As with Facsimiles 1 and 2, Facsimile 3 of the Book of Abraham (shown here) includes an explanation by Joseph Smith, Jr. that has drawn significant scrutiny—particularly from scholars familiar with ancient Egyptian iconography. Smith identified the figures from left to right as: King Pharaoh, Abraham, Prince of Pharaoh, Shulem (a waiter), and Olimlah (a slave).

However, modern Egyptologists overwhelmingly disagree with this interpretation. The scene depicted in Facsimile 3 is widely recognized as a standard funerary vignette from the Book of Breathings (Breathing Permit of Hôr), a Ptolemaic-era text designed to guide the deceased through the afterlife. According to Egyptological consensus, the figures actually represent (from left to right): Isis, Osiris, Ma’at, Hor (the deceased), and Anubis—the latter traditionally shown with a jackal head, though in this facsimile the head appears to have been altered or missing.

One of the most pointed critiques came from Dr. W.M. Flinders Petrie, a pioneering British Egyptologist, who reportedly stated:

“It may be safely said that there is not one single word that is true in these [Joseph Smith’s] explanations.”

^{see F.S. Spalding, Joseph Smith, Jr., As A Translator (Salt Lake City, UT: The Arrow Press, 1912), 24.}

The scholarly consensus today is that Facsimile 3 has no connection to Abrahamic tradition and instead reflects a common Egyptian judgment scene, in which the deceased is presented before Osiris and other deities. Critics argue that Joseph’s identifications—such as calling the goddess Isis “King Pharaoh” and Ma’at “Prince of Pharaoh”—are not only incorrect but gender-inverted, further undermining the credibility of the translation.