Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant
Proceedings of the 1999 Book of Abraham Conference
This third volume in the series Studies in the Book of Abraham includes nine papers from a FARMS-sponsored conference on the Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Three papers on related subjects are also included. An assumption underlying the papers in this volume is that the Book of Abraham is both an authentic and ancient text.
In seeking to illuminate the background of the Book of Abraham from historical, geographical, cultural, scientific, and doctrinal perspectives, these studies deal with three broad themes: astronomy in the Book of Abraham, the Joseph Smith Papyri, and the nature of the Abrahamic covenant. As a whole, the research highlighted in this volume affirms that the Book of Abraham is what it claims to be—an ancient text. This becomes clear, for example, when certain nonbiblical themes reflected in the text are found to abound in extrabiblical traditions from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
About the Author & Editor
John Gee
John Gee (Ph.D. in Egyptology, Yale University) is William "Bill" Gay Assistant Research Professor of Egyptology at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, where he is a series editor for Studies in the Book of Abraham and a member of the editorial board of the Eastern Christian Texts series. He is also on the board of directors for the Aziz S. Atiya Fund for Coptic Studies at the University of Utah.
Table of Contents
Preface
List of Abbreviations
And I Saw the Stars – The Book of Abraham and Ancient Geocentric Astronomy
Astronomy and the Creation in the Book of Abraham
Cedars and Stars: Enduring Symbols of Cosmic Kingship in Abraham's Encounter with Pharoah
Abraham's Visions of the Heavens
The Creation of Humankind, and Allegory?: A Note on Abraham 5:7, 14–16
We Beg You, Our King! Some Reflections on the Jews in Persian and Ptolemaic Egypt
Facsimile 3 and Book of the Dead 125
The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources
The Book of Abraham and Muslim Tradition
Sarah and Hagar: Ancient Women of the Abrahamic Covenant
The Redemption of Abraham
A Wanderer in a Strange Land: Abraham in America, 1800–1850
Citation Index
Subject Index—First Half
Subject Index—Second Half
Foreign Terms Used in this Volume
Contributors
Publication Information
Publication Year: 2005
Language: English
ISBN 13: 978-0934893764
Page Count: 224
Price: $ 89.95
Sub Site: William "Bill" Gay Chair
Imprint: FARMS