The Riddle of the Rosetta

Viac o knihe

A major new history chronicles the race between two geniuses to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs in nineteenth-century Europe. In 1799, a French Army officer discovered a stele fragment inscribed with three scripts while rebuilding a fort on the Nile, marking the beginning of the Rosetta stone saga. This account utilizes fresh archival evidence to detail how English polymath Thomas Young and French philologist Jean-François Champollion competed to unravel the stone's mysteries. Authors Jed Buchwald and Diane Greco Josefowicz illuminate an era of intellectual adventure, revealing that the contest was not merely about decoding a single artifact but also reflected broader debates about language, historical evidence, biblical truth, and classical learning. They portray Young as someone who dismissed Egyptian culture, viewing its writing as a means to understand Greco-Roman antiquity. In contrast, Champollion, influenced by the political turmoil of Restoration France, admired ancient Egypt and challenged established beliefs to decipher the hieroglyphs. From the quiet lecture halls of the Institut de France to the majestic Valley of the Kings, this narrative uncovers the untold story behind one of the nineteenth century's most exciting discoveries.