Eyewitnesses from the Nauvoo period (18391844) describe a quantity of records, written on papyrus, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, including (1) some papyri preserved under glass, described as a number of glazed slides, like picture frames, containing sheets of papyrus,with Egyptian inscriptions and hieroglyphics; (2) a long roll of manuscript that contained the Book of Abraham; (3) another roll; (4) and two or three other small pieces of papyrus with astronomical calculations, epitaphs, &c.
Only the mounted fragments ended up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Book of Abraham was translated from the long roll of Manuscript, Not from the facsimiles.
How laughable Alan, undocumented 'witnesses' now suddenly pop up to counter the prophet smith's own words - or even that of the boa 1:12 " And it came to pass that the priests laid violence upon me, that they might slay me also, as they did those virgins upon this altar; and that you may have a knowledge of this altar, I will refer you to the representation at the commencement of this record.
Facsimile 1 was identified by smith as being attached to the papyrus scroll that he translated the boa from. Papyrologists (as well as Hugh Nibley) proved that the 'sensen' fragments were physically attached to Facsimile 1 - hmmm, pretty well rules out this mythical 'other' scroll.
The Book of Abraham was translated from the long roll of Manuscript, Not from the facsimiles.
Most laughable since it has already been proven that smith's translation of the facsimiles is completely bogus. Further it is proven that Facsimile 1 was attached to the 'translated' scroll and that the rest of the sensen pieces are that scroll.
So, is Min your "god"? It is according to smith who interpreted this portion of Facsimile 2
According to smith - Represents God sitting upon his throne, revealing through the heavens the grand Key-words of the Priesthood; as, also, the sign of the Holy Ghost unto Abraham, in the form of a dove. Real egyptian scholars point out the fact that 'god' is the egyptian god Min. Hugh Nibley wrote regarding Min - As the supreme sex symbol of gods and men, Min behaves with shocking promiscuity, which is hardly relieved by its ritual nature...His sacred plants were aphrodisiacal...and he is everywhere represented as indulging in incestuous relationships with those of his immediate family; he had the most numerous and varied religious entourage of all the gods, consisting mostly of his huge harem...The hymns, or rather chanting of his worshippers were accompanied with lewd dancing and carousing...to the exciting stimulus of a band of sistrum-shaking damsels (Abraham in Egypt, p. 210).
And this is what Smith said that this figure represented God sitting on His throne!
Well, is there a living prophet and seer in the mormon church? Let him speak .