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Actual Book of Abraham Papyrus Scroll

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Actual Book of Abraham Papyrus Scroll

Joseph claimed to translate the Book of Abraham from this scroll. In History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 236, Joseph writes, "I commenced the translation of some of the characters or hierglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham".

Both LDS and non-LDS scholars agree that these pieces of papyrus scroll we have today were those possessed by Joseph Smith and used by him to produce the Book of Abraham. A positive identification is possible because one of the rediscovered scroll pieces, now called Papyrus Joseph Smith 1 (PJS 1), matches the picture in the BOA called Facsimile No. 1. According to the Book of Abraham chapter 1, verses 12-14, this picture or "representation" came at the beginning of the "record" [papyrus scroll].