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The Improvementimprovement Era Also Hashas Done Done Post-Doctoral Post-Doctoralwork 1140111 • n January 1%8 in this Beginning a fascinating The Ancient Land ries by Dr.Hugh N dale), of Egypt-Neighbor A New Look at the of Palestine—Refuge of Pearl of Great Price the Prophets with color photographs "- EgyptianEgyptian PapyriPapyri Rediscovered, Regional Represen-Represen- Presented to Church tativestatives of thethe TwelveTwelve Manuscript from whichwhich thethe ProphetProphet Joseph Smith obtainedobtained Facsimile 1,1, partpart of the Book of Abraham,Abraham, is includedincluded in this valuablevaluable find. Egyptian PapyriI^pyri Rediscovered B2JBy Jay M.M. ToddTodd Editorial AssociateAssociate • Perhaps nono discoverydiscovery in recent mem- uscripts isis oneone identifiedidentified as thethe ory isis expectedexpected to arousearouse asas muchmuch original document from which Joseph widespread interest in the restoredrestored gos-gos- Smith obtainedobtained FacsimileFacsimile 1,1, whichwhich pel as isis thethe recentrecent discoverydiscovery ofof somesome prefaces the Book of Abraham in the Egyptian papyri, one of whichwhich isis Pearl of GreatGreat Price.Price. AccompanyingAccompanying knownto to have been used by thethe the manuscriptsmanuscripts waswas aa letterletter dateddated Prophet Joseph SmithSmith inin producingproducing May 26, 1856,1856, signed by both Emma the BookBook ofof Abraham.Abraham. Smith Bidamon, widow ofof thethe Prophet The papyri,papyri, longlong thoughtthought to havehave Joseph Smith, and theirtheir son,son, JosephJoseph been burned in thethe ChicagoChicago firefire ofof Smith, attesting thatthat the papyripapyri hadhad 1871, werewere presentedpresented to the Church on been the property of the Prophet.Prophet. November 27, 1967, inin New York City Some of thethe piecespieces ofof papyruspapyrus by thethe MetropolitanMetropolitan MuseumMuseum of Art, apparently includeinclude conventionalconventional hiero- more than a yearyear afterafter Dr.Dr. AzizAziz S.S. glyphics (sacred(sacred inscriptions,inscriptions, resembl-resembl- Atiya, former director of the Univer-Univer- ing picture-drawing)picture-drawing) andand hieratic (a(a sity of Utah's MiddleMiddle East Center,Center, had cursive shorthand version of hiero-hiero- made hishis startlingstartling discoverydiscovery whilewhile glyphics) Egyptian funeraryfunerary texts,texts, browsing throughthrough thethe New YorkYork mu-mu- which were commonlycommonly buried withwith seum's papyripapyri collection.collection. Egyptian mummies. Often the funerary Included inin thethe collectioncollection ofof 1111 man- texts containedcontained passagespassages from thethe /?'. t C P/iotob hy J Heslop 12 Dr. AzizAziz Atiya examines manuscripts inin the room in whichwhich hehe foundiound Dr. Aziz Atiya, Dr. Joseph Noble, Dr.Dr. ThomasThomas P.P. F.F. Hoeing,Moving, PresidentPresident the papyripapyri andand documentdocument signedsigned byby Emma Smith. TannerTanner compare Facsimile No.No. 1 with original.original. "Book of thethe Dead," a book thatthat was to City, the manuscriptsmanuscripts werewere turnedturned "While II waswas in oneone ofof thethe dimdim assist in the safesafe passagepassage of the deaddead over to Dr. HughHugh Nibley,Nibley, scholar,scholar, lin-lin- rooms where everythingeverything was broughtbrought person into the spirit world. It is notnot guist atat BrighamBrigham YoungYoung University,University, to me,me, somethingsomething caught my eye,eye, and known atat this timetime whetherwhether the tenten and contributingcontributing editoreditor ofof The Im-Im- I askedasked oneone ofof thethe assistantsassistants toto taketake other pieces of papyri have a directdirect provement Era. for furtherfurther researchresearch me behind the bars into the storehousestorehouse connection with the BookBook of Abraham. and study. of documentsdocuments soso that II couldcould looklook It waswas alsoalso discovereddiscovered thatthat on thethe The story of the unusual manner in some more.more. WhileWhile there I foundfound aa backing ofof three ofof thethe manuscriptsmanuscripts which the Prophet Joseph SmithSmith ob-ob- file with these documents. I atat onceonce (the backingbacking was pasted to the fragilefragile tained the originaloriginal papyripapyri andand fourfour recognized thethe picture part ofof it.it. When manuscripts, apparently by the Proph- Egyptian mummiesmummies has been told often I sawsaw this picture, I knew thatthat it hadhad et Joseph,Joseph, toto givegive themthem firmfirm support)support) and isis fullfull ofof adventureadventure andand fascina-fascina- appeared in the PearlPearl ofof GreatGreat Price.Price. are somesome jottings,jottings, hand-drawnhand-drawn maps,maps, tion. ButBut ofof equalequal interestinterest isis thethe storystory I knewknew thethe generalgeneral formatformat ofof thethe pic-pic- and apparentapparent notationsnotations ofof townships,townships, of Dr. AzizAziz S.S. Atiya'sAtiya's discoverydiscovery of the ture. ThisThis kindkind ofof picturepicture oneone cancan all thoughtthought to bebe inin thethe ProphetProphet papyri inin thethe MetropolitanMetropolitan MuseumMuseum find generallygenerally on otherother papyri,papyri, butbut Joseph Smith'sSmith's handwriting.handwriting. TheirTheir of Art, whichwhich is best toldtold inin hishis ownown this particularparticular oneone hashas specialspecial pecu-pecu- importance oror revelance hashas not yetyet words: liarities. For instance,instance, thethe headhead hadhad been ascertained but willwill be of intense "I waswas writingwriting a bookbook at thethe time,time, fallen off, andand I couldcould see that thethe interest to Latter-day SaintSaint historians.historians. one that II hadhad startedstarted whilewhile aa profes-profes- papyrus was stuck onon paper,paper, nine-nine- The collectioncollection of manuscriptsmanuscripts waswas sor ofof worldworld ChristianityChristianity and easterneastern teenth century paper.paper. TheThe headhead waswas presented to President N. Eldon Tan- Christianity, and I went to the Metro- completed inin pencil,pencil, apparentlyapparently byby ner of the First PresidencyPresidency by Thomas politan Museum of ArtArt lookinglooking forfor Joseph Smith, who must have had it P. G.G. Roving,Moving, director of the Metro-Metro- documents, papyri, pictures, and illus-illus- whenwhen, that part fell off. He apparently politan Museum of Art, in anan impres-impres- trations toto serve thethe book. ItIt mustmust drew the head in hishis ownown hand on the sive ceremony heldheld in the NewNew YorkYork have been in thethe earlyearly springspring ofof 1966.1966. supplementary paper. Also,Also, thethe handshands museum and attendedattended byby worldwideworldwide I reallyreally forget the date. MyMy bookbook waswas of the mummy, raised as they are, and news agencies. AfterAfter beingbeing displayeddisplayed ready for thethe press,press, andand II waswas lookinglooking the leg,leg, raisedraised asas itit is—usuallyis—usually thethe in thethe ChurchChurch officesoffices in SaltSalt LakeLake for supplementarysupplementary material. mummies lie straightstraight forward—areforward—are January 19681968 13 very peculiar. ThisThis papyruspapyrus isis Egyp-Egyp- the curator had to gogo toto Egypt for a mon history, made, I thinly,think, by Joseph tian, truetrue enough,enough, butbut what it standsstands month in order to arrangearrange finalfinal stepssteps Smith's own hand.hand. ThreeThree ofof thethe backsbacks for, II reallyreally don'tdon't know.know. for the transferencetransference to thethe Metropoli-Metropoli- were full of notesnotes andand maps,maps, whichwhich "Now when II saw this, I beganbegan to tan MuseumMuseum of anotheranother treasure,treasure, inin have to be studied by the specialists. I search further. I Isawsaw moremore piecespieces ofof which II also hadhad aa hand. ItIt concernsconcerns am not a specialistspecialist of that,that, but I havehave papyri stackedstacked together and suspectedsuspected a greatgreat templetemple that isis beingbeing presentedpresented an eyeeye forfor originaloriginal documents,documents, andand that ProvidenceProvidence had assisted. AnotherAnother by thethe EgyptianEgyptian governmentgovernment to the these papyri documentsdocuments areace not fakes; document was found with these docu-docu- American nation in recognition of the they are originaloriginal EgyptianEgyptian papyripapyri ofof ments, signed by Joseph Smith's wife,wife, contributions AmericaAmerica hashas made to-to- a pre-Christianpre-Christian era.era. TheyThey couldcould bebe his son,son, andand someonesomeone else,else, testifyingtestifying ward the salvagesalvage ofof thethe AbyssinianAbyssinian from 30003000 B.C. to 300300 9.o.—overB.C.—over 300300 that thesethese papyripapyri werewere treasuredtreasured and monuments.momunents. B.C., at any rate.rate. ThatThat isis mymy estimate.estimate. owned by Joseph Smith.Smith. "When the curatorcurator camecame back,back, he The era willwill have to be decided by the "In"In 19181918 a Mrs. Heusser came to the reported very nicely about the subjectsubject specialists.specialists. museum and informedinformed thethe officialsofficials and said,said, 'The'The decisiondecision hashas beenbeen "I knowknow the kindkind ofof ink thethe Egyp-Egyp- that sheshe hadhad somesome papyrus,papyrus, but anan taken; your Mormon friends are go-go- tians used andand thethe differencedifference betweenbetween understanding waswas not reachedreached until ing toto get these papyri. So,So, youyou gogo the genuine andand thethe fake. PapyrusPapyrus 1947. TheyThey werewere thenthen acquiredacquired
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