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Egyptian Alphabet, circa Early July–circa November 1835–B
Source Note
Source Note
Egyptian Alphabet, [, Geauga Co., OH, ca. early July–ca. Nov. 1835]; English in the handwriting of ; hieratic and unknown characters in unidentified handwriting (likely Cowdery); five pages; Kirtland Egyptian Papers, CHL. Includes archival markings.
Four leaves, the first measuring 12½ × 7⅞ inches (32 × 20 cm), the second measuring 12½ × 15½ inches (32 × 39 cm), the third measuring 12½ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm), and the fourth measuring 9⅛–9¼ × 7¾ inches (23 × 20 cm), with the bottom edge unevenly torn. Because the words on the first leaf are inscribed in straight lines, the paper was likely ruled, but any such lines are now faded. The second, third, and fourth leaves are each ruled with about forty lines that are badly faded. The inscriptions on the second leaf, which is a large sheet, span the entire width of the sheet. Each leaf was inscribed on one side, while the other side was left blank. It appears that a title was written along the top of the recto of the first leaf. Remnants of the inscription that survive at the top of the page indicate the title was likely “Egyptian Alphabet.” Most of a “g”, a “y”, and most of a “p” are still intact on the brittle edge of the paper. Four hand-drawn, vertical lines form five columns of varying width on the recto of the first leaf. may have added the extra vertical line to create a blank margin on the left-hand side of the page. The second leaf has one vertical line forming two columns, and the third and fourth leaves have no column lines, though the content roughly follows the format of the previous leaves. Damage to the top of the first leaf makes it impossible to know if Cowdery provided headings to the columns, though the column with the explanations or definitions of the characters does not have a heading. A horizontal line forms a rule on the first page, separating the first and second parts of the first degree from one another. On subsequent leaves, parts are set off only with a heading. The second, third, and fourth leaves are paginated on the upper left corner in Cowdery’s handwriting. The first leaf may also have been paginated, but both of its top corners are missing.
Major staining is present on the first and second leaves from what appears to be an oil-based substance. The third and fourth leaves also bear staining from an unknown substance. There is accidental ink transfer on the verso of the fourth leaf from a document bearing Arabic writing that was stored with this document for some time. By the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, most of the leaves of the Egyptian Alphabet documents were docketed in blue ink with letters of the alphabet from A through I and T through X. Egyptian Alphabet–B bears the letters A, X, and I on the top of the rectos; the fourth leaf bears no such letter. This labeling indicates that the leaves were not stored in their original order at the time they were labeled. The handwriting in which this labeling is inscribed is similar to that of early-twentieth-century apostle James E. Talmage. Each leaf has an “o” written at the top of the page that does not appear to be related to the other letters. This document was presumably stored with the Egyptian material mentioned in periodic inventories of the Historian’s Office, which suggests continuous institutional custody.
The images of the second leaf presented here are composite images created by digitally combining images of the left and right side of each page.
Footnotes
- [1]
See Document in Arabic, CHL.
Document in Arabic, no date. CHL.
- [2]
“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1]; “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th. April 1855,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Inventory, G. S. L. City March 19, 1858,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Catalogue Book March 1858,” [7], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 17 Oct. 1855.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
The first page of Egyptian Alphabet–B contains five columns, including one ostensibly intended for letters of the English alphabet; quickly abandoned that column, as did in Egyptian Alphabet–C. Cowdery also drew a vertical rule on the left side of the first page, likely intended as a margin. The changes in the way Cowdery used the columns and the varying size of the leaves suggest that he adjusted his approach to the project shortly after starting. Cowdery’s second leaf, however, bears little evidence of updating and may have been completed in one sitting. Some of Cowdery’s explanations on the second leaf are considerably expanded as compared to Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C, suggesting that these are the final and most refined iterations of these explanations as found in the Egyptian Alphabet documents. It is unknown when the bottom portion of the fourth leaf was torn away.
Footnotes
◊gyp◊ [Egyptian] ◊◊◊◊ <o>
| ✦ [1.1] | a | Ah | The first Being who exercises Supreme powe[r] | |
| <A> | ✦ [1.2] | pp ph Pha-e | The first man, or one who has kingly power, or [king] | |
| ✦ [1.3] | Pha | A more universal reign, having greater d[o]<minion or po[wer]> | ||
| ✦ | ✦ [1.4a, b] | Pha-ho-e-oop | Royal family, royal blood, or pharaoh, <power, or king> or supreme power | |
| ✦ [1.5] | Ho-oop-hah | Crown of a pri[n]cess, or queen, or signifies queen. | ||
| ✦ [1.6] | Zi | Virgin, unmarried, virtuous, or the principle of virtue. | ||
| ✦ [1.7] | Kah-tou=mun | The name of the a royal family—The female line | ||
| ✦ [1.8] | Zi-oop=hah | An unmarried woman and a virgin princess | ||
| ✦ [1.9] | Ho=e-oop | A young unmarried man, a prince. | ||
| ✦ [1.10] | Zip-si <Zip-zi> | A women married or unmarried,.— daughter | ||
| ✦ [1.11] | Ho=e=oop-hah | Crown of a prince, or King. | ||
| ✦ [1.12] | Oan, or ah-e, or Oh-e. | The earth | ||
| ✦ [1.13] | Toan, Tah-e-Ta◊◊ Tah-e-Ta-e, or Tus. | or water. | ||
| ✦ [1.14] | Iota | The eye, or to see, or sight, sometimes me, myself. | ||
| ✦ [1.15] | Iota-Tou-es-Zip-zi. | The land of Egypt first discovered under <water by a woman.> | ||
| ✦ [1.16] | Su-e-eh=ni | What other person is that? Who. | ||
| ✦ [1.17] | Ho-e-oop-hah-pha-e. | Reign, government, power, kingdom, or domin[i]on. | ||
| ✦ [1.18] | Zuh=sool-o◊n <Zuh=zool-oan>. | The beginning, first, before, or pointing <to> | ||
| ✦ [1.19] | Zub=sool=eh <Zub=zool=eh>. | In the beginning of the earth, or crea<tion.> | ||
| ✦ [1.20] | Zub-s◊◊l <z◊◊l> eh | To be in, or be within—as light in the earth. | ||
| ✦ [1.21] | Zub | First creation of any thing, first institution. | ||
| ✦ [1.22] | Zub-sool <Zub-zool> | From the first to any stated period after— | ||
| ✦ [1.23] | Zoal Zool | From a fixed period of time back to the begin<ning or creation> | ||
| The second part of the first degree. | ||||
| ✦ [2.1] | Ah-me-os | God, without beginning or end | ||
| ✦ [2.2] | Aleph | In the beginning with God, the Savior. | ||
| ✦ [2.3] | Albeth | Angels or disemboded spirits, or saints | ||
| ✦ [2.4] | Alkabeth | Angels in an unalterable state—Sanctified <or men after they are raised <from the de[a]d>> | ||
| ✦ [2.5] | Al◊◊ebeth Alchebeth | Ministers of God, high priests, Kings. | ||
| ✦ [2.6] | Alchebeth <Alchibeth> | Ministers of God, less, or under the high priests | ||
| ✦ [2.7] | Alkubeth <Alkobeth> | Ministers not ordained of God, sinful | ||
| ✦ [2.8] | Alkibeth <Alkubeth> | Ministers who are less sinful for want of power | ||
| ✦ [2.9] | Baeth | The name of all mankind, man, or men. | ||
| ✦ [2.10] | Baeth-ka | Adam, or the first man, or first king | ||
| ✦ [2.11] | Baeth-kee | The next from Adam, one ordained under <him.> | ||
| ✦ [2.12] | Baeth-ki | The lineage <third ordaind> King under Adam. third patriarck | ||
| ✦ [2.13] | Baeth-ko | The forth from Adam |
[p. [1]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [1]
TEXT: The remnants of an inscription here match the other two versions of the document, both of which bear the title “Egyptian Alphabet”. (See Egyptian Alphabet, ca. Early July–ca. Nov. 1835–A and Egyptian Alphabet, ca. Early July–ca. Nov. 1835–C.)
- [2]
TEXT: Illegible characters are remnants of an inscription, possibly “Alphabet”, though the descender of the “p” is not visible. With the damage to the page, it is impossible to know if the scribe (presumably Cowdery) also wrote “first degree” as a heading to this section.
- [3]
TEXT: The purpose of the four inserted o’s on this page and the following three pages is uncertain. It is possible, though unlikely, that the letters are associated with the docketing in blue letters written on most of the Egyptian Alphabet documents.
Oliver Cowdery handwriting begins. Cowdery likely also inscribed the preceding line, but damage to the page makes confident identification impossible.
- [4]
TEXT: The final letter of this word is missing because the edge of the leaf is damaged. Both Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C have “power”.
This letter is written in blue ink in unidentified handwriting.
- [5]
TEXT: Possibly “p◊ ph”.
- [6]
TEXT: The final word of this line is missing because the edge of the leaf is damaged. Egyptian Alphabet–C has “king”.
- [7]
TEXT: The final letters of this word and a letter in the line below are missing because the edge of the leaf is damaged. Both Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C have “power”.
- [8]
TEXT: Possibly “<✦> ✦”.
- [9]
TEXT: Possibly “<Virgin, un>married”.
- [10]
TEXT: This sound is also present in the notebooks of copied characters. (See “Valuable Discovery,” ca. Early July 1835, 3, and Notebook of Copied Egyptian Characters, ca. Early July 1835, 1.)
- [11]
TEXT: “z” possibly retraced.
- [12]
TEXT: Possibly “;—” or “,◊—”.
- [13]
TEXT: Both Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C add “beneath” and “under”, and Egyptian Alphabet–C adds “below” to the explanation.
- [14]
TEXT: This character is a composite character made up of characters 1.10, 1.13, and 1.14. The composite nature is also evident in both the sound and the explanation.
- [15]
TEXT: Both Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C have the prefix “Zub”.
- [16]
TEXT: Possibly “sool <zool>”.
- [17]
TEXT: Possibly “Zub-s◊◊l <z◊◊l> <eh>”.
- [18]
TEXT: Egyptian Alphabet–A has “any or some fix<ed> peried”.
- [19]
TEXT: Egyptian Alphabet–A has “God the Son or <first born>”, and Egyptian Alphabet–C has “God the Son or first born”.
- [20]
TEXT: Stray mark after “Sanctified” possibly a punctuation mark.
- [21]
TEXT: “a” is missing because the page is badly worn.
- [22]
TEXT: Possibly “Alceebeth Alchebeth” or “Alseebeth Alchebeth”.
- [23]
TEXT: Possibly “Alchobeth <Alchibeth>”.
- [24]
TEXT: The similar sounds and explanations on this line and the previous four lines resulted in revisions in all three versions of the Egyptian Alphabet. Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C made similar revisions in capturing the different sounds. The similarity of the revisions hints that the scribes of the three versions attempted to standardize the pronunciation as they were creating the texts.
- [25]
TEXT: Period possibly a stray ink mark.
- [26]
TEXT: Possibly “ka”, though the sequence of vowels would make this “ko”. Both Egyptian Alphabet–A and –C have “ko”.