In july 1835, while living in kirtland, ohio, the prophet joseph smith purchased, on behalf of the church, four egyptian mummies and accompanying papyri from michael h. This verified smiths teachings that god was one of many deities. He is editor of the journal of the society for the study of egyptian antiquities and has served on the board of directors for the aziz s. Atiya 18981988, distinguished professor of history at the university of utah, and its principal investigator, lola atiya 19172002, doctor of humane letters. Atiya of the university of utah noticed that these fragments were clearly part of smiths collection of papyri. If emma smith did have the actual papyri of the book of abraham in her possession, it would have been highly treasured and highly guarded, and certainly would never have been torn in pieces and sold. An approach to the book of abraham byu scholarsarchive. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrichurch disclosure of. The lost book of abraham is an awardwinning documentary that investigates the remarkable claim that mormon founder joseph smith translated a lost book of scripture from an egyptian papyrus scroll. The book of mormon if the book of abraham was a fraud. Some have asked how a story about abraham, who is claimed to live in the year 2000 bce, can possibly retain an ancient core given the long amount of time it would have to survive scribal transmission. While searching for coptic and arabic papyri in the metropolitan museum of art storeroom in new york city, it was brought to atiyas attention that the joseph smith egyptian papyri, which is significant because they are the original documents used for research to write facsimile no.
History of eastern christianity by atiya aziz s abebooks. Part 3, ancient records offer new support for the book of abraham, looks at some. Of the 378 quotations of the book of abraham in general conferences of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints since 1942, 238, or 63 percent, come from the section on the preexistence in abraham 3. July 5, 1898 september 24, 1988 was an egyptian coptologist who was a coptic historian and scholar and an expert in islamic and crusades studies atiya was the founder of the institute of coptic studies in cairo in 1950s, and was also the founder of the middle east center, university of utah. Overall, atiya published approximately twenty books, many of which are multivolume projects, and his journal articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia articles. Atiya, a professor of middle eastern studies at the university of utah, discovered some twentytwo separate papyri fragments in the metropolitan museum of art in new york city, which were clearly part of joseph smiths original collection. Aziz suryal atiya arabic language july 5, 1898 september 24, 1988 was an egyptian coptologist who was a coptic historian and scholar and an expert in islamic and crusades studies. History of eastern christianity gorgias eastern christian studies 9781607243434 by aziz atiya and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Willard marriott library, lincoln blumell, lola atiya, rare books, university of utah, utah museum of fine arts a piece from the rare book collections is on loan at the utah museum of fine arts, in its ongoing exhibition, ancient mediterranean art. In the same year, the university of liverpool awarded him a d. His monumental study of the crusades, the crusade in the later middle ages, was published in 1938. Book of abrahamjoseph smith papyrichurch disclosure of book of the dead book of abraham.
Do the scraps of papyrus that had been in the possession. Atiya, former director of the university of utahs middle east center, had made his startling discovery while browsing through the new york museums papyri. Atiya was the founder of the institute of coptic studies in cairo in 1950s, and was also the. Joseph clearly regarded the book of abraham as divine revelation to the saints.
This page deals primarily with the question of the source of the book of abraham now available online at. Aziz atiya from the university of utah happened upon them in the new york metropolitan museum of arts archives in 1966, recognizing them by. Atiya was the founding director of the middle east center at the university of utah. Translation and publication of the book of abraham. The papyri from which the book of abraham date to between 300 bce 100 ad.
July 5, 1898 september 24, 1988 was an egyptian coptologist who was a coptic historian and scholar and an expert in islamic and crusades studies. This book has quite a bit of additional explanatory and interpretive material regarding not only what egyptian papyri joseph smith had, but also what was in them and fitting these teachings in various contexts. The scholarly intermediary who discovered the papyri fragments in the metropolitan museums vast collections and who was instrumental in alerting the church officials of their existence was dr. Smith said the papyri described abrahams early life, his travels to canaan and egypt, and his vision of the cosmos and its creation. Maxwell institute for religious scholarship, where he is a series editor for studies in the book of abraham and a member of the editorial. In this role, he is an editor for the studies in the book of abraham series and a member of the editorial board of the eastern christian texts series. A history of eastern christianity by atiya, aziz s and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Aziz atiya, who died this weekend at age 90, he was a prolific, gifted writer and scholar of international stature. An introduction to the book of abraham is egyptologist john gees expansion of his earlier worka guide to the joseph smith papyri. Smith produced the book of abraham from the book of breathings. Preservation of the ancient core of the book of abraham summary. To give a feel for the importance of the papyri and the rhodes volume i will quote from two letters written by the leaders of the church and an account written by dr. Atiya, a university of utah professor, discovered several fragments of the book of abraham papyri while doing research at the metropolitan museum of art in new york city.
It includes a brief introduction to the book of abraham and a detailed record of textual. Chandler, a traveling entrepreneur from pennsylvania. The book of abraham the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. These fragments were presented to the church by the director of the museum on november 27, 1967. According to smith, the book was a translation of some ancient records purporting to be the writings of abraham, while he was in egypt, called the book of abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus. Rhodes uses petersons work as his main source for detailing this history. Atiya fund for coptic studies at the university of utah. The book of abraham translation watchman fellowship, inc. Aziz atiya marriott library the university of utah.
If the book of abraham was a fraud, is the book of mormon fake also. July 5, 1898 september 24, 1988 was an egyptian coptologist who was a coptic historian and scholar and an expert in islamic and crusades studies atiya was the founder of the institute of coptic studies in cairo in 1950s, and was also the founder of the middle east center. Since the egyptian language could not be read in the 1830s and 1840s when the papyri were supposedly translated, this discovery provided the first chance to check joseph smiths ability to translate the egyptian papyri. Since the egyptian language could not be read in the 1830s. He is editor of the journal of the society for the study of egyptian antiquities and has servedon the board of directors for the aziz s. Joseph smith also showed a papyrus to charles adams, the son of john quincy adams, who reported that smith told him. Abraham allegedly wrote in the book that he held the priesthood of god, centuries before the priesthood was instituted by moses. The encyclopedia was the fruit of years of effort on the part of its editorinchief, aziz s. The book of abraham is a work produced between 1835 and 1842 by joseph smith based, he said, on egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. Book of abraham as a case study from historicity and the pdf harcourt ciencias. The papyri, long thought to have been burned in the chicago fire of 1871, were presented to the church on november 27,1967, in new york city by the metropolitan museum of art, more than a year after dr. Atiya, at the metropolitan museum of art in new york city, found eleven fragments of the original papyri which unfortunately had been damaged and were not in perfect preservation, as joseph had seen them. His research and writing created classic works in medieval and middle east history. Overall, atiya published approximately twenty books, many of which are multi volume projects, and his journal articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia articles.
Grant building brigham young university provo, ut 84602 8014226975. In 1936, atiya began his career in publishing with the crusade of the nicopolis. While at the university of utah, professor atiya rediscovered ten lost papyri fragments related to the lds scripture, book of abraham, in the archives of the new. Atiya in the metropolitan museum of art, and so when the museums.
Aziz suryal atiya was an egyptian coptologist who was a coptic historian and scholar and an. Others will remember him best for his bold initiative in creating the university of utah middle east center and an academic program comparable to. Included in the book of abraham were three illustrations taken from the papyri, labeled facsimile no. These fragments were presented to the church by the director of the museum on 27 november 1967. The joseph smith papyri and their relationship to the book of. The man who wrote the lds essay on the book of abraham was. The scene in facsimile 3 is not one commonly associated with the book of the dead text that preceded it. Why doesnt the translation of the egyptian papyri found in 1967. The book of abraham was next printed in england in 1851 as part of a booklet, the pearl of great price, which was later canonized in 1880. Atiya performs a real service to ecumenical christianity with this history of ancient church traditions from north africa, egypt, ethiopia, syria, byzantium, mesopotamia, armenia and central asia. The writings of abraham while he was in egypt, called the book of abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus. There is also the complaint that there is just a scrap of the papyri considered today to only be the part of the book dead. The book of abraham taught that there were many gods. An introduction to the book of abraham john gee on.
These are churches which once held the large majority of christians in the world, but have been largely ignored in the west for many centuries. Book of abraham mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Aziz atiya aziz suryal atiya 18981988 was a prominent scholar, writer, historian, and librarian whose expertise spanned the fields of the crusades and islamic and coptic studies. He is also on the board of directors for the aziz s. Atiya, both a copt and a coptic scholar at the university of utah, prepared to attend the american research center in egypt meetings in baltimore. Below are the three scenes with a brief explanation. History of eastern christianity gorgias eastern christian. Opportunity presented itself in the form of aziz s. Born in a small village in egypt in 1898, atiya was sent at the age of five to a school in cairo.
Part 2 deals with the content of the book and joseph smiths comments on three egyptian drawings that have been attached to the published book of abraham. When the book of abraham was first published to the world in 1842, it was published as a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into joseph smith s hands from the catacombs of egypt, purporting to be the writings of abraham while he was in egypt, called the book of abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus. Abraham refers to a picture in the text of the book of abraham abr. An introduction to the book of abraham kindle edition by john gee. The assumption in this attack is that the book of abraham was produced from only one scroll, and so if a facsimile was attached to the book of breathings, then the book of breathings must be the source of the rest of the book of abraham, not some missing text. Atiya, a university of utah professor, discovered several fragments of the book of abraham papyri while doing research at the metropolitan museum of art in. Much has been said by antimormons about these fragments containing nothing relating to the book of abraham.