In the 1830s, a fascinating discovery made its way to America—ancient Egyptian papyri covered in mysterious hieroglyphs. Joseph Smith claimed that these scrolls contained something far more extraordinary than anyone expected: a long-lost book written by the biblical patriarch Abraham himself.

According to Smith, he translated the text by divine inspiration, revealing a story of Abraham’s life, a cosmic vision of the universe, and unique teachings about God’s nature. This translation became The Book of Abraham, now considered sacred scripture in Mormonism.

For many years, there was no way to test whether Smith’s translation was accurate. But when scholars finally got the chance to examine the original papyri, what they found raised serious questions—not just about The Book of Abraham but also about Joseph Smith’s credibility as a prophet.

So, what do the papyri actually say? And what does this mean for those who believe in Smith’s translation? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is the Book of Abraham?

The Book of Abraham is a short book included in a Mormon scripture collection called The Pearl of Great Price. Members of the LDS Church consider it sacred and believe it contains unique teachings about the cosmos, God’s nature, and the preexistence of human souls (a belief that people existed as spirits before being born on earth).

Joseph Smith claimed he translated this text from the Egyptian papyrus he purchased in 1835. According to Smith, these ancient scrolls contained a long-lost record written by Abraham himself.

For many years, Mormons accepted this at face value—after all, there was no way to prove or disprove it.

That changed in the 1960s.

The Rediscovery of the Papyri

For over a century, the original papyri that Joseph Smith used were thought to be lost. However, in the 1960s, researchers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York made a stunning discovery: they had several of the exact same papyrus fragments that Smith had used for his “translation.”

This was a game-changer. Egyptology had advanced significantly since Smith’s time, and scholars could now read the ancient Egyptian language.

So, experts studied the papyrus to see if it contained Abraham’s lost book.

The verdict? It didn’t. Not even close.

Instead of an ancient biblical text, the papyri contained a common Egyptian funerary document called the Book of Breathings. These texts were instructions meant to guide a deceased person into the afterlife, and they were filled with references to Egyptian gods, burial rituals, and spells.

There was no mention of Abraham. No biblical connections. These are just typical Egyptian religious writings.

This left one big question: If the papyrus wasn’t about Abraham, what exactly was Joseph Smith translating?

The Translation Problem

Joseph Smith didn’t just claim to receive inspiration about the meaning of the papyrus—he claimed he was literally translating the Egyptian characters into English.

Now that we have the original papyrus, scholars have compared Smith’s “translation” to what the actual Egyptian text says. The results are shocking:

Smith’s version is completely inaccurate.

Not a single phrase he wrote corresponds to what the Egyptian text actually says.

He made up meanings for Egyptian symbols.

For example, Smith would take one small character and claim it represented an entire English sentence. In reality, those characters have well-known Egyptian meanings that are nothing like what Smith said.

His “Egyptian Alphabet” is literal nonsense.

Smith attempted to create a system for translating Egyptian, but it is unrelated to real Egyptian grammar or vocabulary.

This isn’t just some small mistake. That means Smith’s entire “translation” is a farce.

The Facsimiles

One of the most striking problems with The Book of Abraham comes from the illustrations included in the text. These images, called facsimiles, were copied directly from the Egyptian papyri that Joseph Smith acquired. He then provided detailed explanations of their meanings—claiming they depicted scenes from Abraham’s life and revealed deep theological truths.

However, when modern Egyptologists analyzed these facsimiles, they found that Smith’s interpretations were completely inaccurate. Let’s examine three key examples:

Facsimile 1

Joseph Smith claimed that this illustration depicted Abraham being sacrificed on an altar by an Egyptian priest. According to him, the figure lying down was Abraham, the priest was attempting to kill him, and the surrounding elements symbolized aspects of his divine rescue.

In reality, Egyptologists identify this as a typical funerary scene from the Book of Breathings, an Egyptian text meant to guide the deceased into the afterlife. The so-called “altar” is actually a funerary bed, and the supposed “knife” in the priest’s hand is simply a damaged part of the original drawing that depicts an ordinary ritual gesture. There is no connection to Abraham whatsoever.

Facsimile 2

Smith taught that this circular image described the structure of the universe, with Kolob—the supposed star closest to God’s throne—at its center. He claimed it contained hidden knowledge about the heavens and the divine order of creation.

In reality, this is a hypocephalus, a type of Egyptian funerary amulet placed under the head of the deceased to aid in their journey through the afterlife. It contains spells related to protection and resurrection, invoking Egyptian deities such as Osiris and Ra. There is no reference to Kolob or anything remotely connected to Abraham.

Facsimile 3

Smith described this image as Abraham sitting on Pharaoh’s throne, teaching Egyptian astronomy to the royal court. He even identified specific figures such as Abraham, Pharaoh, and a servant.

However, Egyptologists recognize this as a standard judgment scene from Egyptian funerary texts. The seated figure is actually Osiris, the god of the dead, welcoming the deceased into the afterlife. The other figures are well-known Egyptian deities and individuals involved in this ritual. Abraham is not mentioned anywhere in the text or imagery.

Conclusion? A Completely False Interpretation

Modern scholars have debunked every interpretation Joseph Smith gave for these facsimiles. They are not unique biblical records—they are ordinary Egyptian religious texts that have been misidentified and misinterpreted.

It is difficult to deal seriously with Joseph Smith’s impudent fraud…Smith has turned the goddess [Isis in Facsimile #3] into a king and Osiris into Abraham. – Dr. A.H. Sayce, Oxford professor of Egyptology

This presents yet another major issue for the authenticity of The Book of Abraham and raises serious doubts about Joseph Smith’s ability to translate ancient documents.

How Mormons Defend the Book of Abraham

Faced with overwhelming evidence that The Book of Abraham is a false translation, many Mormon scholars and apologists have proposed alternative explanations to reconcile the discrepancies. The most common defenses are the Missing Scroll Theory and the Catalyst Theory. However, both fail to address the fundamental issue: Joseph Smith’s translation does not align with Egyptian text.

The Missing Scroll Theory

This theory suggests that the papyri fragments we have today are only a small portion of a much larger scroll. According to this argument, the real Book of Abraham may have been on a section of the scroll that is now lost, meaning we don’t have access to the portion Smith translated.

Why This Doesn’t Work

The fragments we have match Joseph Smith’s exact sections for his translation. There is no evidence of an additional Abrahamic text.

Even if a portion of the scroll was missing, it wouldn’t change the fact that Smith’s existing translation is demonstrably incorrect. He mistranslated the sections we do have, proving that he could not actually read Egyptian.

The Catalyst Theory

This theory suggests that the papyri were never meant to be a direct translation of Abraham’s writings. Instead, they served as a catalyst that inspired Joseph Smith to receive a revelation about Abraham’s life and teachings. In this view, the accuracy of Smith’s translation is irrelevant because the book was always meant to be an inspired text rather than a historical document.

Why This Doesn’t Work

Joseph Smith explicitly claimed that he was translating Egyptian characters into English. He didn’t describe it as a spiritual revelation but as a direct translation of an ancient text.

If it was just an inspired work, why did Smith create an entire Egyptian “alphabet and grammar” to match symbols to words? The existence of this fabricated translation system suggests that he genuinely believed he was deciphering the papyrus—which we now know was incorrect.

No Defense Can Fix the Translation Problem

Both of these theories attempt to preserve Joseph Smith’s credibility. Still, neither can explain why his translation completely fails when compared to the actual Egyptian text. If Smith had been divinely inspired to translate The Book of Abraham, then the text should bear some resemblance to what is actually written on the papyrus. Instead, we find a completely incorrect and fabricated translation that casts serious doubt on his prophetic claims.

Why This Matters

Some might wonder, Why does this even matter? Isn’t this just an obscure issue about one Mormon text?

Actually, it matters a lot—because it directly challenges the credibility of Joseph Smith.

If Smith was wrong (more like intentionally dishonest) about translating the Book of Abraham, then it raises serious doubts about his other works, including the Book of Mormon, which he also claimed to translate by the same divine power.

It also has implications for Mormon doctrine. Many unique LDS beliefs—such as the idea that humans existed as spirits before birth—come directly from the Book of Abraham. If the book is false, then so are those doctrines.

For someone in the Mormon Church, this can be a difficult realization. But truth matters. And the truth is clear: Joseph Smith did not translate the Book of Abraham.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the evidence is undeniable. The Book of Abraham is not an ancient text written by Abraham. It’s an Egyptian funerary document that Joseph Smith wholly misrepresented.

This might seem like an interesting historical mistake for those unfamiliar with Mormonism. But for those in the LDS Church, it’s a big deal—because it means their founding prophet was wrong.

But here’s the good news: truth has nothing to fear from investigation. And for those seeking real spiritual truth, there’s no need to rely on fabricated scripture. The Bible has stood the test of time, backed by real historical and textual evidence—not false translations.