In the Mormon Challenges video: http://mormonchallenges.org/egyptologists-opposed/

the opening frame shows: “Aren’t there Egyptologist opposed to you and the Book of Abraham?”

Perhaps that should read “… Egyptologists … ”

And, may I suggest the less contentious, “Aren’t there Egyptologists who disagree with your theory of the Book of Abraham?”

Eric

Hey Kerry I have a couple questions for you. I know that wikipedia isn’t the best source but I was wondering if the following was true.

“Serpents are represented as potent guardians of temples and other sacred spaces. This connection may be grounded in the observation that when threatened, some snakes (such as rattlesnakes or cobras) frequently hold and defend their ground, first resorting to threatening display and then fighting, rather than retreat. Thus, they are natural guardians of treasures or sacred sites which cannot easily be moved out of harm’s way.”

If this is true I was wondering if there was any relation to the symbolism of the serpent and Christ being tied to the fact that he alone is the gatekeeper. It brings to my mind 2 Nephi 9:41. “O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.”

I tried looking for something a bit more academic but I could find nothing and I know very little of things Egyptian. I know that the cobra was associated with the priesthood of pharaoh and if my memory serves me correctly this was somewhat associated with the wedjat eye in Egyptian thought. My question is this. Is there a relationship between the guarding of sacred space, and the symbolism of the snake in any culture? Does this also have anything to do with the Wedjat eye that Nibley has written about.

Thanks for any input that you can give.