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The '''Joseph Smith Papyri''' ('''JSP''') are [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] funerary [[papyrus]] fragments from ancient [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] dated between 300 and 100 BC which, along with four mummies, were once owned by [[Joseph Smith]], the founder of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]]. Smith said that the papyrus contained the records of the ancient patriarchs [[Abraham]] and [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]].
In 1842, Smith published the first part of the [[Book of Abraham]], which he said was an inspired translation from the papyri.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/pgp/introduction|title=Introduction|website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}}</ref><ref>For the distribution of the manuscript fragments, see John Gee, "Eyewitness, Hearsay, and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith Papyri," in The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, ed. Stephen D. Ricks et al. (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2000), 188—91; and John Gee, A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2000), 10—13.</ref> The consensus among both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars is that the characters on the surviving papyrus fragments do not match
After [[Death of Joseph Smith|Smith's death]], the papyri passed through several hands; they were presumed to have reached a museum in Chicago and subsequently destroyed in the [[Great Chicago Fire]]. Not all of the fragments were burned, however, and some were eventually acquired by the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in 1947.<ref>"Review of the Year 1947," Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 7/1 (1948): 17.</ref> The museum knew the importance of the papyri to [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) and, in 1966, reached out to church leaders to notify them of their collection. The LDS Church acquired the fragments in 1967.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=I Have a Question |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1988/07/i-have-a-question?lang=eng |magazine=[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |date=July 1988 |access-date=July 9, 2014 }}</ref> The rediscovery of the papyri sparked renewed interest and scholarship. Due to the importance of the papyri to the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], they have been heavily studied and debated.<ref name=Ritner2013>Ritner, R. K. (2013). The Joseph Smith Egyptian papyri: A complete edition ; P. JS 1-4 and the hypocephalus of Sheshonq. Salt Lake City: The Smith Pettit Foundation. Page 6</ref>
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<blockquote>The last of June four Egyptian mummies were brought here; there were two papyrus rolls, besides some other ancient Egyptian writings with them. As no one could translate these writings, they were presented to President Smith. He soon knew what they were and said they, the 'rolls of papyrus,' contained the sacred record kept of Joseph in Pharaoh's Court in Egypt, and the teachings of Father Abraham.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebookofabraham.blogspot.com/2016/11/1835-improvement-era-1942-ww-phelps.html|title=The Book of Abraham: 1835 - Improvement Era (1942) - W.W. Phelps|date=November 17, 2016|website=thebookofabraham.blogspot.com}}</ref></blockquote>
Because the collection was later sold and divided and parts of it were lost in the Great Chicago Fire, its exact contents are unknown. However, based on what is still in existence, it can be concluded that there were at least 5 separate funerary documents as shown in the following table:<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
[[File:Joseph Smith Papyri Reconstructed.jpg|upright 1.3|thumb|Reconstructed papyri from existing and known fragments]]
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===Ancient origins===
All of the mummies and papyri date to the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Ptolemaic Egypt]] period, from sometime between 300 and 100 BC in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, near modern-day Luxor.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
The bodies and papyri were interred west of ancient Thebes in the [[Theban Necropolis]], probably in the [[Tombs of the Nobles (Luxor)|valley of the nobles]].<ref name="scholarsarchive.byu.edu"/>
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<blockquote>The citizens are respectfully informed that the Manager has received from the vicinity of Thebes, that celebrated city of Ancient Egypt, six strangers, illustrious from their antiquity, count, probably an existence of at least one thousand years anterior to the advent of our blessed Saviour, and contemporaries; if so, of the first Sovereigns of Israel, viz: Saul and David. They are by no means insignificant aspirants to public patronage.<ref>This is part of an advertisement that ran in the ''Baltimore Gazette and Daily Advertiser'' and the ''Baltimore American and commercial Daily Advertiser'' from July 20 to August 16, 1833.</ref></blockquote>
The next documented location of the exhibit was [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania]] in late August and then [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]] in September 1833.<ref>Wolfe, S. J., and Robert Singerman. Mummies in Nineteenth Century America: Ancient Egyptians as Artifacts. McFarland & Co, 2009. pg 105</ref> They were in [[Pittsburgh]] for four weeks during October and November 1833, and at the Western Museum in [[Cincinnati]] in December. In January 1834, they stayed in [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] for a few days. In April and early May, they were shown at the corner of Chartres and St. Louis Streets in [[New Orleans]]. From May 1834 until February 1835, there is no known record of their whereabouts.<ref name="ReferenceA">Wolfe, ''Mummies in Nineteenth Century America'', 70, 98-107</ref> In February 1835, Chandler displayed the mummies in [[Hudson, Ohio]], just 30 miles south of Kirtland, Ohio, and the next month they were displayed in Cleveland.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
While in Cleveland, a reporter from the ''Cleveland Whig'' published in March 1835 a description of the collection:
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<blockquote>This is to make known to all who may be desirous, concerning the knowledge of Mr. Joseph Smith, jr, in deciphering the ancient Egyptian hierogliphic characters, in my possession, which I have, in many eminent cities, shown to the most learned: And, from the information that I could ever learn, or meet with, I find that of Mr. Joseph Smith, jr. to correspond in the most minute matters.<ref>[https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/certificate-from-michael-chandler-6-july-1835/1 "Certificate from Michael Chandler, 6 July 1835," p. [72], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed May 20, 2019],</ref></blockquote>
Given the state of [[Egyptology|Egyptian scholarship]] at that time ([[Jean-François Champollion|Champollion]]'s breakthrough [[Grammaire égyptienne|''Egyptian Grammar'']] would not be published in Europe until 1836, and dictionary until 1841), it is unlikely that Chandler could so authoritatively make such a claim.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
Shortly after receiving this certification, Joseph Smith, [[Joseph Coe]], and Simeon Andrews purchased the four mummies and at least five papyrus documents for $2,400,<ref>{{Harvnb|Gee|2000|p=3}}</ref> which is about $70,000 in 2019 US dollars.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1835?amount=2400|title=$2,400 in 1835 → 2020 | Inflation Calculator|website=www.officialdata.org}}</ref> Joseph Smith wanted to purchase only the papyri, but Chandler would not sell the papyri without the mummies.<ref>Orson Pratt stated in 1878: <blockquote>The Prophet Joseph having learned the value of the ancient writings was very anxious to obtain them, and expressed himself willing to purchase them. But Chandler told him he would not sell the writings unless he could sell the mummies, for it would detract from the curiosity of his exhibition.</blockquote> Orson Pratt, in Journal of Discourses, 25 Aug. 1878, 20:65. Coe later remembered that
<blockquote>I was some-what involved, and unable to sustain a heavier burthen any great length of time. but having all confidence in the utility of the collection, and being assured by yourself that the burthen would be but temporary; that the profits arising from the work when translated would be more than adequate to the defraying all the expence which might accrue by the purchase. I therefore managed the business in relation to the purchase with the same confidence that I had previously done business which I thought would result in the good of the church. Previous to closing the contrat with [Michael] Chandler I made arangements with S. Andrews for to take one third part and yourself & Co. one third leaving one third to be borne by myself. Andrews soon paid his $800 I took $800 out of Geauga Bank which paid a large portion of my share.<ref>[https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-from-joseph-coe-1-january-1844/1 "Letter from Joseph Coe, 1 January 1844," p. [1], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed July 4, 2019] Misspellings and punctuation have been retained.</ref></blockquote>
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The latter half of 1835 Joseph Smith and his scribes Cowdery, Phelps, [[Frederick G. Williams]], and [[Warren Parrish]] spent studying the scrolls and translating the first part of the [[Book of Abraham]]. It appears that, from late July to at least October, Frederick G. Williams was in possession of the mummies, and, according to one antagonistic newspaper, had begun to tour with them. The ''Cleveland Whig'' reported, "Williams has commenced traveling about the country, and will, no doubt, gull multitudes into a belief of the truth."<ref>"Another Humbug," ''Cleveland Whig'' July 31, 1835</ref><!-- If the "antagonistic newspaper" is the Cleveland Whig, reference it as such. That'll sound more encyclopedic and neutral. --> A Cincinnati newspaper reported that the tour was unsuccessful: "The mummies were soon sent out for exhibition by one of their [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostles]], but being unsuccessful, he brought them back to Kirtland and threw them aside. There is reason to believe, that many who come here with high expectations, have met with sore disappointments."<ref>''Cincinnati Journal and Western Luminary,'' August 25, 1836, 4</ref>
In January 1836, work on the translation of the papyri stopped, as Joseph Smith focused on other projects and events, such as the building of the [[Kirtland Temple]], learning Hebrew, and administering a growing church. On February 17, 1836, Joseph Coe was given the mummies and papyri to show and earn money. He hired a room at John Johnson's inn to exhibit them. The west room on the top floor of the Kirtland Temple was set aside as a translation room, and by August 1836, the papyri had been transferred there.<ref>Peterson, H. D. (2008). The story of the book of Abraham: Mummies, manuscripts, and Mormonism. Springville, UT: CFI. pg 119, 120</ref> On November 2, 1837, [[Phinehas Richards]] and Reuben Hedlock were appointed for "procuring means to translate and print the records taken from the Catacombs of Egypt, then in the Temple."<ref>''History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,'' 7 vols. and index (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.), 2:520-21</ref> Hedlock would go on in 1842 to carve the woodcuts to the printing plates that became the Book of Abraham facsimiles.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
====Mounting of the papyri====
[[File:JSP Backings.jpg|upright 1.3|thumb|left|Backside of the mounted Joseph Smith Papyri, not to scale. Paper on which it was mounted included the Kirtland Temple and map of northern Ohio.]]
Sometime before spring of 1838 (probably late 1837), at least some of the papyri were cut up, pasted onto paper, and some mounted under glass in frames. Presumably this was to preserve the papyri, as continuous unrolling and handling of ancient scrolls would take a toll.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
Some of the paper the papyri were mounted on contained plans for the Kirtland Temple and maps of northern Ohio.<ref>[https://publications.mi.byu.edu/publications/jbms/22/2/6MuhlesteinBaugh_Preserving%20JS%20Papyri.pdf Kerry M. Muhlestein and Alexander L. Baugh, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22/2 (2013): 66–83]</ref> Even though the papyri would be better preserved if the paper backing were removed, doing so would destroy important historical documents. Church Historian Robin Jensen commented on the dilemma:
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At some unknown point, the mummies and papyri were in the possession of Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, who had moved in with Smith's widow [[Emma Smith]]. Mack Smith continued to display them to derive income.<ref>Lucy M. Smith, ''Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations''(1853), note b, 90-91.</ref> On May 25, 1856, just a couple of weeks after the death of Lucy Mack Smith, Emma sold "four Egyptian mummies with the records with them" to Abel Combs.
By August 1856, Combs himself had sold "two of [the] mummies, and some of the papyri" to the [[St. Louis Museum]].<ref name=ritner62>{{Harvp|Ritner|2013|p=62}}.</ref> Upon the closing of the St. Louis Museum in 1863, these artifacts were purchased by Col. John H. Wood and found their way to [[Col. Wood's Museum|his museum in Chicago]].<ref name=todd1992>{{Harvnb|Todd|1992}}.</ref><ref name=colwood/> Wood was particularly proud of these objects and had them prominently displayed for all to see. Unfortunately, the museum and all its contents were destroyed in 1871 during the [[Great Chicago Fire]].<ref name=ritner62/><ref name=colwood>{{Harvp|Duis|1998|p=206}}.</ref><ref name="ritner69"/> Today, it is presumed the papyri which formed the bases for Facsimiles 2 and 3 were lost in this inferno.<ref name=ritner62/><ref name="ritner69">{{Harvp|Ritner|2013|p=66}}.</ref><ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
After the fire, it was believed that all the papyri sources for the book had been lost.<ref name=encyclopedia>{{Harvp|Reeve|Parshall|2010|p=269}}.</ref> Unbeknownst to most, Abel Combs still owned several papyri fragments and two mummies (the latter have disappeared). The papyri were given to Combs' nurse Charlotte Benecke Weaver upon his death on July 5, 1892, who in turn gave them to her daughter, Alice Combs Weaver Heusser.
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Joseph Smith Papyri fragments
! Description !! Dimensions<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
|-
| First Section of [[Breathing Permit of Hor]] || 7½ x 4 in <br /> 19 x 10 cm || I || 47.102.9 || A (photo 1) || [[File:JSP Papyri Fragment I.jpg|100px]]
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JSP I, X, XI, and Facsimile #3 can be reassembled to partially reconstruct the scroll containing the ''Breathing Permit'', ''Book of Breathing'' or ''Sensen Text'' belonging to the priest Hôr (also known as Horus).<ref>{{Harvnb|Baer|1968|pp=111–116}}</ref> Portions of the papyri from JSP X and XI were damaged, and re-pasted incorrectly into lacunae in JSP IV, but do not belong to JSP IV. The handwriting was identified as being "of the late Ptolemaic or early Roman Period, about the time of Christ".<ref name="Baer-1968-111">{{Harvnb|Baer|1968|p=111}}</ref> Jan Quaegebeur has suggested a date in the first half of the second century B.C.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rhodes|2002|pp=3}}</ref>
This scroll is widely believed by both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars to be the scroll from which the [[Book of Abraham]] came. This is based on the inclusion of Facsimile #1 (JSP I) and #3 from this scroll in the Book of Abraham, and titled by Joseph Smith as "from the Book of Abraham".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/abr/fac-1?lang=eng|title=Facsimile 1|website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}}</ref> Further evidence is that characters from this scroll were sequentially copied into the Book of Abraham translation manuscripts.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
[[File:Partial Reconstruction of Book of Breathing for Horos from Joseph Smith Papyri.JPG|thumb|center|900px|Reconstruction of the remaining fragments of the "Breathing Permit" of Hor (Book of Breathing for Horos). Facsimile 3 is believed to be the end of the "Breathing Permit", and hence the end of the scroll. There are about two columns of missing text from the Breathing Permit after Fragment B. The scroll is read from right to left.]]
By taking the length of current fragments, and estimating how much space would have been taken by the missing section of the Book of Breathing, the size of the scroll has been estimated to be between 150 and 156 cm.<ref>Jensen, Robin Scott, and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts. Facsimile edition. Vol. 4 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin, Matthew J. Grow, Matthew C. Godfrey, and R. Eric Smith. Salt Lake City: Church
The length of the scroll and the possibility that the Book of Abraham could have been appended to the end of it have been the source of great controversy and much research. It is not uncommon for texts to be appended to funerary rolls, however a non-funerary text would be unique. The length of the scroll can also be estimated by looking at recurring damage caused by scroll windings, but even this has been debated. The editors of the LDS Church-funded [[Joseph Smith Papers]] project favored the shorter scroll theory, by relegating the longer scroll estimates to speculative footnotes ([[Breathing Permit of Hôr#Controversy Surrounding the Length of the Scroll|see: Controversy surrounding the length of the Hôr scroll]]).{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
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