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Book of Abraham Manuscript, circa July–circa November 1835–B [Abraham 1:4–2:2]
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 Parrish); six pages; Book of Abraham Manuscripts, CHL. Includes archival markings.
Three leaves, the first leaf measuring 12½ × 7⅝ inches (32 × 19 cm) and the second and third leaves 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 the first and second 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–A. Each page bears a vertical line drawn in graphite. These lines form a margin on the left side of each page, ranging in width from ¾ to ⅞ inch (2 cm). Characters from the Book of Breathing for Horos, from the Egyptian Alphabet documents or the Grammar and Alphabet volume, and possibly from 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. Some of the edges of the leaves are worn, and there is some staining and foxing on the leaves. By the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, the pages of this document were labeled in blue ink with the letters S, R, Q, P, N, and O. The handwriting in which this labeling is inscribed is similar to that of early-twentieth-century apostle James E. Talmage. It appears that the leaves may have been stored out of order at the time the labeling was completed, since the letter labels are out of alphabetical order. This document was presumably stored with the Egyptian material mentioned in periodic inventories of the Historian’s Office, which suggests continuous institutional custody.
Footnotes
- [1]
- [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.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
created this version of the Book of Abraham, which is closely related to Book of Abraham Manuscript–A, the version created by . Evidence suggests that large portions of this version and Book of Abraham Manuscript–A were created and revised simultaneously. The similarities in the revisions to the manuscripts suggest that Williams and Parrish created these texts by taking down dictation and perhaps by copying from a nonextant version of the Book of Abraham. The heading found at the beginning of Book of Abraham Manuscript–B, which reads “sign of the fifth degree of the first <second> part”, is similar to headings found in the Grammar and Alphabet volume and the Egyptian Alphabet documents, which indicates that this manuscript was associated with JS’s efforts to study the Egyptian language, though the nature of that relationship is uncertain. Because Parrish’s handwriting is larger than Williams’s, this version contains three leaves instead of Williams’s two. It also includes less of the Book of Abraham text than does the Williams manuscript. Later, Parrish copied this version into a volume, the first page of which bears twenty-one lines of prefatory material inscribed by .
Unless otherwise indicated in the annotation, Book of Abraham Manuscript–B and Book of Abraham Manuscript–A 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–B are not tracked closely in the annotation to this version.
Footnotes
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| that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam; and also Noah his father, for in his days, 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 lineage, by which he could not have the right of priesthood, notwithstanding, the Pharaoh’s, would feign claim it, from Noah, through Ham, therefore, my father was led away, by their Idolitry but I shall endeavour hereafter to deliniate the chronology, run[n]ing back from myself to the beginning of the creation: for the records, have come into my hands, which I hold unto this present time. |
| ✦ [15] | Now after the priest of Elkkener was Smiten that he died there came a fulfillment 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 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 records of the fathers, even the patraarch’s, concerning the right of priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands, therefore a Knowledge of the begin<n>ing of creation, and also of the planets and of the Stars, as it was made Known |
[p. 5]
