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Joseph Smith's Explanations of Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham
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Joseph Smith's Explanations of Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham
Summary:This page will discuss Joseph Smith's Explanations of Facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham.
| Facsimile 1 | Joseph Smith's Explanation | Modern Egyptologists' Explanation | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fig. 1 | The Angel of the Lord | Some say that this is the "ba-spirit" of Hor: the owner of this papyrus. Others say it the ba-spirit Osiris, miscopied with the head of a bird rather than that of a human. | |
| Fig. 2 | Abraham fastened upon an altar. | The prone image of Hor, according to some, or Osiris, according to others. | |
| Fig. 3 | The idolatrous priest of Elkenah attempting to offer up Abraham as a sacrifice. | The jackal-headed Anubis, god of mummification, extending his hand to ensure the resurrection of the mummy of the deceased Osiris ... Although most of Anubis' head is now missing, the back of his wig still appears above his shoulder and his dark skin is evident | |
| Fig. 4 | The altar for sacrifice by the idolatrous priests, standing before the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, Korash, and Pharaoh. | A customary, "lion-headed" funeral bier. | |
| Fig. 5 | The idolatrous god of Elkenah. | The deity Qebehseneuf, protector of the intestines. | |
| Fig. 6 | The idolatrous god of Libnah. | The deity Duamutef, protector of the stomach. | |
| Fig. 7 | The idolatrous god of Mahmackrah. | The deity Hapy, protector of the lungs. | |
| Fig. 8 | The idolatrous god of Korash. | The deity Imsety, protector of the liver. | |
| Fig. 9 | The idolatrous god of Pharaoh. | According to some, this is the god “Horus”. According to others, it is the crocodile who aided in the collection of the dismembered limbs of Osiris. | |
| Fig. 10 | Abraham in Egypt. | A libation table with a spouted vessel and Nile water lily flowers, bearing wines, oils, etc. Common in Egypt. | |
| Fig. 11 | Designed to represent the pillars of heaven, as understood by the Egyptians. | A 'niched-brick' palace facade, called a “serekh”. Originally an architectural feature that became an artistic convention for the decoration of the dado of sacred wall scenes. | |
| Fig. 12 | Raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the firmament over our heads; but in this case, in relation to this subject, the Egyptians meant it to signify Shaumau, to be high, or the heavens, answering to the Hebrew word, Shaumahyeem. | A stream of Nile water, shown by the hatched lines. |
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