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Religious Education

Journal

2023

Book of Abraham

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

New Information On Facsimiles Oct 2023

New Information On Facsimiles

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The Sons of Horus, who appear in figures 5-8 of Facsimile 1 and figure 6 of Facsimile 2 in the Book of Abraham, are the subject of a new study by John Gee: ''Notes on the Sons of Horus." This illustrated study focuses on the history of these gods in Egypt, their role in Egyptian religion and burial practices, their connection with sacrifice, and their exportation from Egypt.


References To Abraham Found In Two Egyptian Texts, John Gee Oct 2023

References To Abraham Found In Two Egyptian Texts, John Gee

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

After years of going unnoticed, significant references to Abraham have recently surfaced in two Egyptian texts. They provide important links between father Abraham and Facsimiles 1 and 2 in the Pearl of Great Price. The two references are found in papyri catalogued as Leiden 1 383 and I 384. Both texts come from Thebes and date to about the same time as the Joseph Smith papyri.


New Paper Examines Facsimile 2 Aug 2023

New Paper Examines Facsimile 2

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Facsimile 2 of the Pearl of Great Price is perhaps the most enigmatic aspect of the revelations and translations of Joseph Smith. In a paper recently delivered at the F.A.R.M.S. brown bag seminar (available on the order form), Michael D. Rhodes discussed numerous advances over the last two decades in our understanding of Egyptian materials that shed light on Facsimile 2, the Joseph Smith Hypocephalus. The paper contains a transcription, a transliteration, and a translation of the text, plus background on the nature and significance of hypocephali in ancient Egypt and a commentary on specific details of the Joseph Smith …


Figure 6 Of Facsimile 2 The Focus Of Lecture By Nibley Aug 2023

Figure 6 Of Facsimile 2 The Focus Of Lecture By Nibley

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

On 15 March, Hugh W. Nibley, professor emeritus of Ancient Scripture at BYU, presented a lecture in the FARMS Brown Bag series entitled "Figure 6 of Facsimile 2." The lecture, held in the Joseph Smith Building's conference room, was well attended--indeed, it was "standing room only." Professors, students, and other friends of FARMS gathered to hear Brother Nibley's insights on the meanings of Egyptian symbols in the facsimiles purchased by Joseph Smith and included in the Pearl of Great Price. Brother Nibley discussed the Lord's comment that explanations of the facsimiles "will be given in the own due time of …


Brown Bags Keep Participants Up To Date On Ongoing Research Aug 2023

Brown Bags Keep Participants Up To Date On Ongoing Research

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In the FARMS brown bag lecture series during the last two months Hugh Nibley spoke about figure 6 from Facsimile 2 of the book of Abraham (a transcript is available; see the accompanying article on this page), Steve Booras and Don Parry demonstrated the Dead Sea Scroll Electronic Database that we have reported on in previous issues of Insights, Gene Clark reported on his preliminary research on metals near the probable site of Old World Bountiful (see the article on page 5), Noel Reynolds explored the ways that 1 Nephi gives political support to Nephi' s prophetic role, and …


The Crocodile God Of Pharaoh In Mesopotamia, John Gee Aug 2023

The Crocodile God Of Pharaoh In Mesopotamia, John Gee

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In the famous anti-Mormon crusade against the book of Abraham in 1912, one of the individuals involved asserted that the book of Abraham could not be true because "Chaldeans and Egyptians are hopelessly mixed together, although as dissimilar and remote in language, religion and locality as are American and Chinese." This exaggerated opinion was seconded by the Reverend Samuel A. B. Mercer: "I challenge any intelligent person who knows Chaldean and Egyptian history to read the first chapter of said book [of Abraham] without experiencing the same feeling. Chaldea and Egypt are hopelessly mixed . . . . No one …


Farms Lecture Series Focuses On Book Of Abraham Jul 2023

Farms Lecture Series Focuses On Book Of Abraham

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

During a March lecture series at Brigham Young University, three Latter-day Saint scholars shared recent research on the Book of Abraham. This research supports the ancient origin and character of the Book of Abraham. Sponsored by FARMS, the free public lectures drew large crowds, filling an auditorium to capacity and necessitating overflow accommodations. (The final lecture, "Abraham's Creation Drama," given by Hugh Nibley on 6 April, will be covered in next month's newsletter.)


Abraham In Egypt Apr 2023

Abraham In Egypt

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

This revised and polished edition of Abraham in Egypt combines Hugh Nibley' s greatest lectures on Abraham with several new chapters that originally appeared in the Improvement Era from 1968 to 1970 as the series "A Look at the Pearl of Great Price." In this volume Nibley counters the attacks of critics and demonstrates how the Book of Abraham is just what Joseph Smith claimed it to be.


New Edition Of Abraham In Egypt Released Apr 2023

New Edition Of Abraham In Egypt Released

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Eminent LDS scholar Hugh W. Nibley has long been a student and defender of the Book of Abraham. Now released in an enlarged and expanded second edition, Nibley's Abraham in Egypt (originally published by Deseret Book in 1981) focuses on the authenticity of the Book of Abraham. The edition includes four new chapters and several new sections within existing chapters. Additionally, more than 100 helpful illustrations enhance the text, and meticulous source checking and a new documentation format make the references easier for the reader to navigate.


Forthcoming Publications Apr 2023

Forthcoming Publications

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Abraham in Egypt, by Hugh W. Nibley, second edition, edited by Gary P. Gillum. This book duplicates the original 1981 volume published by Deseret Book but adds chapters from Nibley's "A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price" series that appeared in the Improvement Era from 1968 to 1970. Nibley examines discoveries that have shed light on Abraham and his times and that help confirm the authenticity of the Book of Abraham. Available in spring 2000.


World Of Abraham Topic Of Farms Conference Jan 2023

World Of Abraham Topic Of Farms Conference

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Continuing a series of conferences on the Book of Abraham, the Institute sponsored “The World of Abraham,” a free public event at Brigham Young University on 23 March featuring new research that further illuminates the geographical and cultural horizons of the Book of Abraham. Institute executive director Daniel Oswald greeted a crowd of 350 people in the Tanner Building auditorium and dozens more in an overflow room. Many others viewed the event via delayed Web transmission a few hours later.


Symposium Reports Research On Abraham Traditions Jan 2023

Symposium Reports Research On Abraham Traditions

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

A FARMS symposium at BYU on Saturday, 26 January, highlighted findings from a years-long effort to collect, translate, and publish ancient accounts of the early life of the patriarch Abraham. Titled “Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham,” the free public event featured presentations by John Tvedtnes, Brian Hauglid, and John Gee, compilers and editors of a new book of the same title published by the Institute under the FARMS imprint.