Posted in Ancient Near East Antiquity Book of Abraham Books Critics Egyptian Evidence history Scholarship Translation

Geocentric Astronomy in the Book of Abraham? Dan Vogel’s Refutation of LDS Scholars

  Circumpolar star trails in a long-exposure photo of several hours, showing that stars closer to Polaris move on shorter trails, thus moving more slowly. The circumpolar stars always stay…

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Posted in Book of Abraham Critics Evidence Origins Scholarship Scripture Translation

A Highlight from Dan Vogel’s Book: A Clever Explanation for the Most Obvious Evidence of Scribes Using an Existing Translation in Making the Book of Abraham Manuscripts

In my previous posts reviewing Dan Vogel’s recent Book of Abraham Apologetics (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 2021), including Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, I’ve noted that…

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Posted in Book of Abraham Books Critics Scholarship Scripture Translation

Missing Some of the Most Important Questions, Documents, and Evidences: Part 3 of My Review of Dan Vogel’s Book

In Part 1 and Part 2 of my review on Dan Vogel’s newly published Book of Abraham Apologetics (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 2021), I objected to apparent neglect…

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Posted in Book of Abraham Books Critics Evidence Scholarship Scripture

Many Hits But Plenty of Misses in Vogel’s Book: Part 2 of My Review of Book of Abraham Apologetics

I’m nearly finished with Dan Vogel’s book, Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 2021). It’s a fascinating read for those seeking to…

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Posted in Ancient Near East Bible Books Scholarship Scripture Translation

The Valediction of Moses: A 2,700-Year-Old Biblical Document Long Said to Be a Forgery Gains New Respect

A version of the book of Deuteronomy, long said to be forgery, has just been declared authentic after all, making it the most ancient biblical scroll known in the modern…

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Posted in Book of Abraham Books Critics Evidence Scholarship Scripture

Just Started Dan Vogel’s New Book: Already Chagrined by the Treatment of Champollion

I just began reading the latest book on the Book of Abraham, Dan Vogel’s Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 2021). After…

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Posted in Ancient Near East Book of Mormon Evidence Hebrew Israel Scholarship

A Gift from Biblical Reproductions: Alma the Son of Judah on a Bar Kochba Letter

There’s an interesting business, Biblical Reproductions, selling authorized reproductions of artifacts and documents related to the Bible. One of the products is a reproduction of 5/6Hev 44 Bar Kokhba, a…

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Posted in Book of Mormon Evidence Hebrew language Scholarship wordplays

Why Does the Book of Mormon Say the Nephites “Had Come Down to Believe in Their [the Gaddianton Robbers’] Works”?

No, I’m not saying anything in this post about secret combinations and how to identify them, but rather pointing out a minor detail that is part of a massive pattern…

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Posted in Book of Abraham Evidence Origins Scholarship Scripture

More on the Book of Abraham Manuscripts: What Spelling Errors Teach Us

I received a kind email from Kyler Rasmussen in response to arguments I have made about the spelling in the book of Abraham manuscripts that are part of the Kirtland…

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Posted in Ancient Near East Book of Abraham Critics Evidence Origins Scholarship Scripture Translation

A Gift From an Early “Anti-Mormon” Attack on the Book of Abraham: Clear Evidence About the Source of Joseph’s Translation

The words of Joseph Smith give us vital evidence about the translation of the Book of Abraham. As Tim Barker demonstrates in a recent FAIR Conference, a large fraction of the characters on the papyrus fragment Joseph allegedly used to translate the Book of Abraham have been placed on Facsimile 2, and Joseph indicated that the explanations for those characters “will be given in the own due time of the Lord.” That is followed by a statement that refers to all the comments made regarding Facs. 2: “The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give at the present time.”

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