Scholars have offered interpretations of this artifact—like those of Facsimile #1—that differ significantly from those given by Joseph Smith.

Facsimile #2, shown here, depicts a typical Egyptian hypocephalus, a funerary object of which over a hundred similar examples have been discovered. These were typically placed beneath the head (or occasionally the feet) of the deceased to aid them in recalling the proper rituals and responses for the afterlife.

When Joseph Smith received Facsimile #2, it had suffered damage, as had Facsimile #1. Believing himself inspired, he attempted to reconstruct the missing portions, though modern scholars generally regard these restorations as inaccurate.