The Book of Abraham was allegedly translated from papyri written by Abraham.

The Book of Abraham Translation Question: What Do the Papyri Actually Say?

For over 180 years, the Book of Abraham has occupied a central place in Latter-day Saint theology and scripture. Members have been taught that this sacred text came from papyri written by Abraham himself, a document so ancient and precious that it escaped the biblical record entirely. Yet decades of Egyptological study have raised a fundamental question: do the actual papyri support this traditional narrative? This investigation matters because it touches on core questions about prophetic authority, historical accuracy, and the reliability of sacred claims that shape how millions understand their faith.

The gap between what the Church has taught about the Book of Abraham's origins and what Egyptologists have documented about the papyri themselves represents one of the most significant points of tension in modern Mormon scholarship. Understanding this discrepancy requires examining both the historical record and the evidence on the papyri themselves.

Background: The Discovery and Initial Claims

In 1835, Joseph Smith obtained eleven papyri from a traveling antiquities dealer. Smith announced that these documents contained writings by Abraham and Joseph of Egypt. The Church proceeded to canonize Smith's translation as scripture, and it has remained part of the LDS canon ever since, printed in the Pearl of Great Price alongside the Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Moses.

For generations, Church members accepted this attribution without question. The papyri themselves were eventually lost, then rediscovered in the 1960s, opening them to modern scholarly examination. This recovery, rather than confirming the traditional narrative, initiated a fundamental reassessment of the Book of Abraham's provenance.