San Francisco Public Library

The writing of the gods, the race to decode the Rosetta Stone, Edward Dolnick

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-297) and index

contains biographical information

illustrationsplates

index present

non fiction

The writing of the gods

bibliography

1236259409

Edward Dolnick

the race to decode the Rosetta Stone

"The Rosetta stone is one of the most famous objects in the world, attracting millions of visitors to the British Museum ever year, and yet most people don't really know what it is. Discovered in a pile of rubble in 1799, this slab of stone proved to be the key to unlocking a lost language that baffled scholars for centuries. Carved in ancient Egypt, the Rosetta Stone carried the same message in different languages--in Greek using Greek letters, and in Egyptian using picture-writing called hieroglyphs. Until its discovery, no one in the world knew how to read the hieroglyphs that covered every temple and text and statue in Egypt. Dominating the world for thirty centuries, ancient Egypt was the mightiest empire the world had ever known, yet everything about it--the pyramids, mummies, the Sphinx--was shrouded in mystery. Whoever was able to decipher the Rosetta stone, and learn how to read hieroglyphs, would solve that mystery and fling open a door that had been locked for two thousand years. Two brilliant rivals set out to win that prize. One was English, the other French, at a time when England and France were enemies and the world's two great superpowers. The Writing of the Gods chronicles this high-stakes intellectual race in which the winner would win glory for both himself and his nation. A riveting portrait of empires both ancient and modern, this is an unparalleled look at the culture and history of ancient Egypt and a fascinating, fast-paced story of human folly and discovery unlike any other"--, Provided by publisher

Timeline -- Prologue -- The stakes -- The find -- The challenge -- Voices from the dust -- So near and yet so far -- The conquering hero -- The burning deck -- Monsieur Smith makes his exit -- A celebrity in stone -- First guesses -- The rivals -- Thomas Young is almost surprised -- Archimedes in his bathtub, Thomas Young in his country house -- Ahead of the field -- Lost in the labyrinth -- Ancient wisdom -- "A cipher and a secret writing" -- The exile -- Here comes Champollion -- "A veritable chaos" -- The birth of writing -- The Paduan Giant -- Abu Simbel -- Eureka! -- The unveiling -- A duck may be somebody's mother -- Straining to hear -- Strength in numbers -- A pair of walking legs -- Clean robes and soft hands -- Out of a job -- The lost pharaoh -- Epilogue

adult