A Quick Side-note on Egyptian Heiroglyphics

Before I continue sharing what I have learned about the hypocephalus, I'd like to take a little detour to discuss some things I have learned about the presentation of Egyptian writing as discussed by Dr. Michael Rhodes of the Department of Education at BYU.

According to Professor Rhodes, when we look at the hieroglyph, we see a picture.  When an Egyptian looked at it, he saw a story, a story in which the whole is greater than the sum total of its parts.  While there were certain conventions that must be followed (such as the Eye of Ra/Horus means the sun if it's the right eye or the moon if it's the left eye or all Egyptian's walk sideways), the depth of meaning in each illustration is such that the picture may be used to depict a variety of stories.  In other words, a picture is worth more than 1,000 words!  Egyptians habitually took existing "story pictures" and used them to illustrate more than one story, much in the same way that I can download a picture from the web to illustrate a point I am making in a blog post, even if the picture meant something entirely different to the artist.

One prime example of this is facsimile 1, Abraham Upon the Lion Couch.  Joseph Smith said that it illustrated a scene of sacrifice, one of the legitimately accurate ways to interpret the scene.  It could also represent other events, such as an embalming scene.  The key differences that sets this scene apart from an embalming scene include the following:

• The hawk has a hawks face
• The embalmer isn't wearing the mask of Anubis
• The figure on the couch is clothed and not in a shroud
• The legs are in a walking position as if to run away.

In the four scenes to the left, you will notice that the embalmer is wearing the mask of the God Anubis in each scene.  The lower left scenario has the hawk present, but he has the face of the deceased person, representing his spirit leaving his body.  All four men upon the couch are wrapped in a shroud and their legs are bound together. The Anubis priest figure is holding the tools of the embalmer, not a knife.  The upper left looks like the hook the Egyptians used to remove a person's brain through his nostril.  The figure on the upper right seems to be holding a vial or container of an embalming fluid.  The bottom two embalmers are working on the shroud.linen wrappings of the mummy.

Joseph wrote this interpretation of the scene as reproduced in facsimile 1 of the Book of Abraham. 

• The standing figure is a pagan priest holding a knife to sacrifice his victim.
• The hawk represents an angel of God there to free the victim, who is Abraham
• Abraham is fastened upon the lion couch/altar
• The canopic jars under the altar represent the pagan gods of Egypt (which, in fact, they were designed to do.)
• The lines at the bottom third of the scene signify expanse or the firmament of the heavens, in this case, the highest heaven.
• The pillars under the expanse of heaven represent the pillars of heaven as understood by the Egyptians (see explanation of Facsimile 1; Pearl of Great Price)

Rosetta Stone

As we look at the individual "scenes" present in the hypocephalus, think of them in terms of the big picture or impression stirred by the scene.  While Egyptologists give us the meaning of each individual thing in the scene, Joseph Smith's explanations give us the overall picture of the scene, which is probably exactly the way he read it.  Given that the Rosetta Stone translations were not made available in English until around the middle of the 19th Century and Joseph translated the Book of Abraham around 1833, it is amazing his capacity for understanding.  Egyptologist can tell what the picture said.  Joseph, through Celestial Guidance, told us what the picture meant.  If he had gotten one thing correct, we could call it a coincidence, but where he got multiple things correct - in fact all of them when seen in the big scheme of things, is nothing short of miraculous.  I hope to share the insight I have gained in my study these past weeks as to the ways the individual meanings of certain figures can play together to beautifully illustrate the message God wanted the Saints to know.

© Gebara Education, 2016