Brent Metcalfe wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 7:01 am
Paul, my friend, you are correct… I spoke to Robin Jensen tonight about the jackal snout in Fac. 3 and he affirmed it *was* chiseled off, but he’s quick to note that metal printer’s plates isn’t his area of expertise (though it’s obvious the alteration happened before it was printed in the _Times and Seasons_). The one thing we both find odd is the jackal ears remained—why? But on the jackal snout I stand corrected.
My best,
</brent>
Great to hear from you and thank you for chiming in here at Discuss Mormonism and especially informing us that Robin Jensen is obviously keenly aware of the strange anomaly regarding the jackal nose being chiseled off the face. No doubt this matter has been discussed with Church scholars more especially John Gee who undoubtedly privately confirmed that the person of Fig. 6 is in fact Anubis. Professor Gee is acutely aware that the iconic features of Anubis (black fur & canine ear) coupled with the inscription in the label above his head confirms that this person couldn't be anyone else before the presence of Osiris's heavenly throne.
The silence from John Gee really does speak volumes. It must weigh on him greatly knowing that Anubis was mutilated and for reasons he is unable to explain. I'm all too happy to help professor Gee out and explain things for him! Radio Free Mormon posted a thread on this board
"Shout Out to Shulem!" and I get into considerable detail of why the snout was removed from the lead plate prior to printing. I posit that Smith learned details about ancient concepts known in Free Masonry and was made aware of the Egyptian Dog-star god Anubis depicted in Masonry books of his era. Smith felt it necessary to hide the identity of Anubis in Facsimile No. 3 because the personage of Anubis would clash with his previous revelation already given that the black person was a slave. The cat was already out of the bag and he had to quickly cover the dog (pun intended). So, he ordered the snout hacked off in order to conceal the iconic identity of the dog-faced Egyptian god.
So, why was the ear left? I have my ideas and have lightly touched upon it here on this board but am not ready to spill those beans, so to speak. Secrets and mysteries of the Joseph Smith papyrus fascinate us even to this day! But for now, let me just say that Reuben Hedlock was the person who did all the chiseling. It was his work. It was his art. It was his piece in which he alone was commissioned to fashion the lead to mirror what was on the papyrus. I do not believe Hedlock was happy with the alteration and having to mutilate the face. As an artist it was his intention and motivation to faithfully execute an accurate depiction of all the characters in the vignette and having to mutilate Anubis must have rubbed him wrong. But he did it because he had no choice. But he left the ear! Yes, he left the ear. More can be said on all this at a later time.
One thing I appreciate about making this discovery is realizing and coming to the knowledge that the media of the plate itself is lead, NOT wood. The misnomer "woodcut" has finally been extinguished and all of us who know better; the wood was the frame in which the lead plate was set.
Thank you, Brent, for your contributions in the podcast. I really enjoyed the show and admire the friendship you have with Vogel and your many years (decades) of researching the Egyptian papers and all the contributions you've made.
We are all in this together. It is our passion and peculiar interest in these matters that makes us who we are and what we do.
Cheers,
Shulem
