Joseph Knew First: Moses, the Egyptian Son

by Nathan J. Arp

Overview

Abstract: After about 1500 years of slumber, ancient Egyptian was brought back to life in the early 19th century, when scholars deciphered hieroglyphs. This revolutionary success opened the door to a reevaluation of history from the viewpoint of ancient Egypt. In the wake of this new knowledge, the first scholar posited the idea in 1849 that the name of Moses stemmed from the Egyptian word for child. Subsequently, this idea was refined, and currently the majority of scholars believe Moses's name comes from the Egyptian verb "to beget," which is also the root for the Egyptian word for child, or in the case of a male child, a "son." Before this discovery and certainly before a scholarly consensus formed on the Egyptian etymology of the name of Moses, Joseph Smith restored a prophecy from the patriarch Joseph that played upon the name of Moses and its yet to be discovered Egyptian meaning of "son." This article explores the implications of this overt Egyptian pun and its role as a key thematic element in the restored narratives in the Book of Moses.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940161354513
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	05/08/2019
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , #32
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	333 KB

About the Author

Nathan J. Arp graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Chinese language and literature in 2004. When not in an office cubicle, he can be found laughing with his wife, wrestling with their children, or playing with words. For more of his writings, see nathanwritesstuff.com.