The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal arrived today, with my article "The Dependence of Abr. 1:1-3 on the Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar" inside. It's very exciting to see my name in print! I can't say I'm happy with all the editorial decisions that were made. Their overall effect on the syntax and flow may have been more bad than good, and in at least one place a sentence was reworded so that its meaning was distorted. I guess I should have asked to see proofs before it went to press. But such are the hazards of publication, I suppose, and I'll take what I can get. I'm very pleased that my piece was accepted.
A quick summary of the major points:
1) Joseph Smith was the primary author of the Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar, although his scribes came along for the ride as participant-observers.
2) The Alphabet and Grammar was not reverse-engineered from the Book of Abraham, as some have claimed. Rather, Abraham 1:1-3 was created by cobbling together a number of Alphabet and Grammar entries. This was done prior to September 1835.
3) A few other verses in the Book of Abraham also borrow from the Grammar, but apparently the use of the Grammar as a translation key quickly petered out because it was too laborious.
Among the highlights of the paper, we find:
1) The name for Egypt given by the Grammar is a nineteenth-century Egyptianization (Ah=meh=strah) of Josephus's Hellenization (Mestre) of the Hebrew name (Mizraim) for Egypt (anciently called Kemet).
2) Joseph Smith's parents strongly implied that the idea of using an Egyptian alphabet as a translation key was initially designed for use with the Book of Mormon.
3) Smith was already experimenting with creating an Adamic alphabet prior to the arrival of the papyri in Kirtland. The Egyptian Alphabet follows roughly the same plan as a May, 1835 "specimen of some of the 'Pure Language'", and in fact incorporates material from that earlier document.
15 comments:
Congratulations, Chris! I look forward to reading it, as it sounds like you've uncovered some interesting stuff.
Thanks! :)
I would love to get a copy of the paper. What is the best way to do this?
Clinton,
You can email me at chris carroll smith at g mail, without all the spaces of course. I'd be happy to send you a copy.
Peace,
-Chris
It's always interesting to learn about the parts of the story that were left out of my seminary and Sunday School lessons, and we were always discouraged from reading anything that wasn't published by the Church. Congratulations, and good luck in your future publishing endeavors.
Thanks, Leah!!
I had a question for you concerning the Book of Abraham. When was Abraham 1:21-27 written down? I know you have mentioned that W.W. Phelps was the scribe for the KEP, but was he also the scribe for this portion of the BOA?
That was scribed in mid-November, with Warren Parrish and Frederick G. Williams apparently transcribing Joseph's dictation simultaneously. By that point Phelps was out of the picture.
Although I should say, as a disclaimer, that the folks at FARMS are going to argue that the Williams and Parrish manuscripts are visual copies, and a now-lost original dictation manuscript was done earlier and could have been written by Phelps.
Thanks Chris for answer this question. I had wondered if Phelps was around for this translation since parts of Abr 1:21-27 sound like Phelps musings in March of 1835 when he said:
"And if so, as Ham, like other sons of God, might break the rule of God, by marrying out of the church, did or did he not, have a Canaanite wife, whereby some of the black seed was preserved through the flood"
But Joseph doesn't necessarily need Phelps around to borrow this idea.
An interesting idea I hadn't considered, Clinton. Phelps was involved in the writing of the Grammar, which includes this entry:
Ho e oop a prince of the royal blood, a true descendant from Ham, the son of Noah, and inheritor of the Kingly blessings from under the hand of Noah, but not according to the priestly blessing, because of the transgressions of Ham, which blessing fell upon Shem from under the hand of Noah
I'd be surprised if JS and Phelps hadn't at least swapped ideas about race, or if JS hadn't read Phelps's editorial. You're certainly right that Phelps didn't have to be around for JS to borrow this idea from him.
"That was scribed in mid-November, with Warren Parrish and Frederick G. Williams apparently transcribing Joseph's dictation simultaneously."
I am assuming by this you mean NOV 1835?
"By that point Phelps was out of the picture."
Was he simply out of the scribing picture or had he left for Missouri to oversee the church with David and John Whitmer?
"Ho e oop a prince of the royal blood, a true descendant from Ham, the son of Noah, and inheritor of the Kingly blessings from under the hand of Noah, but not according to the priestly blessing, because of the transgressions of Ham, which blessing fell upon Shem from under the hand of Noah"
I assume that this passage is talking about Pharaoh? The phrasing is interesting in light of him having the Kingly blessing but NOT the priestly blessing. This seems to be a reversal of Joseph's later ideas that King was a high office than Priest.
Do we know when this portion of the KEP was written?
Is there anything else related to these verses in the KEP? BTW, thanks you for this information
Hey Clinton,
I don't know for sure where Phelps was in November 1835. This is something I need to delve into a lot deeper. But certainly he seems to have been out of the scribing picture by this time.
On the kingly vs. priestly blessing, see Abr. 1:26: "...Noah, his [Pharaoh's] father,...blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood." Same idea, it seems.
This portion of the Alphabet and Grammar was very likely produced in the latter half of July, 1835. It predated Abr. 1:26 by a few months.
If you're interested in looking through the Alphabet and Grammar some more yourself, the text is available here: http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/alphabet.htm
Peace,
-Chris
Chris, Thanks ever so much for the link to the GAEL. I would also love to get a copy of your paper.
Did I not send you one yet? Did you email me? (See comment #4.)
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