Shout Out to Shulem!

[Philo Sofee]

Keep em on their toes Shulem! Very clever going to the Masonic materials concerning Anubis with the tie in with Joseph Smith. I hadn't thought of that at all. You are the thorn in the "Rose of Sharon" of the Zohar to the apologists...

[Shulem]

Keep em on their toes Shulem! Very clever going to the Masonic materials concerning Anubis with the tie in with Joseph Smith. I hadn't thought of that at all. You are the thorn in the "Rose of Sharon" of the Zohar to the apologists...

Indeed, and thank you!

It's interesting to note, the amigos (Smith, Taylor, Woodruff, Hedlock) who published the Book of Abraham at the Times and Seasons also managed to hurry their asses to the new Masonic lodge in Nauvoo to sign the by-laws in the Minutes Book. There are 14 pages of signatures, but note how the four amigos were there first to sign up in March when the first installments of the Book of Abraham were first published.

Page 16 (left column)
#22 Joseph Smith

Then, notice on the very next page (17) in the upper left column, both Woodruff and Taylor sign up TOGETHER!! Obviously, they must have been in close proximity to the prophet who signed moments earlier.

#3 Wilford Woodruff
#4 John Taylor

But alas, let us not forget the fourth amigo, Hedlock. He's there too (page 17), at the bottom of the page in the right column, the last signature! This is proof that the four amigos were together at the new Masonic Lodge in Nauvoo on the day they published an installment of the Book of Abraham. That's four sets of eyeballs to catch dog-headed Anubis in the Masonic hand books and make the jackal head connection in Facsimile No. 3, which they would publish in the month of May, just two months from that time! Time to hack out the snout from the lead plate! It may have been a conspiracy in which all four of them were in on it. Or just Smith and Hedlock. It's hard to say at this point but we do have a clear case of FRAUD and deception by those who were in a position to discover the true nature of the dog-headed Egyptian god of Freemasonry.

Do you get my drift, Philo?

I make my case.

[Shulem]

A serious investigation into what Smith claimed regarding Fig. 6 in Facsimile No. 3, did not begin to take shape until 1912 when Mormon apologists were forced to answer charges of fraudulent translations published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Apologists used citations from (friendly non-member) R.C. Webb, "Joseph Smith as a Translator", in examining arguments against Smith's interpretations. Some of these were published in the IMPROVEMENT ERA Vol. XVI MARCH, 1913.

Difficulty surrounding the problem dealing with Smith's poorly drawn so-called slave "Olimlah" was a stigma that simply couldn't be resolved. Fig. 6, was a real problem for the Church and one that was simply swept under the rug:

The figure marked 6, is another difficulty in the present plate. This is attested by the testimonies of the authorities quoted in the Spalding pamphlet, who differ widely, even radically, in their judgments. Thus, Prof. Petrie calls it "the God Anubis." Dr. Breasted says, "the head probably should be that of a wolf or jackal, but . . . is here badly drawn." Prof von Bissing sees here "the dead (5) and his shadow (6),'' but adds, "6 only may be interpreted in different ways, but never as Smith did."

Note above, that Egyptologists call for the head of Fig. 6, to be a jackal, not the poorly drawn human version shown in Facsimile No. 3, which is "NEVER" interpreted as Smith did by Egyptologists!

The criticisms of the Egyptologists quoted above must be considered with the respectful attention always due to the opinions of competent scholars; but, like the judgments noted in connection with the first plate, they evidently derive most of their weight from the assumption that these plates come from, and belong in, the Book of the Dead, as Dr. Meyer does not hesitate to state, or in some other mortuary document. As a matter of fact, no such figure as 6 appears in any papyrus of the Book of the Dead that has been published in facsimile, or shown in American museums. The dress suggests that it is a male figure, but by the same token, it constitutes an extremely unusual representation of Anubis, or of any other male deity commonly present in such scenes. The priestly character might be admissible, but not, properly, in the confines of the Osirian court. The pose, also, is most unusual, to say the least. It may be safe to assert, on the basis of the facts just noted, that, if this plate be considered to be in anything like the original form, and if it be insisted that it represent one of the usual run of scenes showing the deceased before Osiris, it departs sufficiently far from the usual reverent and consistent presentation to be classed as the veriest caricature. If it does not represent any such scenes, this judgment must of course be modified accordingly.

As noted above, Fig. 6, of Facsimile No. 3, does not appear in that form in any papyrus of the Book of the Dead and is one of a kind -- an "extremely unusual representation" of the god Anubis. If the original vignette of the papyrus had survived as did the vignette of Facsimile No. 1, we can be sure that the caricature created by Hedlock's alteration would be immediately detected! The nose scraped off the lead plate is proof that the person on the papyrus was intentionally altered. One gets the feeling from the following statement that this may have actually been a concern:

Without attempting any further interpretation of the plate, or hazarding any further guess on what it may represent, it would seem safe to say that the resemblances to usual Osirian scenes end with figures 5 and 6. The
best available refuge of a critic of Joseph Smith's interpretation lies, therefore, in the statement of Dr. Budge that this is "a falsified copy." There is one difficulty with this assumption, however, and that is that such falsification as may be consistently suspected — quite entirely in the construction of figures 5 and 6, if we leave out of account the sundry other matters already noted — is all in minor matters, and not at all in the interest of rendering the group more consistent with the explanations offered in regard to it. The strong suspicion of femininity adhering to fig. 4 could hardly have escaped any observer. Consequently, the presumable changes of 5 and 6 from the usual must appear unspeakably stupid, when this one is left untouched.

Surely, Dr. John Gee now agrees with Dr. Budge that Fig. 6, is indeed "a falsified copy" in light of the lead printing plate that shows a jackal snout was originally carved -- mirroring exactly the person on the papyrus. The evidence of falsification along with everything Egyptologists know about Facsimile No. 3, is proof that Smith was lying and making stuff up out of thin air and removed the snout to cover his tracks. I have to think that had author R.C. Webb been able to examine the lead plate for Facsimile No. 3, with a magnifying glass, his following statement might not be so generous:

It may be true, as Prof. Breasted has remarked that No. 6 "is here badly drawn," but we may indicate that it is no worse in this particular than other figures in the scene. Nor is it inevitable to hold that it may have had a wolf or jackal head originally, as the Professor suggests, because the drawing of the eye accords with the usual practice of Egyptian artists in rendering profile faces; being drawn in unusual size, possibly, in order to render it apparent when the head is colored black. Whether these elements were exaggerated by the unskillfulness of the original wood-engraver, in his effort to make a small printing block, can not be decided, of course.

[Shulem]

SALT LAKE CITY THE TRUTH ABOUT THE Mormon LEADERS Copyright 1886.

FUNERARY MANUSCRIPT.

JOSEPH THE SEER.

6. Olimlah, a slave belonging
to the prince. Abraham is reasoning upon the
principles of Astronomy, in the king's court.

MR. DEVERIA.

6. An unknown divinity, probably Anubis; but his head, which
ought to be that of a jackal, has been changed.

Mr. Deveria was correct. The person is Anubis and should have a head of a jackal. The head was changed by Reuben Hedlock per Joseph Smith in order to conceal a prior revelation that the personage was a slave in Pharaoh's court.

The FRAUD was well attested in 1886! The magnified image of Anubis on the lead plate CONFIRMS the fraud!

[Moksha]

Do you get my drift, Philo?

Are you attempting to sail to Byzantium? Make sure you batten down the hatches, then full snout ahead.

[Shulem]

THE JOSEPH SMTIH PAPERS Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts

Even before the Book of Abraham was published in 1842, Joseph Smith and other early Latter-day Saints described it as a divinely inspired translation of Egyptian papyri acquired by Smith and others in 1835.

Yes, it was proclaimed that Smith was able to translate the papyrus and the vignettes of Abraham's papyrus were showcased in Kirtland and Nauvoo. The vignette for Facsimile No. 1, took center stage and was placed in a glass frame along with several other choice fragments cut from the roll of Abraham.

Joseph Smith dictated the text of the Book of Abraham during two periods of time: in the weeks and months after he purchased the papyri in summer 1835, and in early 1842, shortly before the publication of the text in Nauvoo, Illinois

Yes, Joseph Smith was very much involved with translation through revelation of the Book of Abraham papyrus (to include the vignettes which later became the Facsimiles) in both Kirtland and Nauvoo.

Cowdery, another scribe, wrote a lengthy letter giving a history and description of the papyri, but he did not relay any detail of the translation process, stating only, “When the translation of these valuable documents will be completed, I am unable to say.” Cowdery did state, however, that Smith had an understanding of the “comprehensiveness of the language.”

Yes, it was a long ongoing process but Cowdery made it clear early on that Smith had a comprehensive understanding of the language and many details concerning several of the vignettes on the rolls were officially announced by Cowdery in the Church publication. The Latter-day Saints must have felt confident that the source of those details originated from Smith himself.

Smith showed the mummies and papyri to visitors and preached to audiences on doctrine from the Book of Abraham. Following the dedication of the House of the Lord in Kirtland in spring 1836, the papyri and mummies were housed in the attic of that building. Several attempts were made in Kirtland to publish “the Egyptian records,” even though the Book of Abraham text was apparently not yet complete.

Right, Smith showcased the Book of Abraham papyrus (to include the vignettes) in Kirtland, and although attempts were made to begin publication at that time, Smith was only able to preach some doctrine from the Book of Abraham pending a full translation at a future time.

By 1841, Smith had still not realized his wish to continue the work and stated that the “twelve should be called upon to stand in their place next to the first presidency,” to conduct business so that “he might attend to the business of translating.” Though he apparently was not translating, Smith welcomed visitors to view the papyri, the mummies, and the associated manuscripts in Nauvoo.

Yes, the papyrus of the Book of Abraham was on full display in Nauvoo prior to formal publication in the Times and Seasons. Latter-day Saints and other visitors were provided with whatever information was available from the prophet at that time -- line upon line, precept upon precept.

All this leads me to feel fairly confident that Smith may have provided details specifically about Facsimile No. 3, when discussing the nature of the vignette scene with other Church leaders and those who listened to his preaching. It is entirely possible that Smith even identified Fig. 6, as a slave in Pharaoh's court while in Kirtland, but this is speculation. Certainly it was made known in Nauvoo prior to publication at the latest. I'm fairly confident that Smith had revealed that Fig. 6, was a slave while in Kirtland and that it was Abraham sitting on the throne. Apparently, the Book of Abraham could have just as well been completed and published in Kirtland to include lead plates fashioned by Hedlock had circumstances been more fortunate.

At a meeting on 27 September 1837, the subject of “printing the Egyptian records” was brought up, and it was decided that “means might be obtained to carry the same into effect.” A few months later, Willard Richards and Reuben Hedlock were assigned to procure “means to translate &. print those records taken from the chatacombs of Egypt, now in the temple.”

I have no doubt that Hedlock and others were informed who the characters in Facsimile No. 3, represented but publication would have to wait due to financial difficulties.

In other words, Joseph Smith let the cat out of the bag (Fig. 6 is a slave) long before the Book of Abraham was first published and everyone knew the black man was a slave! But after Smith and his comrades were introduced to Freemasonry and learned about the dog-headed Egyptian being a god, this changed everything. Hence, Smith had Hedlock remove the snout from the lead plate and nobody would be the wiser.

And that, my friends is how it happened! I caught Joseph Smith in the very act of cheating and lying.

[Shulem]

Ha, Shulem, you make a case for something you can't prove. We don't know what books Smith acquired about Freemasonry and how much material he was able to cover at that time. In fact, we know next to little about that. I think you need to go back and review the facts, what little facts you have. You've proven nada, zilch.

My dear, professor P., judging from the fact that Smith was one of the most avid thinkers and scholars of his time and was surrounded by a close circle of thinking friends having many resources available to him, it's reasonable to assume that Smith had access to the finest books available and that he had all the time to research them whether in his presidential office or when one of his ladies served him tea while swinging in a hammock behind the barn. I believe Smith made time for his studies and he had any book at his disposal that he wanted. Only the best books of Freemasonry would have been suitable for the Masonic lodge in Nauvoo! Surely, Smith acquired comprehensive Masonic books and materials to grace the shelves of the Nauvoo Lodge.

[Moksha]

"Shulem, I challenge you to scan my photo above into a drawing and illustration program in order to darken my skin and add Anubis-like ears and a snout. It is perfectly fine to summon the help of one of your board's graphics wizards to help do me justice. Thank you for your consideration in this illustrative matter.

Your Brother in Alteration magic,
Dr. Daniel C. Peterson
[Please cover those holes on my forehead where those jokers at the Near East Language Department thought they were so clever with their trepanning.]

[Shulem]

For your consideration:

Isis is almost always found in ancient scenes of divine Egyptian art and very often there is Anubis, right there by her side. The Freemasons had an appreciation of Egyptian history and relished in the richness of symbolism in which they derived their own beliefs. The adoption of the mythical Egyptian god Anubis into the symbolism of the Blazing Star of Masonry is foundational to divine illusions of Masonic belief. The rich symbolism found in mother Isis is as old as the world and was adopted into many cultures and spiritual beliefs.

Mysteries of Isis were religious initiation rites performed in the cult of the goddess Isis in the Greco-Roman world. They were modeled on other mystery rites, particularly the Eleusinian Mysteries in honor of the Greek goddess Demeter, and originated sometime between the third century BCE and the second century CE. Despite their mainly Hellenistic origins, the mysteries did allude to beliefs from ancient Egyptian religion, in which the worship of Isis arose. By undergoing the mystery rites, initiates signaled their dedication to Isis, although they were not required to worship her exclusively. The rites were seen as a symbolic death and rebirth, and they may have been thought to guarantee that the initiate's soul, with the goddess's help, would continue after death in a blissful afterlife.

Freemasonry, founded in 1717, adopted principles of Egyptian symbolism into their own modernized corpus of thought and symbolic expression:

An influential example is the 1731 novel Life of Sethos by Jean Terrasson. Terrasson claimed he had translated this book from an ancient Greek work of fiction that was based on real events. The book was actually his own invention, inspired by ancient Greek sources that assumed Greek philosophers had derived their wisdom from Egypt. In the novel, Egypt's priests run an elaborate education system like a European university. To join their ranks, the protagonist, Sethos, undergoes an initiation presided over by Isis, taking place in hidden chambers beneath the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Freemasons, members of a European fraternal organization that attained its modern form in the early eighteenth century, developed many pseudohistorical origin myths that traced Freemasonry back to ancient times. Egypt was among the civilizations that Masons claimed had influenced their traditions. After Sethos was published, several Masonic lodges developed rites based on those in the novel. Late in the century, Masonic writers, still assuming that Sethos was an ancient story, used the obvious resemblance between their rites and the initiation of Sethos as evidence of Freemasonry's supposedly ancient origin.

An understanding of Isis and the dog-headed god Anubis was expressed in comprehensive books and materials had by American Freemasons. Surely, the ever prominent Illinois Grand Master Abraham Jonas was fully versed in Freemasonry and had access to such material and dispensed whatever means were needed for the new Nauvoo lodge to acquire proper education in the craft.

I am confident that dog-headed Anubis found his way into Nauvoo and appeared before the very eyes of Joseph Smith prior to publishing the final version of Facsimile No. 3, on May 16, 1842. Smith realized his fatal flaw in originally misidentifying Fig. 6, as a slave and he reasoned this would prove his divine gift to interpret Egyptian symbols and hieroglyphs as fraudulent and undermine everything he ever claimed about translating ancient Egyptian, whether from gold plates or papyrus.

[Shulem]

Dear friends here at Mormon Discussions/Discuss Mormonism,

It's time for a new discovery as we continue this amazing journey in uncovering the fraudulent act of Joseph Smith in hacking off the nose of the Egyptian god, Anubis. Your patience in these matters is certainly appreciated and will be richly rewarded as Mormon Discussions uncovers the dirt and reveal Smith's secret act of desecration against an Egyptian deity in order to prop up his own status amongst his sheep -- hiding his blunder and pretended ability to translate Egyptian.

Wednesday 23 Settled with and paid Bro. Chases' — and assisted in the counting room in settling with E Robinson Esqr— visited the printing office. & gave R. Hadlock instructions concerning the cut for the altar & gods in the Records of Abraham. as designed for the Times and Seasons

Smith gave Hedlock specific instructions regarding Facsimile No. 1. The Records of Abraham "written by his own hand, upon papyrus", would be published according to Smith's instructions -- exactly how he prescribes. Hedlock had only one week to ready the lead plate with the altar & gods for Facsimile No. 1, whereby the press would roll!

March— Tuesday 1. During the fore-noon. at his office. & the printing office correcting the first plate or cut. of the Records of father Abraham. prepared by Reuben Hadlock for the Times & Season. and in council in his office in the P.M. and in the evening with the Twelve & their wives at Elder Woodruff’s.— where he explained many important principles in relation to progressive improvement. in the scale of inteligent existence

The day had finally arrived when the first installment of the Book of Abraham was published to include Facsimile No. 1, with its accompanying explanations and a portion of the Book of Abraham. Again, Smith was directly involved in making last minute CORRECTIONS to Hedlock's lead plate of Facsimile No. 1.

March 4 Friday Exhibeting the Book of Abraham. in the original. To Bro Reuben Hadlock. so that he might take the size of the several plates or cuts. & prepare the blocks for the Times & Seasons. & also gave instruction concerning the arrangement of the writing on the Large cut. illustrating the principles of Astronomy. (in his office) with other general business

The printing of the first installment was already well underway and Smith continued to exhibit the original papyrus vignettes in the presence of Reuben Hedlock, getting things ready for the second installment, to commence in about ten days. The Facsimiles would generate a mirrored like image of the original and Smith insisted that the size of the vignettes match the size of the printed Facsimiles. All things were to be done in perfect order, exactly how Smith prescribed. Hieroglyphic text was added to the Large cut (Facsimile No. 2) according to Smith's instructions. Hedlock had little over a week left before production of the second installment would commence, to include Facsimile No. 2. Thus, we know that Smith was very involved with how the Facsimiles were created and published.

Stay tuned. You don't want to be left behind.