From BYU Studies Quarterly, volume 61, number 4.
The Book of Abraham describes how “the land of Egypt [was] first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham, and the daughter of Egyptus” (Abr. 1:23). This genealogy reflects the names of the characters as printed in the March 1, 1842, issue of the Times and Seasons. However, in the Kirtland-era Book of Abraham manuscripts, Ham’s wife is named Zeptah, and his daughter is Egyptes. This episode further explores this situation and the meanings of the names themselves.