Editing Reformed Egyptian (section)

==Scholarly view of reformed Egyptian==
Standard language reference works contain no reference to "reformed Egyptian"<ref name="standard language references"/> and it is described with this term only in the Book of Mormon. No non-Mormon scholars acknowledge the existence of either a "reformed Egyptian" language or a "reformed Egyptian" script as it has been described in Mormon belief. For instance, in 1966, [[John A. Wilson (Egyptologist)|John A. Wilson]], professor of Egyptology at the [[University of Chicago]], wrote, "From time to time there are allegations that picture writing has been found in America{{nbsp}}[...] In no case has a professional Egyptologist been able to recognize these characters as Egyptian hieroglyphs. From our standpoint there is no such language as 'reformed Egyptian'."<ref>John A. Wilson, March 16, 1966, cited in [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]], [http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech5c.htm ''The Changing World of Mormonism''] (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), ch. 5. Richard A. Parker, department of Egyptology at Brown University, wrote, "No Egyptian writing has been found in this [Western] hemisphere to my knowledge". Parker to Marvin Cowan, March 22, 1966, in [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]] [http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech5c.htm ''The Changing World of Mormonism''] (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), ch. 5. In the same letter Parker said, "I do not know of any language such as Reformed Egyptian". In 1959, Mormon archaeologist [[Ross T. Christensen]] said that "'reformed' Egyptian" is a "form of writing which we have not yet identified in the archaeological material available to us". [[Book of Mormon Institute]], December 5, 1959, BYU, 1964 ed., p. 10, cited in [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]] [http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech5c.htm ''The Changing World of Mormonism''] (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), ch. 5.

In 1956 a request for review of the Caractors Document was made to three recognized Egyptologists, Sir [[Alan Gardiner]], [[William C. Hayes]], and [[John A. Wilson (Egyptologist)|John A. Wilson]]. Gardiner replied that he saw no resemblance with "any form of Egyptian writing." Hayes stated that it might be an inaccurate copy of something in [[hieratic script]] and that "some groups look like hieratic numerals," adding that "I imagine, however, that the inscription bears a superficial resemblance to other scripts, both ancient and modern, of which I have no knowledge." Wilson gave the most detailed reply, saying that "This is not Egyptian writing, as known to the Egyptologist. It obviously is not hieroglyphic, nor the "cursive hieroglyphic" as used in the Book of the Dead. It is not Coptic, which took over Greek characters to write Egyptian. Nor does it belong to one of the cursive stages of ancient Egyptian writing: hieratic, abnormal hieratic, or demotic."  Wilson added that "it does not conform to the normal pattern of cursive," and that because it was purported to be altered it may "remove this context from the professional analysis by the Egyptologist." https://www.academia.edu/31894670/1956_Statements_of_Egyptologists_on_the_Caractors_Document. Earlier in 1956 Hayes had provided his analysis of his assertion of hieratic numerals within the Caractors Document. https://www.academia.edu/38458222/2002_Sunstone_article_Dr._Hayes_analysis_of_Caractors_Document_characters_as_numerals;</ref> Anthropologist [[Michael D. Coe]] of Yale University, an expert in [[pre-Columbian]] [[Mesoamerican]] studies, wrote, "Of all the peoples of the pre-Columbian New World, only the ancient [[Maya civilization|Maya]] had a complete script."<ref>Michael D. Coe, ''Breaking the Maya Code'', (London: Thames and Hudson, 1999), preface.</ref> Fifteen examples of distinct writing systems have been identified in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, many from a single inscription.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Macri |first1=Martha J. |title="Maya and Other Mesoamerican Scripts," in The World's Writing Systems |date=1996 |publisher=Oxford |location=England |pages=172–182}}</ref>