Commenting on the Book of Abraham, D. Charles Pyle wrote the following which has implications for figures 2 and 4 of facsimile 3, wherein Joseph Smith identified female figures as being male (see this discussion from Jeff Lindsay on this, too):
many things have been claimed as demonstrative of the thought that the Book of Abraham was fabricated and an incorrect translation. One such claim that was made was that Egyptians did not worship other gods and goddesses of other peoples drawn like Egyptian ones, and that other nations did not worship their own national gods and goddesses depicted in Egyptian forms. Contrary to all the scholars, we now know that the Book of Abraham was right all along. The goddess of the city of Byblos was known as “Hathor of the West” by various of the people, and she was depicted in such a way that Egyptians saw her as Hathor. This occurred beginning prior to the time of Abraham, in the region near which Abraham lived. This same practice continued among even the Egyptians after the time of Abraham. We know this from an inscription from the time of Ramses II. Here is that inscription, which is located at the Brooklyn Museum:
What is depicted in the middle of the inscription fragment is the Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat. She is depicted as Osiris but is clearly named in the middle inscription as “‘Anat, Lady (of) heaven (and) of Ramesessu Meri-Amun.”
So, the Book of Abraham was right all along, as noted above. Ancient Egyptians, and other ancient nations under Egypt’s sphere of influence, indeed did dress non-Egyptian gods and goddesses just like Egyptian ones. As time has gone on, more and more evidences like the above have come forth in support of the claims of the Book of Abraham. But those scholars who limit themselves to certain kinds of evidences, and who ignore evidence such as the above, whether for bias or for other more or less worthy reasons, will come up with what Latter-day Saints inevitably will see as limited opinions regarding the alleged translation errors and/or fabrication of the Book of Abraham. (D. Charles Pyle, How do Mormons explain the Book of Abraham when many scholars view it as a completely fabricated, incorrect translation by Joseph Smith?)
many things have been claimed as demonstrative of the thought that the Book of Abraham was fabricated and an incorrect translation. One such claim that was made was that Egyptians did not worship other gods and goddesses of other peoples drawn like Egyptian ones, and that other nations did not worship their own national gods and goddesses depicted in Egyptian forms. Contrary to all the scholars, we now know that the Book of Abraham was right all along. The goddess of the city of Byblos was known as “Hathor of the West” by various of the people, and she was depicted in such a way that Egyptians saw her as Hathor. This occurred beginning prior to the time of Abraham, in the region near which Abraham lived. This same practice continued among even the Egyptians after the time of Abraham. We know this from an inscription from the time of Ramses II. Here is that inscription, which is located at the Brooklyn Museum:
What is depicted in the middle of the inscription fragment is the Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat. She is depicted as Osiris but is clearly named in the middle inscription as “‘Anat, Lady (of) heaven (and) of Ramesessu Meri-Amun.”
So, the Book of Abraham was right all along, as noted above. Ancient Egyptians, and other ancient nations under Egypt’s sphere of influence, indeed did dress non-Egyptian gods and goddesses just like Egyptian ones. As time has gone on, more and more evidences like the above have come forth in support of the claims of the Book of Abraham. But those scholars who limit themselves to certain kinds of evidences, and who ignore evidence such as the above, whether for bias or for other more or less worthy reasons, will come up with what Latter-day Saints inevitably will see as limited opinions regarding the alleged translation errors and/or fabrication of the Book of Abraham. (D. Charles Pyle, How do Mormons explain the Book of Abraham when many scholars view it as a completely fabricated, incorrect translation by Joseph Smith?)