Facsimile 2

(January 14, 2014)
I have never been one to either be converted through scientific evidences or to be shaken in my testimony through scientific evidences (my struggles to stay on the path tend to be internal, rather than external, battles).  But it is always interesting to see something that seems so out of place, only to learn that it is the only thing that makes sense.

I reference here the language Joseph Smith used when describing Kolob (in relation to the Sun).  He says “one day to a cubit,” which immediately made my inner ear perk up.  After all, we are looking at differing units of measure – one of time, and the other of distance.

As I looked for subsequent information on the topic, however, it became apparent what was going on.  Egyptian astronomers used cubits in two different ways in relation to time (and I am unsure which Abraham is referring to here).  First, they would plot out the time in the pyramids such that a day covered a cubit.  I find this the least likely explanation.  Secondly, cubit was used in Egyptian astronomy as a measurement of angular distance – such that in a day, a cubit (approximately a degree) would be covered in angular distance (which is accurate – the Earth covers just about a degree a day in its travel around the Sun).  This seems highly plausible as an explanation of what Abraham meant, and also seems to be another (albeit minor) evidence as to the work that Joseph Smith performed in translating the papyri.