The internal structure of the Egyptian Alphabet

[_CaliforniaKid]

How would you summarize the apologetic stance regarding the purpose of the EA?

The apologist position goes something like this:

1. Joseph Smith was not the EA's primary creator. He was merely going along with Phelps, who was the real mastermind.
2. The EA was not used to create the Book of Abraham. It doesn't really matter what it was used for, but maybe it was to translate the English text into some kind of pure-language-code in order to keep it secret from unwashed Gentiles.

What purpose would you guess Joseph Smith had in mind while creating the EA? Or, what do you think he was planning on doing with it?

I think Joseph valued the EA in and of itself, as a theological and linguistic document. However, I also think he intended to use it to help translate the papyri (which he did).

Peace,

-Chris

[_CaliforniaKid]

What is meant by '1st Degree" and '2nd Degree"?

The EAG documents are divided into 5 "parts" and 5 "degrees". (The OP should have said "1st part" and "2nd part," not "1st degree" and "2nd degree". I've edited the post to correct the error.) The "degrees" appear to be a grammatical division. The same characters are translated in each degree, but the meaning of each character changes as you ascend through the five degrees (often becoming more expansive or "spiritual"). The "parts" seem to be merely a cataloguing system for the characters.

[_Nomad]

California Kid-

I think Joseph valued the EA in and of itself, as a theological and linguistic document.

What do you base this conclusion on? What evidence is there that Joseph Smith valued the Egyptian Alphabet as a “theological” or “linguistic” document? I’m sincerely curious about your claim.

However, I also think he intended to use it to help translate the papyri (which he did).

Aside from your disputed claims about the origins of Abr. 1:1-3, how was the EA used to translate the papyri? Which characters on the papyri did he translate using the EA? Where are they located on the papyri?

The "degrees" appear to be a grammatical division.

Huh? A “grammatical division”? What does that mean? Please elaborate.

The same characters are translated in each degree, but the meaning of each character changes as you ascend through the five degrees (often becoming more expansive or "spiritual").

More “expansive or spiritual”? What does that mean? Please elaborate. With examples, if you could. I’ve been studying the EA and GAEL documents since last August (transcriptions of them) and, for the life of me, I cannot imagine what you are talking about. The “expansive” part----yes, I get that. The explanations are progressively more detailed in each subsequent degree from 1 to 5. But more “spiritual”? I don’t get that at all. Perhaps you could provide us one or two examples.

And if you’re correct about this whole “more spiritual” thing in the higher degrees, exactly how would that be a benefit in using the EA-GAEL to translate the papyri?

Oh, and just in case you missed it above, aside from your disputed claims about the origins of Abr. 1:1-3, how was the EA or the GAEL used to translate the papyri?

Which characters on the papyri did he translate using the EA-GAEL?

Where are they located on the papyri?

I assume they can be found right in order somewhere, since any narrative being translated would have its linguistic symbols arranged in some logical order. Either right to left or left to right or up to down. Where on the papyri are the translated symbols that we see in the EA-GAEL?

[_Nomad]

I think you are right on the money here, Celestial Kingdom. Keep up the good work.

LOL!

Blind, ignorant backslappin' and nothing more.

You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. You crack me up. Ten bucks says you're laughed at behind your back by your peers wherever it is you practice your unique form of "academia."

"... keep up the good work ..."

[_Runtu]

LOL!

Blind, ignorant backslappin' and nothing more.

You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. You crack me up. Ten bucks says you're laughed at behind your back by your peers wherever it is you practice your unique form of "academia."

"... keep up the good work ..."

You know, that is a good Will Schryver imitation. Well done.

[_Nomad]

LOL!

Blind, ignorant backslappin' and nothing more.

You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. You crack me up. Ten bucks says you're laughed at behind your back by your peers wherever it is you practice your unique form of "academia."

"... keep up the good work ..."

You know, that is a good Will Schryver imitation. Well done.

Thanks. I think.

The Nomad always seek to please, and to assimilate as many of Schryver's good attributes as possible. Now, when it comes to his bad ones .................. oh, wait, in your mind it's his "bad ones" that are the one's you think are being mimicked. OK, then. Nevermind. Two sides of a mirror and all that.

by the way, have you destroyed any testimonies lately? Undermined anyone's faith? Reinforced someone's doubts?

[_Runtu]

Thanks. I think.

The Nomad always seek to please, and to assimilate as many of Schryver's good attributes as possible. Now, when it comes to his bad ones .................. oh, wait, in your mind it's his "bad ones" that are the one's you think are being mimicked. OK, then. Nevermind. Two sides of a mirror and all that.

Oh, no, I wasn't referring to "bad attributes." You just nailed the rhetorical style, down to the superfluous exclamation point. I thought it was well done.

by the way, have you destroyed any testimonies lately? Undermined anyone's faith? Reinforced someone's doubts?

Not lately, but damned if I haven't been trying. ;-)

Actually, I've helped a few people on the fence to stick with the church. It makes them happy, so I told them what I thought: if it makes them happy, they should stick with it.

[_CaliforniaKid]

Nomad,

If your post was supposed to induce me to attempt to have an intelligent conversation with you, it had the opposite effect. You might want to rethink your posting strategy. Peace,

-Chris

[_beefcalf]

by the way, have you destroyed any testimonies lately? Undermined anyone's faith? Reinforced someone's doubts?

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[_Themis]

by the way, have you destroyed any testimonies lately? Undermined anyone's faith? Reinforced someone's doubts?

I am confident you have Will.