of Abraham documents and the Egyptian Alphabet documents went from A through X.
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“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.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
In late 1835, inscribed the following version of the first portion of the Book of Abraham. Williams’s manuscript was closely related to Book of Abraham Manuscript–B, which was inscribed by . Evidence suggests that large portions of this version and Book of Abraham Manuscript–B were created and revised simultaneously. The similarities in the revisions to the two manuscripts suggest that Williams and Parrish created portions of these texts by taking down dictation and perhaps by copying portions from a nonextant version of the Book of Abraham. The heading found at the beginning of Book of Abraham Manuscript–A, which reads “sign of the fifth degree of the first <Seccond> part”, is similar to headings found in the Grammar and Alphabet volume and the Egyptian Alphabet documents documents, indicating this manuscript was associated with JS’s earlier efforts to study the Egyptian language—although the nature of this relationship is uncertain.
Two relatively large insertions in this version illustrate a connection between the Book of Abraham text and a vignette on the papyri. The insertions refer readers to a representation of the attempted sacrifice of Abraham upon an altar, which points readers to the vignette, or illustration, from the Book of Breathing for Horos. These insertions by may have been first added to the Book of Abraham Manuscript–A and then silently incorporated in later versions, including Book of Abraham Manuscript–B, which suggests that at least some parts of the manuscripts were not created simultaneously.
Along the left margin of each page of this version are characters copied from the surviving fragments of the papyri, from the Egyptian Alphabet documents or the Grammar and Alphabet volume, and possibly from other unknown sources. The characters show evidence of having been copied in groups; the characters on the last page all seem to have been copied at the same time. At times, gradually tightened or spaced out his handwriting to ensure an English paragraph would fill but not extend beyond the space between each character and the one following it in the left margin. On the last extant page of the text, however, Williams made a significant copy error, accidentally recopying multiple lines. This copying error indicates that at the final stage in the creation of the manuscript, Williams was copying from another manuscript. The extant manuscript ends near the bottom of the verso of the last leaf. It is possible, therefore, that another, nonextant leaf bearing additional material was inscribed by Williams.
Unless otherwise indicated in the annotation, Book of Abraham Manuscript–A and Book of Abraham Manuscript–B contain the same text, as well as the same cancellations and insertions. Differences in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation between the two manuscripts are not noted. Because Book of Abraham Manuscript–C was not created alongside the other two versions, differences between it and Book of Abraham Manuscript–A are not tracked closely in the annotation to this version.
Footnotes
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See Fragment of Book of Breathing for Horos–A, between 238 and ca. 153 bc; Rhodes, Hor Book of Breathings, 18; and Coenen, “Ownership and Dating of Certain Joseph Smith Papyri,” 58; see also Book of Abraham and Facsimiles, 1 Mar.–16 May 1842.
Rhodes, Michael D. The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary. Studies in the Book of Abraham, edited by John Gee. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2002.
Coenen, Marc. “The Ownership and Dating of Certain Joseph Smith Papyri.” In The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, P. JS 1–4 and the Hypocephalus of Sheshonq, by Robert K. Ritner, 57–71. Salt Lake City: Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2011.
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Book of Abraham Manuscript–C contains additional text and might have been copied from a nonextant leaf of Book of Abraham Manuscript–A.
<L>
| ✦ [12] | The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham; and the daughter of Zep-tah. which in the Chaldea signifies Egypt, which sign[i]fies that which is forbidden. Whin this woman discovered the land it was under water, who after settled her sons in it: And thus from Ham sprang the that race which preserved the curse in the land. |
| ✦ [13] | Now the <first> government of Egypt, was established by Pharaoh the eldest sun <son> of Egyptes the daughter of Ham; and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was Patriarchal. Pharaoh being a righteous man established his kingdom, and Judged his people wisely and Justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generation in the days of the first Patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam. And also Noah his father. For in his days Who <who> blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and of with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the priesthood. |
| ✦ [14] | Now Pharaoh being of that leniage [lineage] by which he could not have the right of priesthood; notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah through Ham: Therefore, my father was led away by their—idolatry, <;> but I shall indeaver [endeavor] hereafter to dilliniate the chronology run[n]ing back from myself to the begining of <the> creation, for the reccords, have came <come> into my hands which I hold unto this present time |
| ✦ [15] | Now after the priest of Elkkeenah was smitten that he died, there came a fulfilment of those things which were spoken unto me concerning the land of Chaldea, that there should be a famine in the land; and accordingly a famine prevailed throughout all the land of Chaldea: and And my father was sorely tormented because of the famine, and he repented of the evil which he had determined against me, to take away my life: But the reccords of the fathers even the patriarchs concerning the right of priesthood, the lord my god preserved in mine own hand<s:> |
[p. [3]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
This letter was inserted in blue ink in unidentified handwriting.
- [38]
TEXT: This character and the two that follow were written in a different ink flow than the rest of the characters, and they do not match any characters from the extant portions of the papyri. They are composites of characters from the Egyptian Alphabet documents or Grammar and Alphabet volume, including characters 1.15 and 1.19.
- [39]
TEXT: Possibly “, ;”.
- [40]
TEXT: Knife-erased hieratic character at beginning of this line.
- [41]
TEXT: Possibly “, ;”.
- [42]
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B does not have “the”; Book of Abraham Manuscript–C has “<the>”.
- [43]
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “wise<ly>”.
- [44]
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B and –C have “generations”.
- [45]
TEXT: “<w>” possibly in a different hand.
- [46]
TEXT: Possibly “blessing<s>”.
- [47]
TEXT: Possibly “<:>”.
- [48]
TEXT: Possibly “, <:>}”.
- [49]
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B also has “the”, but it is written inline.
- [50]
TEXT: Possibly “has have”.
- [51]
TEXT: Both Book of Abraham Manuscript–B and –C have “Elkkener”. A stray mark between “Elk” and “keenah” could be an underscore that was later canceled or an extension of the first “K”.
- [52]
TEXT: Williams may have touched up the “a” without changing it to an “A”.
- [53]
TEXT: The “s” was inserted after the “:”. Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “hands,”.