What do you feel or know about the translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham?
We have the source material(Papyri purchased by Joseph) for the Book of Abraham. Joseph's "translation" of the Book of Abraham doesn't match this record in the slightest. In fact, the Egyptian papyri are actually an Egyptian funeral document that dates to hundreds of years after Abraham lived, and say nothing of Abraham. The facsimile interpretations by Joseph were completely inaccurate. Lastly, the Book of Abraham is also filled with anachronism. In the Book of Abraham, Abraham refers to Chaldeans and Pharaoh, which didn't exist when Abraham was alive. Not to mention the facsimiles on the papyri did not even exist when Abraham was alive, so it would be impossible for him to interpret them. ( the church admits this in the Gospel Topic Essays")
danieljohnsonThe Book of Abraham was NOT a translation by Joseph Smith, but rather completely fabricated. The papyri he claimed to use have nothing to do with Abraham or anything else written about in that book. I remember that even as a teenager who knew little more about Egypt than what she had learned in elementary school, I knew that the items under the table in Facsimile 1 were clearly canopic jars, not idols.
the-last-tapircornThis was what finally did any hopes of a testimony in. The gospel topic essays are clear in saying the papyrus is actually about a funeral, and not at all about Abraham. I can’t support that being true.
becca-walton