Sharpen Your Mind: Rosetta Stone

Posted by Jerry Lopper Jan 6, 2007

The Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799 by Napoleon's soldiers unlocked many of the secrets of ancient Egypt when decoded by a scholar named Jean-Francois Champollion. The Stone's first inscription was in Greek, dating to about 196 BC. The other two inscriptions were in hieroglyphics, the traditional writing of ancient Egyptians.

Historians were unable to read ancient Egyptian documents because they could not understand the hieroglyphics language. Champollion succeeded in translating hieroglyphics by lining up the first inscription with the next two inscriptions. After several years of study he discovered the relationships, which gave historians a greater understanding of ancient Egypt.

The inscriptions on the Stone outline the good deeds of thirteen year old Greek pharaoh, Ptolemy V in an effort to convince his subjects of his divinity.

The Rosetta Stone, seized by the British in 1801, now resides in the British Museum in London. During World War I it was moved to a subway station for protection.

Source: The Intellectual Devotional, David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim