Egyptus

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Egyptus

Egyptus is a name used for two women in Mormon scripture—the Book of Abraham, part of the Pearl of Great Price. The elder Egyptus is described as Ham’s wife, the mother of his children. The younger Egyptus is their daughter, who is said to have discovered Egypt while it was underwater. The younger Egyptus then places her eldest son on the throne as Pharaoh, the first king of Egypt.

In the story, Pharaoh is described as a descendant of the Canaanites, a race linked in the text to the spread of a black skin. Some early Mormon leaders taught that Egyptus passed the curse of Cain and the idea of black skin through the flood to Ham’s line. Later church leaders rejected these teachings as not supported by scripture.

Scholars outside the LDS tradition generally view the name Egyptus as an anachronism in the Book of Abraham, and the term Pharaoh as another anachronism for the ancient setting described.

The Curse of Cain

In the 19th century, some Mormon leaders taught that Ham’s wife (Egyptus) was black because of the Curse of Cain, and that Ham’s descendants inherited the curse. Brigham Young and others linked Egyptus to this idea. Joseph Smith also spoke about the curse in relation to biblical verses. Later leaders, however, rejected these claims as unsupported by the scriptures.

In short, Egyptus is a figure from Mormon writings tied to discussions about race, lineage, and the origins of Egypt in the Book of Abraham, with later teachings distancing the church from the race-based claims once promoted.