Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Faculty Publications 2009-01-01 Encircling Astronomy and the Egyptians: An Approach to Abraham 3 Kerry M. Muhlestein
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Mormon Studies Commons, and the Other Religion Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Muhlestein, Kerry M., "Encircling Astronomy and the Egyptians: An Approach to Abraham 3" (2009). Faculty Publications. 147. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/147 This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. Stuart P. Heimdal, Abraham in Pharaoh’s Court Encircling Astronomy and the Egyptians: An Approach to Abraham 3 Kerry Muhlestein Kerry Muhlestein (
[email protected]) is an assistant professor of ancient scripture at BYU. I have long held the view that the universe is built upon symbols, whereby one thing bespeaks another; the lesser testifying of the greater, lifting our thoughts from man to God, from earth to heaven, from time to eternity. God teaches with symbols; it is his favorite method of teaching.—Orson F. Whitney1 Abraham 3 is one of the most enigmatic sections of the Pearl of Great Price. Teacher and student together sense there is something more to the text than the meaning they are drawing out of it. Each thorough exploration gently nudges another layer of understanding from the text, but we always feel we have unraveled only the smallest portion of what it has to offer.