Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham Edited by John A. Tvedtnes, Brian M. Hauglid, John Gee Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, 2001. Oversize Hardback: 562 pages. ISBN: 0-934893-59-4 Suggested retail price: $49.94 (US)
Reviewed by: Jeff Needle

Traditions (I will use this abbreviated title throughout this review) is the first volume in a projected series dealing with the Book of Abraham. It is a massive, and impressive, collection of ancient traditions that acknowledge, and speculate, as to the life and work of Father Abraham.

It may be that the Book of Abraham is one of the most controversial works of Mormon scripture. The story of the "translation" of the scroll from which the Book of Abraham was rendered is well known, and widely debated.

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, in its entry covering the Book of Abraham, makes the following observations:

On October 10, 1880, in a general conference, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints voted to accept the book of Abraham as a scriptural work. Several views have been advanced concerning the process whereby the Prophet Joseph Smith produced the work. Although he and his associates began an "Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar" while they studied the papyri, the purpose of that work is obscure. It was not completed, explained, or published by Joseph Smith or any of his successors. However, it is certain that he began working in Kirtland, Ohio, on the relevant Egyptian papyri soon after purchasing them from Michael H. Chandler in 1835.

Probably no one in the United States in 1835 could interpret Egyptian hieroglyphics through ordinary translation techniques. When he translated the gold plates of the Book of Mormon from the "reformed Egyptian" text (1827-1829), the Prophet stated that he did it "by the gift and power of God." Likewise, it was principally divine inspiration rather than his knowledge of languages that produced the English text of the book of Abraham. His precise methodology remains unknown.

So how are we to understand this "translation" process? It's certainly not like anything we're familiar with today. Hugh Nibley makes the case as follows:

The usual questions about the papyri may be easily gotten out of the way:

Is the Book of Abraham a correct translation of Joseph Smith Papyri X and XI? No, the Book of Breathings is not the Book of Abraham.

Does it pretend to be? No, it was never put forward as such. The Facsimiles were published along with explanations of what they depicted, but at no time was any Egyptian text put forward as the original of the Book of Abraham.

But didn't Joseph Smith think he was translating the Book of Abraham from those papyri? We are not mind readers, but it is hard to see how Joseph Smith could have thought he was deriving the book from such an impossible source; after all, he knew where it came from, because he produced it. He might have wanted to fool people into thinking that he had translated it from these particular papyri, but if so, why did he never put forth such a proposition? (Nibley, "Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri," p. 14)

In other words, it does little good to try to "translate" the characters themselves. Instead, we must delve into the Mind of God, something few of us are ready to do as did Joseph Smith. The accuracy of the translation, therefore, depends less on scholarship than on revelation.

But scholarship has its place, in particular in these exciting days of vigorous research and expanding possibilities. New questions are being asked -- questions such as, "What part does inspiration play in the process of producing modern scripture? How accurately do these scriptures reflect the collective memories of those who came before us?"

In other words, is it possible to track the teachings of the Book of Abraham, not to the actual characters on the papyrus, but in the annals of sacred history? Is there a stream of thought to which we may trace modern scripture, establishing precedent and context?

Traditions provides an impressive collection of these "memories," the written records of cultures throughout the world who honor, in memory and legend, the man called Abraham. He is a pivotal figure in the three major monotheistic religions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He dominates the book of origins, Genesis, and heads a trinity of ancient worthies, along with Isaac and Jacob.

So why is Abraham such an interesting personality? I have speculated several reasons, which I will present for your approval:

First, Abraham (or Abram, at this point) is the first of the generally-accepted historical figures of the Bible. While we may disagree on the findings of some scholars that folk such as Noah, Enoch, Adam and Eve are mythological characters (occupying those chapters of Genesis known as the "pre-history," Abram appears as a more mature, and complex, historical character. And, biblically, it is to this man that the promises to Israel are first delivered.

Further, it is widely acknowledged that Abram comes from a definitively polytheistic background. His father, Terah, was an worshipper of idols, much like his contemporaries. As such, Abram brings with him a tremendous lot of baggage that needs to be dealt with before he can deal with the challenge set before him by Yahweh.

Interest in a personality invariably results in both oral and written traditions, as is demonstrated in this volume.

Traditions is separated into several large sections. The first is titled "Earliest Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham." Drawing from pre-Christian writers, the editors present both the relevant text, and an informative introduction to the text. I am very thankful for these introductions. I bear no shame in not recognizing some of these sources. (Anyone here know who Hecataeus was? I didn't.) This pattern is followed consistently throughout the book.

The next section is titled "Jewish Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham." Here I found names more familiar. Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, etc., all make an appearance, adding to the lore of the Abrahamic tradition.

"Christian Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham" follows. Once again, the names are familiar -- John Chrysostom, Jerome, Alcuin, etc.

Perhaps this would be a good time to talk more about the introductions, using the citation from Jerome as a model:

Jerome (A.D. 345?-420) has left a substantial corpus of writings, including several commentaries on the Bible, although he is best known as the scholar who translated the Bible into the Latin version known as the Vulgate. His works have been extremely influential in Latin Christianity, and later Latin writers usually quoted verbatim his extracononical Abraham traditions, which he explicitly identifies as coming from Jewish sources. The first selection comes from the Vulgate, in which the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah are a single book, and corresponds to Nehemiah 9:7-8 in our Bible. These translations were prepared by John Gee from the texts in "Patrologia Latina," ed. J.-P. Migne, 217 vols. (Paris, 1844-1864). The parenthetical references after the passages are to the page numbers in the "Patrologia."

And then, preceding the first reference, is the following:

2 Ezras 9:7-8 (=KJV Neh. 9:7-8)

This tool helps us to identify the place in our Bible where we can read, and compare, the citations. Such background and notation make this book an excellent tool for both novice and experienced students of the Book of Abraham.

Moving on, we come to "Muslim Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham." Drawing from the rich corpus of writings of the Moslems, the editors bring together a wide range of Islamic writings dealing with Abraham and his sons. Of course, the Qur'an is cited. This is followed by a vast selection of citations and reflections, and ends with "Other Muslim Traditions about The Prophet Abraham," excerpts from Jan Knappert's "Islamic Legends: Histories of the Heroes, Saints and Prophets of Islam."

The last major section is titled "Other Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham." It brings together stories that don't fit neatly into any of the above categories (Samaritan midrash, Ethiopian Falasha legends, etc.). Although it is the briefest of all the sections, I may have enjoyed this one the most. There seems to be no shortage of esoteric views on the life of Abraham!

Several appendices follow, covering some fascinating subjects such as "The Sufi Philosophers and Kolob." One appendix is entirely in Arabic. I must confess that this was of little use to me .

The seventh section contains a spectacular array of color plates of ancient artwork dealing with Abraham. What a joy to have these assembled in one place?

Finally, several indices help guide us through the whole thing. It is here where the scholars/compilers demonstrate a real caring for the rest of -- a way to make the material accessible to all. The first appendix is titled "Unique Elements of the Book of Abraham Supported by Extrabiblical Traditions." Beginning with chapter 1 of the Book of Abraham, a student may easily cross-reference the scriptural citation with the earlier traditions, as reproduced in this fine work. Anyone teaching, or studying, the Book of Abraham, will find here a rich resource, bringing the material new life and wider interest.

The second appendix cross-references the traditions with the balance of scripture. For example, we learn that Genesis 1:3 is referenced on page 50 in this book. Turning to page 50, we find "Extracts from the Bahir," an early rabbinic text, also known as "Illumination." Here we have a commentary on Genesis 1:3.

The third, and final, appendix is a standard subject-oriented guide.

The production of this volume marks a major contribution to Book of Abraham study. The editors/compilers are to be commended for their tireless work in bringing to the masses the richness of the religious tradition that has come before us.

Indeed, religion does not develop in a vacuum. Some sects are consciously derivative, marking their path as a "reformation" of that which came before. Mormonism, however, claims to be a "restoration," leaping centuries and "restoring" the faith of the ancient church. This requires, in my opinion, a greater standard of proof. Such "proof" sometimes comes as a result of scientific inquiry. Sometimes it comes in the form of collective memory. Once one is liberated from the false burden of trying to reconcile the "Book of Breathings" with the text of the Book of Abraham, a more meaningful search may commence.

The passage of time obscures evidence. But much survives the ravages of time. What a treat it is to have these "survivors" within the pages of one, albeit costly, volume. What student, or teacher, would not benefit from the riches contained herein?

Should you buy this book? Obviously, I think every serious student of Mormon scripture, member or not, should own this volume. It is an investment in scholarship that, I predict, will pay great benefits as we all continue our studies.

-----
Jeff Needle
jeff.needle@general.com