Book of Abraham Manuscript, circa July–circa November 1835–A [Abraham 1:4–2:6]
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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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1
See Fragment of Book of Breathing for Horos–A, between 238 and ca. 153 bc.
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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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4
“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.
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1
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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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1
See Book of Abraham Manuscript, ca. July–ca. Nov. 1835–B [Abraham 1:4–2:2].
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2
See “Egyptian Alphabet Documents, ca. Early July–ca. Nov. 1835”; and Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language, ca. July–ca. Nov. 1835.
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3
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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4
See Book of Abraham Manuscript, ca. July–ca. Nov. 1835–B [Abraham 1:4–2:2]; Book of Abraham Manuscript, ca. July–ca. Nov. 1835–C [Abraham 1:1–2:18]; Book of Abraham Manuscript and Explanation of Facsimile 1, ca. Feb. 1842 [Abraham 1:1–2:18]; and Book of Abraham and Facsimiles, 1 Mar.–16 May 1842.
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5
See Fragment of Book of Breathing for Horos–A, between 238 and ca. 153 bc.
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6
Book of Abraham Manuscript–C contains additional text and might have been copied from a nonextant leaf of Book of Abraham Manuscript–A.
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1
| ✦ [9] | And as they lifted up their hands upon me that they might offer me up and take away my life behold I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God; and the lord harkened, and heard and he filled me with a vision of the almighty and the angel of his presence stood by my feet and immediately loosed my bands |
| ✦ [10] | And his voice was unto me. Abram Abram Behold my name is Jehovah. and I have heard thee and have come down to deliver thee. and to take thee away from thy fathers house, and from all thy Kinsfolks, in to a strange land which thou knowest not of, and this because they have turned their hearts away from me to worship the god of Elk Kee-nah and the god of Zibnah- and of Mah-Mach-rah— and the god of pharaoh King of Egypt. Therefore I have come down to visit them. and to distroy him, who hath lifted up his hand against thee Abram my son to take away thy life, Behold I will lead thee by my hand and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name even the priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee; as it was with Noah so shall it be with thee, that through thy ministry, my name shall be known, in the earth forever, for I am thy God |
| ✦ [11] | Behold Potiphers hill was in the land of Ur of Chaldea and the Lord broke down the alter of Elk-Keenah and of the gods of the land, and utterly distroyed them and smote the priest that he died and there was great morning in Chaldeea and also in the court of Pharaoh which Pharaoh signifies King by royal blood. Now this King of Egypt was a discendent from the loins of Ham and was a partaker of the blood of the Cananitess by birth: From this decent sprang all the Egyptians and thus the blood of the cannites was preserved in the land |
Cite this page
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Document Information
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Footnotes
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20
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “these”.
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21
TEXT: Possibly “Ca◊ak-lee=-nos Kah-be=-nos”.
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22
TEXT: The content and spacing of this paragraph, along with similar revisions to the line at the bottom of the previous page, suggest that this paragraph was inserted. Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has this text inline; this version is unique in having the text inserted.
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This letter was inserted in blue ink in unidentified handwriting.
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23
TEXT: This revision is not present in Book of Abraham Manuscript–B.
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24
TEXT: “an” written and then wipe-erased. Williams then shifted left and wrote “and” with “d” over “a”.
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25
TEXT: The spacing of the words suggests “and” might have been inserted. Alternatively, this may have been the point at which Williams realized he needed to squeeze the rest of this paragraph into his remaining space.
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TEXT: Possibly “Behold,” or “Behold.”.
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TEXT: Or “there”.
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28
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “turn”.
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TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “Abram”.
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30
TEXT: This revision is not present in Book of Abraham Manuscript–B.
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31
TEXT: Possibly “. ,”.
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32
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “Elkkenah Elkkener” and Book of Abraham Manuscript–C has “Elkkener”.
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33
TEXT: “s” possibly inserted.
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34
TEXT: Book of Abraham Manuscript–B does not have these four stricken words but instead has “these them”.
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35
TEXT: “s” crossed out in graphite. Book of Abraham Manuscript–B has “priest” (without the cancellation of the “s”).
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36
TEXT: Or “Chaldean”; possibly “Chaldea”.
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37
TEXT: This character may have been an aborted first attempt at drawing character 2.
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