Many things are important in determining the validity of a text like this. Take look at the language. If there are many modern terms that would cause suspicion. Also, sometimes the writer might be trying to make it read as though it were old, and would over do it. Some instances of language that that are curious in the Book of Abraham are the use of the word "Heathen" (1:7) and the use of the phrase "and it came to pass..." (which is used 16 times). Another aspect to look at is ideas. If there are modern ideas, it is either way ahead of its time or this is a hint that the text is not as old as it is made out to be; or it is a hint the translation has been modified for some reason, such as to fit into certain ideas that the translator is bias towards. Something that sticks out is the nature of the eternal spirit discussed in chapter 3. God is telling Abraham that everyone is existent before their life on earth as a soul in a giant pool of souls. So, this gives the impression that each person is their spirit, which is controlling the body. This is an idea that is not explicitly addressed in the bible though it is the general feeling of Christians; it is a little more of a modern idea. Also, look at events or ideas in relation to time. If the story teller lives in a certain era, there should be no mention of technology or ideas that are unique to years after the story teller’s life. There is talk of astronomy in the book of Abraham, however this is accurate, because the Egyptians did observe the Moon, stars, and the sun.
Though some parts of the Book of Abraham might seem convincing, there are definitely aspects in the language, and historical-critical aspects that give the impression that this is is not in fact as old as it is supposed to be. It seems that possibly, Joseph Smith made this translation to fit his beliefs and the ideas that he wanted to portray to Mormons.
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