Is the Book of Abraham an ancient Egyptian translation or a modern revelatory work?

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1835, Joseph Smith purchased Egyptian papyri from a traveling exhibition, claiming they contained the lost writings of the biblical patriarch Abraham. While some denominations revere this text as divine scripture, modern Egyptologists identify the surviving fragments as common funerary documents, sparking a long-standing debate over the nature of Smith's translation.

The Book of Abraham originated from a collection of four mummies and several papyri discovered near Thebes by Antonio Lebolo between 1818 and 1822. After passing through various hands, the collection reached Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, where Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, purchased the artifacts for $2,400. Smith immediately claimed the scrolls contained the writings of Abraham and Joseph of Egypt, written in their own hands. He began a translation process alongside scribes, eventually publishing the work serially in 1842. It was later canonized in 1880 as part of the Pearl of Great Price.

The text introduces unique theological concepts, including the existence of a star called Kolob—the celestial body closest to God's throne—and a cosmology where God organized eternal matter rather than creating the universe from nothing. It also details a pre-mortal existence and a hierarchy of spirits. Notably, the book contains a passage regarding the lineage of Pharaoh, which was later used as a scriptural basis for church policies that restricted the priesthood from black individuals until 1978. The text also features three facsimiles, which Smith interpreted as depictions of Abraham's life and celestial astronomy.

The authenticity of the work is contested. While many papyri were presumed lost in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, fragments rediscovered in 1966 were identified by Egyptologists as standard funerary texts, such as the Breathing Permit of Hôr. This discrepancy has led to two primary theories among believers: the 'missing scroll theory,' which posits that Smith translated from a lost portion of the collection, and the 'catalyst theory,' which suggests the papyri served as a revelatory trigger for Smith to receive divine information unrelated to the literal Egyptian text. Academic consensus, however, does not regard the Book of Abraham as an ancient text, viewing it instead as a product of Smith's own creative and revelatory process.

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