Book of Mormonanthonmartin harrisreformed egyptiantranscript

The Anthon Transcript

Didn’t Professor Charles Anthon deny that he ever authenticated Reformed Egyptian — and expose Martin Harris as a fool?

Bible

The Bible answers

Bible · Isaiah 29:11–12

KJV + NRSVUE

Delivered to one that is learned: Read this. He saith, I cannot; for it is sealed.

King James Version
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

NRSVUE
The vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. If it is given to those who can read, with the command, ‘Read this,’ they say, ‘We cannot, for it is sealed.’ And if it is given to those who cannot read, saying, ‘Read this,’ they say, ‘We cannot read.’

Book of Mormon

Also restored

Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65
Martin Harris took the characters to New York. Joseph records Anthon’s certificate, then Anthon’s demand for the book, then the line: ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’

Faithful answers

FAIR

The Anthon transcript

FAIR Latter-day Saints

Anthon had reputation to protect once the ‘gold Bible’ was news. Harris had a farm to mortgage. Historians do not need Anthon to be a secret Latter-day Saint. They need to notice that a farmer went to the most famous classicist he could find, came home more convinced, and paid for the printing. That is not the behavior of a man who was laughed out of the room.

Isaiah 29 does not need Anthon’s later letters. It needs a learned man who would not read a sealed book. That meeting happened.

Harris’s trip is early, expensive, and independently attested.
Anthon’s letters contradict each other in details.
Reformed Egyptian was never supposed to be textbook Champollion. It is a contact script on metal plates.

Read the original

Keep going

Rate this answer

Be the first to tell us if this case is strong.