Chaldeans Within The Book of Abraham.

[_karl61]

If the Hebrew Bible was begun in captivity (say 550bc) then how did they know about an Abraham from 2000BC.

[_rcrocket]

To tell You the truth, I am not really sure if Abraham was a real Person or not.

Then I'd say your argument is like angels dancing on the head of a pin.

[_Brackite]

To tell You the truth, I am not really sure if Abraham was a real Person or not.

Then I'd say your argument is like angels dancing on the head of a pin.

Are You going to respond to this Post?

Are You going to respond to this Post?

Do you agree with or not with what the The LDS Old Testament Student Manual Stated about when Abraham lived? Here is (again) Where it Stated, When Abraham lived:

Around 2000 B.C. Abraham was selected to head this covenant race from that time forward.

[_Danna]

I have just dug out Tim Callahan's "Secret Origins of the Bible" again, and among a number of anachronisms he mentions in Genesis, is this:

Gen 21:34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

Another appearance of a people centuries before they existed.

Callahan does a great job of showing how different records dating to the divided kingdom and the period of the judges, sometimes with differing versions of the same story, were compiled during the exile to form the basis of the canonical Old Testament.

Callahan also details the wealth of Mesopotamian and Egyptian records as compared with the sparseness of stuff from Judah and Israel. Sufficient biblical history is corroborated to rule out the appearance of Abraham as late as 1000BCE Genesis is chock full of anachronisms, and JSjr was unlucky enough to pick one of these to expand upon for his Book of Abraham.

[_Danna]

To tell You the truth, I am not really sure if Abraham was a real Person or not.

Then I'd say your argument is like angels dancing on the head of a pin.

That is convenient for you!

Actually the truth claim that Brackite, CK, myself and others have made is that Abraham did not exist even remotely near the period of time that the Chaldeans existed as a people. Whether he did or did not exist at any other time is not relevant.

Let's say that Abraham did not exist later than the establishment of either the Kingdom of Israel, or the Assyrian empire.

Whether he, or a person of Mesopotamian origin who was an Israelite ancestor, existed prior to that time is not of importance.

[_Danna]

Bumping.

Given Daniel's response on another thread thus:

I'm much more interested in what the Book of Abraham has to say. And, thus far, although it's never been a major focus of my attention, I've published twice on that topic:

* With John Gee and William Hamblin. “‘And I Saw the Stars’: The Book of Abraham and Ancient Geocentric Astronomy.” In John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (Provo: FARMS, 2005), 1-16.

* “News from Antiquity [‘Evidence supporting the book of Abraham continues to turn up in a wide variety of sources’].” The Ensign 24/1 (January 1994): 16-21.

I am looking forward to reading his views on this topic.

[_Brackite]

Bumping.

Given Daniel's response on another thread thus:

I'm much more interested in what the Book of Abraham has to say. And, thus far, although it's never been a major focus of my attention, I've published twice on that topic:

* With John Gee and William Hamblin. “‘And I Saw the Stars’: The Book of Abraham and Ancient Geocentric Astronomy.” In John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (Provo: FARMS, 2005), 1-16.

* “News from Antiquity [‘Evidence supporting the book of Abraham continues to turn up in a wide variety of sources’].” The Ensign 24/1 (January 1994): 16-21.

I am looking forward to reading his views on this topic.

Hello Danna,

The main reason why I asked here, 'Where is Droopy?', is because he stated that:

But then, Metcalf, like so many other critics, is not concerned with what the text actually says, and there's a very good reason for this.

That's not a particularly useful area of inquiry for a critic to pursue.

And, The main reason why I asked here, 'Where is William?', is because he is the chief LDS Apologists of Book of Abraham on Mormon Discussions' Message Board.
Unfortunately, William now seems to be more concerned with how long the Papyrus of Hor was, then with what the text of the Book of Abraham actually says.

[_rcrocket]

Do you agree with or not with what the The LDS Old Testament Student Manual Stated about when Abraham lived? Here is (again) Where it Stated, When Abraham lived:

Around 2000 B.C. Abraham was selected to head this covenant race from that time forward.

No, I don't agree. I have no basis to agree or disagree. Other than the highly questionable timetable of Genesis, there is no proof, revealed or historical, about the date of Abraham's birth.

Again, you're dancing on the head of a pin.

[_Brackite]

That is convenient for you!

Actually the truth claim that Brackite, CK, myself and others have made is that Abraham did not exist even remotely near the period of time that the Chaldeans existed as a people. Whether he did or did not exist at any other time is not relevant.

Let's say that Abraham did not exist later than the establishment of either the Kingdom of Israel, or the Assyrian empire.

Whether he, or a person of Mesopotamian origin who was an Israelite ancestor, existed prior to that time is not of importance.

Thanks, Danna! Great Post!

[_Buffalo]

Three years later, still no answers.