Egypt was discovered after the flood by a daughter of Ham and his wife, Egyptus (Abraham 1:23)
Her eldest son bore the name (and later, title) of Pharaoh (Abraham 1: 25)
Because he was the third generation after Noah, the government he established in Egypt was patriarchal in nature. (Ibid.)
Pharaoh's grandmother was a descendant of Cain and through her offspring the blood of Cain was preserved after the flood. (Abraham 1: 21-22)
Because of the curse and mark placed upon Cain, his descendants were forbidden to hold the priesthood at that point in the Earth's history. (Abraham 1: 26-27)
Pharaoh was a righteous man who sought to emulate the government model (Patriarchal) of his ancestral father, Adam, through his grandfather, Ham, and his great-grandfather, Noah. (Abraham 1:26)
Pharaoh coveted the priesthood and, therefore, he recognized and respected it when he met Abraham and learned of his priesthood. This claim of a closer relationship between Abraham and Pharaoh was criticized by non-Latter-day Saint scholars for years. Then, in 1947, an ancient document now known as the Genesis Apocrypha was discovered. While the book is outside the accepted cannon of the Church, it does contain some astounding similarities to the Book of Abraham, recalling that this book was translated by Joseph Smith more than 100 years earlier in 1833.Hugh Nibley, renowned LDS scholar, wrote about Abraham, Pharaoh, and the priesthood and commented on the Apocrypha of Abraham:
Pharaoh's recognition of Abraham's priesthood was unknown until the 1947 discovery of the Genesis Apocrypha, purporting, like the Book of Abraham, to contain and autobiographical account of Abraham, but continuing the narrative into Egypt. When Pharaoh took Sarah to the palace, Abraham tearfully appealed to God, who immediately protected her by afflicting Pharaoh. The affliction worsened, but Pharaoh finally had a dream of Abraham healing him; the patriarch was then summoned and, laying hands upon Pharaoh's head, restored him to health. This is the only known instance in the Old Testament or any related pseudepigrapha of a healing by the Laying on of Hands, and it sets the stage for the Book of Abraham's encounter with Pharaoh. . . [1]
As I study the scriptures, I love to dig deep. I pray for insight in understanding and thoughts I have encountered in past reading are often brought to my mind. [2] This was the case as I studied this first chapter of the Book of Abraham. A few days ago, as I pondered the "Sarah lie," I was straightening the books on the shelves in the living room. My hand rested on a book I purchased two years ago and hadn't finished, The Old Testament Explained. I opened to page to where it naturally fell and there it was: a commentary on the Sarah lie. I have a much harder time believing that this was a coincidence and find it easier to believe that the Spirit led me. I have read quotes from leaders of the Church I would never had researched nor encountered alone. Thank you Brother Barker for sharing your research with me.
[1] The Old Testament Explained, Dan Barker, Cedar Fork, Inc. 2014
[2] Remember, this is my personal study and is not the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Gebara Education 2016
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