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Institute for Religious Research Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)
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Book of Abraham
Investigating Joseph Smith’s claim that he discovered and translated a lost record of the biblical patriarch Abraham. Includes color photos of the surviving Joseph Smith papyri, articles by LDS and non-LDS Egyptologists, a free download of a 240-page book on the Book of Abraham controversy, and an award-winning documentary video.
Introductory Resources
Ten Questions and Answers on the Book of Abraham
A simple, clear overview of the basic issues concerning the Book of Abraham.
Genesis and the Book of Abraham
Genesis is authentic; the Book of Abraham is not (Why Christianity is True but Mormonism Is Not, Part 3).
The Lost Book of Abraham
Lost Book of Abraham: Investigating a Remarkable Mormon Claim
An award-winning documentary film that examines the Book of Abraham, including interviews with both LDS and non-LDS experts.
By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri
Free digital, downloadable copy of the book By His Own Hand upon Papyrus
The complete text of By His Own Hand upon Papyrus available to read online or offline. A landmark book that has helped hundreds if not thousands of Mormons realize that Joseph Smith was not an inspired translator. By His Own Hand upon Papyrus was the first book to include full-color photographs of the Joseph Smith Papyri. May be downloaded free.
View the Actual Book of Abraham Papyrus Scroll
View scanned images of the Egyptian papyrus scroll from which Joseph Smith claimed to translate the Book of Abraham, as well as a page from the original Book of Abraham translation manuscript.
Lost and Found: A Prophet and His Papyri
An overview of Charles Larson’s book By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus
Additional Resources on the Book of Abraham
The Use of Egyptian Magical Papyri to Authenticate the Book of Abraham
An often-cited academic study by Edward H. Ashment.
A Response To "Translation And Historicity Of The Book Of Abraham"
Robert K. Ritner, a leading Egyptologist at the University of Chicago and an expert on the Joseph Smith Papyri, responds to the 2014 article on the Book of Abraham that appeared on the LDS Church’s official website. Professor Ritner’s response originally appeared on the University’s Oriental Institute website and is reposted here with his kind permission.
A review of John L. Gee's "A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri"
Seymour Bloom’s observations and critique of LDS apologist and Egyptologist John Gee’s defense of the Book of Abraham.
Extra-Biblical details in the Book of Abraham
…compared with parallels in published sources available to Joseph Smith in early 19th-century America.
Joseph Smith's Diary Statements
Statements regarding his Egyptian papyri and translation of the Book of Abraham.
LDS Egyptologist Doubts Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Abraham from Egyptian Scroll
Regarding Stephen E. Thompson’s presentation at the 1993 Sunstone Symposia in Salt Lake City and Boston.
Did Joseph Smith claim he translated the Book of Abraham...
…from a papyrus scroll written by Abraham himself?
The Book of Abraham: Dancing around the Criticisms
A response to a 2003 FAIR lecture by Mormon Egyptologist Michael Rhodes entitled “The Book of Abraham: Dealing with the Critics.”