- Behold, Potipher’s Hill was in the land of Ur of Chaldea, and the Lord broke down the altar of Elkkener, and of the gods of the land, and utterly destroyed them, and smote the priest that he died. And there was great mourning in Chaldea, and also in the court of Pharaoh, which Pharaoh signifies king by royal blood.
- Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land, the land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham and the daughter of Zeptah, which, in the Chaldea, signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden. When this woman discovered the land it was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it. And thus from Ham sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land.
- Now the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptes, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was Patriarchal. Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first Patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood. Now Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry. But I shall endeavor hereafter to delineate the chronology running back from myself to the beginning of the creation, for the records have come into my hands, which I hold unto this present time.
- Now after the priest of Elkkener was smitten that he died, there came a fulfillment of those things which were said unto me concerning the land of Chaldea, that there should be a famine in the land. Accordingly, a famine prevailed throughout all the land of Chaldea, and my father was sorely tormented because of the famine and he repented of the evil which he had determined against me—to take away my life. But the records of the Fathers, even the Patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord, my God, preserved in my own hands. Therefore, a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets and of the stars, as they were made known unto the Fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.
- Now the Lord God caused the famine to wax sore in the land of Ur, insomuch that Haran, my brother, died, but Terah, my father, yet lived in the land of Ur of the Chaldees. And it came to pass that I, Abraham, took Sarai to wife, and Nahor, my brother, took Milcah to wife, who were the daughters of Haran. Now the Lord had said unto me, Abram, get yourself out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you. Therefore, I left the land of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and I took Lot, my brother’s son, and his wife, and Sarai, my wife, and also my father followed after me, unto the land which we denominated Haran. And the famine abated; and my father tarried in Haran and dwelt there, as there were many flocks in Haran. And my father turned again unto his idolatry, therefore he continued in Haran.
Chapter 2