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The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition
This book marks the publication of the first, full translation of the so-called Joseph Smith Egyptian papyri translated into English. These papyri comprise “The Breathing Permit of Hor,” “The Book of the Dead of Ta-Sherit-Min,” “The Book of the Dead Chapter 125 of Nefer-ir-nebu,” “The Book of the Dead of Amenhotep,” and “The Hypocephalus of Sheshonq,” as well as some loose fragments and patches. The papyri were acquired by members of the LDS Church in the 1830s in Kirtland, Ohio, and rediscovered in the mid-1960s in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They served as the basis for Joseph Smith’s “Book of Abraham,” published in Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1842 and later canonized. As Robert K. Ritner, Professor of Egyptology at the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, “The translation and publication of the Smith papyri must be accessible not merely to Egyptologists but to non-specialists within and outside of the LDS religious community for whom the Book of Abraham was produced.” Dr. Ritner provides not only his own original translations but gives variant translations by other researchers to demonstrate better the “evolving process” of decipherment. He also includes specialized transliterations and his own informed commentary on the accuracy of past readings. “These assessments,” he notes, “are neither equivocal nor muted.” At the same time, they do not have a “partisan basis originating in any religious camp.” The present volume includes insightful introductory essays by noted scholars Christopher Woods, Associate Professor of Sumerology, University of Chicago (“The Practice of Egyptian Religion at ‘Ur of the Chaldees’”), Marc Coenen, Egyptian Studies Ph. D., University of Leuven, Belgium (“The Ownership and Dating of Certain Joseph Smith Papyri”), and H. Michael Marquardt, author of The Revelations of Joseph Text and Commentary (“Joseph Smith’s Egyptian A History”). It contains twenty-eight photographic plates, including color images of the primary papyri (with corrected alignment for Papyrus Joseph Smith 2) and other relevant items.
325 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 23, 2020
If you didn't know this already, the papyri from which Joseph Smith "translated" the Book of Abraham have nothing to do with the text of the Book of Abraham. Even the LDS Church admits as much in their Gospel Topics Essays on the subject. Sorry to burst your bubble, but this has been proven time and time again by both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars. The evidence couldn't be more clear.
This book — written by the foremost American Egyptologist of our day, who even trained at least one of the BYU Egyptological apologists — goes through image-by-image what is actually on those papyri. And guess what? It's all VERY Egyptian. Gods, invocations, burial rites, charms, and no mention of Abraham, Israelites, covenants, et al. Zip, zero, nada, zilch.
The most illuminating part of the commentary is the study of the images provided. The most famous image (the one pictured on the cover and reprinted in every copy of the Pearl of Great Price) was badly torn, and all of the details that were missing from the scrolls were DRAWN-IN by Joseph Smith or one of his associates. The PoGP suggests that the dude on the altar about to be sacrificed is Abraham. Nope. It also purports that the sacrificer is an "idolatrous Priest of Elkenah" (there's also no record of there being any Egyptian God with this name). The standing figure is actually Anubis. The person lying down is Osiris, being resurrected. This is corroborated by other funerary images from the Ptolemaic period.
There are DOZENS of other misinterpretations that any Egyptologist worth his or her salt can look at and figure out to be incorrect in a flat second. It's embarrassing, really, to see what is purported to be the meaning of the various figures, and then to find out what it actually is. I've lately been confused by the presence of these images in the PoGP and by their interpretations. But reading the Egyptological translations helps them make MUCH more historical sense. The papyri are Egyptian through and through.
This book is obviously meant for a Mormon/LDS audience, but you won't see it on the shelves of Deseret Book for obvious reasons. Again, the LDS Church publicly admits that there's no relationship between the papyri and the Book of Abraham. ON RECORD. So to justify the continued use of the Book of Abraham as scripture, other explanations have been proposed, the foremost being that Joseph used the papyri as a "launchpad" to a revelation on the text he then produced. This, however, is not what Joseph suggested, which further documentary evidence from the Joseph Smith Papers Project and elsewhere supports. (The smoking gun is his "Egyptian Alphabet & Grammar," available on the JSPP, suggesting that he believed he was translating from the papyri, and not getting his information through unearthly means.)
Read this book if you want to know the REAL interpretation of the papyri and its history. Whatever you believe about Joseph Smith's prophetic standing will have to be based on other considerations outside the reliability of his literal translation of the Book of Abraham.
This book — written by the foremost American Egyptologist of our day, who even trained at least one of the BYU Egyptological apologists — goes through image-by-image what is actually on those papyri. And guess what? It's all VERY Egyptian. Gods, invocations, burial rites, charms, and no mention of Abraham, Israelites, covenants, et al. Zip, zero, nada, zilch.
The most illuminating part of the commentary is the study of the images provided. The most famous image (the one pictured on the cover and reprinted in every copy of the Pearl of Great Price) was badly torn, and all of the details that were missing from the scrolls were DRAWN-IN by Joseph Smith or one of his associates. The PoGP suggests that the dude on the altar about to be sacrificed is Abraham. Nope. It also purports that the sacrificer is an "idolatrous Priest of Elkenah" (there's also no record of there being any Egyptian God with this name). The standing figure is actually Anubis. The person lying down is Osiris, being resurrected. This is corroborated by other funerary images from the Ptolemaic period.
There are DOZENS of other misinterpretations that any Egyptologist worth his or her salt can look at and figure out to be incorrect in a flat second. It's embarrassing, really, to see what is purported to be the meaning of the various figures, and then to find out what it actually is. I've lately been confused by the presence of these images in the PoGP and by their interpretations. But reading the Egyptological translations helps them make MUCH more historical sense. The papyri are Egyptian through and through.
This book is obviously meant for a Mormon/LDS audience, but you won't see it on the shelves of Deseret Book for obvious reasons. Again, the LDS Church publicly admits that there's no relationship between the papyri and the Book of Abraham. ON RECORD. So to justify the continued use of the Book of Abraham as scripture, other explanations have been proposed, the foremost being that Joseph used the papyri as a "launchpad" to a revelation on the text he then produced. This, however, is not what Joseph suggested, which further documentary evidence from the Joseph Smith Papers Project and elsewhere supports. (The smoking gun is his "Egyptian Alphabet & Grammar," available on the JSPP, suggesting that he believed he was translating from the papyri, and not getting his information through unearthly means.)
Read this book if you want to know the REAL interpretation of the papyri and its history. Whatever you believe about Joseph Smith's prophetic standing will have to be based on other considerations outside the reliability of his literal translation of the Book of Abraham.
March 17, 2021
If there is a smoking gun that disproves Joseph Smith, it is the Book of Abraham. Robert Ritner, an expert in Egyptology and not a Mormon (has no dog in the fight) makes the evidence regarding the Joseph Smith papyri clear for the reader to judge for him/herself.
October 2, 2024
Interesting and well argued.
May 8, 2013
Aside from the idiosyncratic digs against some of the LDS Egyptologists, and JS as well, Ritner has done a great service in bringing together a wealth of information on the JS Papyri. He provides helpful context to the papyri as well as a readable translation.
I particularly appreciated Ritner's efforts in identifying and locating where the small fragments of papyri were once located on the larger papyri fragments.
I have found this book quite useful.
I particularly appreciated Ritner's efforts in identifying and locating where the small fragments of papyri were once located on the larger papyri fragments.
I have found this book quite useful.
March 28, 2016
A great resource for an in depth look at the papyri by a leading and unbiased expert.
October 21, 2023
The Joseph Smith papyri, and the Book of Abraham that Smith claimed to have translated from them, are at the center of one of the strangest stories in the history of Egyptology. Smith treated two papyri as part of the Book of Abraham: a funerary text known as a "Breathing Permit" (or by similar names) that belonged to an Egyptian man named Hor, as well as a type of papyrus amulet known as a hypocephalus. These two have provoked a morass of claims and counterclaims because of their religious significance for Mormons. The other three papyri were not involved in the creation of the Book of Abraham and have been largely ignored. Ritner's edition aims to cut through the morass and fully treat the neglected papyri, and while it's not as extensive as it might be, it is surely the best single book about these texts.
To tell the full story of the papyri, Ritner brings in three other scholars. H. Michael Marquardt traces how the mummies and papyri made their way from Egypt into Smith's hands, how he used them, and where they were dispersed after Smith's death. Marc Coenen, in a fascinating bit of detective work, pulls together scattered pieces of evidence to reconstruct where in Egypt the papyri originated and when exactly they date to. If he's right that the Breathing Permit of Hor is one of the earliest copies of this particular text, it makes this edition still more important. Christopher Woods addresses one of the major anachronisms in the Book of Abraham, the episode in which the people of "Ur of the Chaldees" try to sacrifice Abraham. For me, this is the only major deficiency in the book, as Woods' three-page contribution is far from a full treatment of the historical errors in the Book of Abraham. For more, I recommend a 1995 paper, "Egyptology and the Book of Abraham" by Stephen E. Thompson (a Mormon Egyptologist!), which can be found easily online.
The core of the book is Ritner's analysis of all the Egyptian texts that Smith possessed. Large portions were lost in the decades following Smith's death, and the surviving portions have been jumbled together into eleven "fragments". Sorting out the fragments must have been a tiresome task, but Ritner does it, and he also discusses the lost pieces of texts that were preserved in poor copies made by Smith and his followers, most notably the papyrus vignette that became Facsimile 3 of the Book of Abraham and the hypocephalus that became Facsimile 2.
Finally, Ritner translates all the text that can be translated. For purposes of comparison, he also provides the previous translations of the same text, both by disinterested Egyptologists such as Klaus Baer and by Mormon apologists such as Hugh Nibley. The translations all basically agree on the meaning of the text, although some of the apologists have put forward strange and obfuscatory arguments on particular points, which Ritner rebuts in the footnotes.
For most people interested in this book, the critical question is the relationship between the papyri and the Book of Abraham. The apologists admit that the Papyrus of Hor is not the Book of Abraham and have tried to argue that a lost portion of papyrus must have been Smith's source. But Smith's facsimiles make it clear that he could not understand ancient Egyptian writing; Facsimile 1 (referred to in the text of the book itself) makes the Book of Abraham inextricable from the Papyrus of Hor; and the Book of Abraham itself is, as I said above, full of anachronisms. Whatever he may have thought he was doing, Smith was not translating an ancient text but inventing a modern one, based on his misunderstanding of the Papyrus of Hor. Ritner doesn't mince words: "Except for the willfully blind, the case is closed."
To tell the full story of the papyri, Ritner brings in three other scholars. H. Michael Marquardt traces how the mummies and papyri made their way from Egypt into Smith's hands, how he used them, and where they were dispersed after Smith's death. Marc Coenen, in a fascinating bit of detective work, pulls together scattered pieces of evidence to reconstruct where in Egypt the papyri originated and when exactly they date to. If he's right that the Breathing Permit of Hor is one of the earliest copies of this particular text, it makes this edition still more important. Christopher Woods addresses one of the major anachronisms in the Book of Abraham, the episode in which the people of "Ur of the Chaldees" try to sacrifice Abraham. For me, this is the only major deficiency in the book, as Woods' three-page contribution is far from a full treatment of the historical errors in the Book of Abraham. For more, I recommend a 1995 paper, "Egyptology and the Book of Abraham" by Stephen E. Thompson (a Mormon Egyptologist!), which can be found easily online.
The core of the book is Ritner's analysis of all the Egyptian texts that Smith possessed. Large portions were lost in the decades following Smith's death, and the surviving portions have been jumbled together into eleven "fragments". Sorting out the fragments must have been a tiresome task, but Ritner does it, and he also discusses the lost pieces of texts that were preserved in poor copies made by Smith and his followers, most notably the papyrus vignette that became Facsimile 3 of the Book of Abraham and the hypocephalus that became Facsimile 2.
Finally, Ritner translates all the text that can be translated. For purposes of comparison, he also provides the previous translations of the same text, both by disinterested Egyptologists such as Klaus Baer and by Mormon apologists such as Hugh Nibley. The translations all basically agree on the meaning of the text, although some of the apologists have put forward strange and obfuscatory arguments on particular points, which Ritner rebuts in the footnotes.
For most people interested in this book, the critical question is the relationship between the papyri and the Book of Abraham. The apologists admit that the Papyrus of Hor is not the Book of Abraham and have tried to argue that a lost portion of papyrus must have been Smith's source. But Smith's facsimiles make it clear that he could not understand ancient Egyptian writing; Facsimile 1 (referred to in the text of the book itself) makes the Book of Abraham inextricable from the Papyrus of Hor; and the Book of Abraham itself is, as I said above, full of anachronisms. Whatever he may have thought he was doing, Smith was not translating an ancient text but inventing a modern one, based on his misunderstanding of the Papyrus of Hor. Ritner doesn't mince words: "Except for the willfully blind, the case is closed."
April 23, 2025
Robert K. Ritner's The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition is a scholarly, meticulously detailed examination of the Egyptian papyri associated with Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter-day Saint movement. This work does not delve into the translation efforts or theological implications that Smith attributed to these papyri, focusing instead on providing a comprehensive, critical analysis of the papyri themselves.
For those interested in the historical and archaeological aspects of the papyri, Ritner’s book is invaluable. Ritner, a renowned Egyptologist, presents a well-rounded account of the physical characteristics, provenance, and contents of the papyri, which were once thought to be the source of the Book of Abraham in Mormon tradition. The book serves as both a catalog of the papyri and a careful critique of their historical and cultural context, incorporating expert analysis on ancient Egyptian funerary practices and their symbolic meanings.
The key strength of the book lies in Ritner’s thoroughness. He provides detailed descriptions of each fragment, offering translations and contextual interpretations from the standpoint of an expert in Egyptian hieroglyphs. This scholarly approach makes the book a significant contribution to both Egyptology and Mormon studies, though it is primarily aimed at readers who are looking for an academic text rather than a devotional or theological one.
The Kindle Edition Experience:
As for the Kindle edition, it's worth noting that this version of the book comes with a significant drawback for readers hoping to engage with the images of the papyri. The Kindle version lacks the high-quality, full-color images that are a key feature of the physical edition. This is a considerable disappointment because the images are crucial for fully appreciating the detailed descriptions and analyses in the text. Without access to these visuals, readers may struggle to follow Ritner’s detailed discussions of the papyri’s iconography, as much of his argument hinges on the ability to directly compare the text with the visual elements of the artifacts. For anyone who plans to closely study the papyri, the Kindle edition falls short in this respect, and the physical edition would be the better choice for those desiring a complete experience.
For those interested in the historical and archaeological aspects of the papyri, Ritner’s book is invaluable. Ritner, a renowned Egyptologist, presents a well-rounded account of the physical characteristics, provenance, and contents of the papyri, which were once thought to be the source of the Book of Abraham in Mormon tradition. The book serves as both a catalog of the papyri and a careful critique of their historical and cultural context, incorporating expert analysis on ancient Egyptian funerary practices and their symbolic meanings.
The key strength of the book lies in Ritner’s thoroughness. He provides detailed descriptions of each fragment, offering translations and contextual interpretations from the standpoint of an expert in Egyptian hieroglyphs. This scholarly approach makes the book a significant contribution to both Egyptology and Mormon studies, though it is primarily aimed at readers who are looking for an academic text rather than a devotional or theological one.
The Kindle Edition Experience:
As for the Kindle edition, it's worth noting that this version of the book comes with a significant drawback for readers hoping to engage with the images of the papyri. The Kindle version lacks the high-quality, full-color images that are a key feature of the physical edition. This is a considerable disappointment because the images are crucial for fully appreciating the detailed descriptions and analyses in the text. Without access to these visuals, readers may struggle to follow Ritner’s detailed discussions of the papyri’s iconography, as much of his argument hinges on the ability to directly compare the text with the visual elements of the artifacts. For anyone who plans to closely study the papyri, the Kindle edition falls short in this respect, and the physical edition would be the better choice for those desiring a complete experience.
January 2, 2021
Was recommended this book by Michael Heiser and it did not disappoint. It is very technical, which is good, considering the topic. Some LDS apologists will try to discredit this book because Ritner doesn't use the churches Egyptologists to produce a chapter. Which Is not a good argument to throw this book away. Ritner sites and evaluates the works of Gee and Rhodes throughout the second half of this book. It is pretty evident that the Book of Abraham is just another fraud, Joseph Smith used to obtain power. While this doesn't prove the church to.be false or the Book of Mormon to be false, what it does do is allow us now to investigate more into Smith and the Book of Mormon.
March 24, 2019
Some really valuable information about the papyri and the low likelihood of missing fragments. Didn't care for the author's condescending tone towards believers; but if you can get past that, he knows what he's talking about.
September 3, 2021
Provides a few chapters of introductory history and context. Good one-stop shopping for the subject.
October 15, 2014
Introduction, essays & commentary were all quite interesting. The actual translation of the papyri not so (also difficult to follow reading on a phone...)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews