Notes on Sam Brown's Book of Abraham presentation

[_CaliforniaKid]

At the 2007 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium, on August 9th, Samuel M. Brown gave a presentation titled "Joseph Smith's Kirtland Egyptian Papers: Hieroglyphs, the Sacerdotal Genealogy, and the Antidote to Babel". Brown's presentation is one of the most significant steps forward in understanding Joseph Smith's Kirtland Egyptian Papers in recent history. Brown's presentation may be purchased and downloaded from the Sunstone website. The following are my notes on Brown's presentation, for your convenience. While I don't agree with everything he says about the history and text-critical nature of the documents, I think that his understanding of what Smith was doing in them is really very carefully thought out. Although Mormons may find little in the presentation that upholds a traditional view of Smith and his work, any who are willing to consider viewing Smith as a sort of contemplative, creative, poetic genius employing his gifts to get in touch with the meaning of the universe-- sort of like how Emerson viewed Jesus-- will find much here that is worthwhile.


Brown’s ambition is to treat the KEP as religiously significant documents in their own right.
USA in the time of Joseph Smith hummed with Egyptomania, including diffusionist theories of Native American origins.
American Masons and other metaphysicians sought the secrets of eternity in Egypt, in Hermes Trismegistos.
Hieroglyphs were thought of as mystical pictographs/pictograms.
Early Americans eagerly sought the language of Adam in Eden.
1834 – Phelps believed hieroglyphs protected great mysteries from the uninitiated.
Joseph Smith repeatedly demonstrated his desire to move beyond the curse of Babel to find “pure and undefiled” language in Enoch and the Jaredites.
Glossolalia as language of Adam – Joseph Smith used it to reveal ancient place names in America.
1832 Smith writes to Phelps of a desire to escape crooked broken language.
Smith wrote in his diary “oh may God endow me with learning, even language”.
Phelps looked forward to the day when all redeemed multitudes would “speak a pure language”.
Part of Joseph Smith’s title was “translator”.
He was interested in Hebrew, JST during the Kirtland period.
He lectured to his family during the KEP project on “the science of grammar”.
Phelps demonstrated considerable fervor.
Scribal contributions to the KEP are not trivial.
Joseph Smith’s vision is clear in the outlines and scope of the project, but Phelps helped shape his approach.
KEP are incomplete drafts of an intended grammar.
Smith died before he could return to the project in 1843.
KEP provide a compelling view of how Joseph Smith and inner circle experience Egypt, hieroglyphs.
KEP are not a grammar of hieroglyphs, they are a hieroglyphic grammar—they express deep meaning of pictographic language. They are the products of creative minds exploring death transcendence while proposing a means to encompass the universe of the living and the dead in a single vision.
KEPE 2-5 “follow” KEPE 1?
A “degree” in the Alphabet and Grammar is associated with increasing syntactic complexity.
The hieroglyphs are treated as pictograms. The character Smith calls “iota” and translates with the English verb “to see” looks like an eyeball. A symbol shaped like a little man with upraised hands is translated “intercessor”.
Other symbols are treated as spatial, temporal, or geographic – a vertical line is translated “upright”, and/or “vertical ascent”.
“Sueh” is a top-semicircle, translated “the whole earth”.
A bottom-semicircle is “going down”.
Russell suggested that all of humanity’s earliest writing was pictographic; Emerson that every word if traced back to its origins is derived somehow from its meaning.
Moses Stuart’s grammar, used in Kirtland school, made much of the pictographic nature of Hebrew.
Joseph Smith saw a number of overlaps b/w Hebrew and Egyptian.
Cowdery claimed that Hebrew characters were recognizable on the Egyptian papyri.
Several Hebrew letters are invoked as names for KEP glyphs.
Cowdery claimed that many characters are exactly like the present form of the Hebrew without points.
There is Greek also in the KEP: Haddis (?) an upside-down lambda and Ahmeose, related to alpha and omega.
Smith’s Egyptians even used Arabic numerals, all matched with similar appearing hieratic characters.
Upside-down question mark appears as “an interrogative pronoun”.
Iota = I, Ki = me (English homophony?).
The Grammar’s rules make amplification obligatory.
Katumin and Onitas were the mummies in whose breasts the papyri lay.
KEP system of degrees derives from genealogical scope? Zip zi points to first woman.
In Webster’s 1828 dictionary “degree” has genealogical significance – a certain distance in a line of descent, determining the proximity of blood.
Smith investigating the great chain of being, connecting all life to the creator? A patriarchal and sacerdotal hierarchy of intelligent beings.
Pseudomasonic recapitulation of Solomon’s temple.
Images of patriarchy and lineality permeate the KEP – Hoeoophah is about patriarchal authority. As it is increased by degree it can be through marriage, through anointing; fifth degree is a king w/ universal dominion. This fits with Smith’s concept of becoming a ruler by enlarging family connections, doing priesthood ordination, anointing by oil, etc.
Elements of the 1832 three kingdoms vision show up in KEP.
Kingdom whose subjects differ from one another in glory – telestial kingdom?
Kingdom without glory = hell.
Inherent to God of the KEP is an internal hierarchy? And a closely related astronomical view.
Cubits measure the length of an orbit, one day to a cubit.
Flosisis – light is related to life – cp. D&C 88
Smith’s followers believed they could translate themselves to Kolob in defiance of death.
Buck believed heaven had to be a physical location and cited as a proof the translated beings like Elijah and Enoch. He mentioned that some ancients believed they would reside in the sun.
Thomas Dick mentioned that universe’s center was throne of God.
Kolob the astral equivalent of God.
Celestial bodies are treated as planetary patriarchs.
Klifloisis refers in 2nd degree to John the Baptist.
Kolob is “the last or the eldest”.
Joseph Smith said earth would undergo translation, become a urim and thummim, participate in chain of being.
1832 – Smith said stars bear testimony of a God who creates and regulates them. Similarly Alma in debating Korihor.
Astrology had receded in 19th c., but wonder-lore persisted.
Millenarianism hung on to this wonder-lore, connected comets for example with second coming.
Cowdery connects papyrus to Enoch’s pillar in Josephus, which is astronomical in nature.
A variety of 19th century sources identified deceased people with stars—eulogy of Joseph Smith Sr. says he shined like the stars.
Lucifer as a fallen star.
All lines of the KEP converge on Adam and Eve in Eden.
Depiction of Eve and serpent were taken as proof by the Mormons of the truth of the Bible.
Smith and scribes connected Eden to afterlife in one interpretation.
Inspection of KEP shows it is not a grammar of hieroglyphs, would not pass muster w/ any Egyptologist.

-Chris

http://chriscarrollsmith.blogspot.com/2 ... -2007.html

[_Kishkumen]

bump

[_harmony]

Personally, I hope Will's theories on this subject get published soon. The more concrete, the better.

[_Mortal Man]

Very interesting Chris, thanks for posting this.

1834 – Phelps believed hieroglyphs protected great mysteries from the uninitiated.
1832 Smith writes to Phelps of a desire to escape crooked broken language.
Phelps looked forward to the day when all redeemed multitudes would “speak a pure language”.
Phelps demonstrated considerable fervor.
Scribal contributions to the KEP are not trivial.
...Phelps helped shape his approach.

Quick Will! GRAB THIS AND RUN!!!

Smith died before he could return to the project in 1843.

?

Russell suggested that all of humanity’s earliest writing was pictographic; Emerson that every word if traced back to its origins is derived somehow from its meaning.

Perhaps Emerson, given the papyri and sufficient religious motivation, might have created something similar to the EAG.

Smith’s followers believed they could translate themselves to Kolob in defiance of death.

That puts a new perspective on Phelps' hymn. I think it's a shame that the church has allowed itself to become embarrassed by Kolob. It's a beautiful doctrine. I hope it's true in some sense.

[_George Miller]

At the 2007 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium, on August 9th, Samuel M. Brown gave a presentation titled "Joseph Smith's Kirtland Egyptian Papers: Hieroglyphs, the Sacerdotal Genealogy, and the Antidote to Babel". Brown's presentation is one of the most significant steps forward in understanding Joseph Smith's Kirtland Egyptian Papers in recent history.

Wow - I just listened to this for the first time. What an incredible presentation. I have to agree with Brown 100% that the themes of the kingdoms of glory and the divine hierarchy are obvious in the KEP. The presentation was simply stunning. I don't know how I missed that Katumin was twice married. That makes SOOOO much sense. Boy did Nibley get that one wrong. :-)

[_CaliforniaKid]

?

The publication of the Grammar was discussed in 1843, but nothing ever came of it.

[_NorthboundZax]

Wow! so many interesting tidbits. Celestial Kingdom, could you expound on what any of the following mean? There is clearly a vocabulary here that I am not tuned in to.

The Grammar’s rules make amplification obligatory.

Klifloisis refers in 2nd degree to John the Baptist.

Astrology had receded in 19th c., but wonder-lore persisted.

amplification? 2nd degree? wonder-lore (as different from astrology)?

All lines of the KEP converge on Adam and Eve in Eden.

That sounds important. Would you agree with this? Given the list above, it is hard to see even a substantial majority converging there. But again, I am undoubtedly missing some pretty big pieces when it comes to the KEP.