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Ancient Egypt and the dawn of literature: Revisiting the oldest book in the world
Among the many treasures recovered by archaeologists and antiquarian collectors from Egypt are papyrus copies of a remarkable text written more than 4,000 years ago: The Teaching of Ptahhatp. Bill Manley investigates this often-overlooked survival from ancient Egypt and one vizier’s contributions to the dawn of literature.
Which book came first? The Teaching of Ptahhatp was published as ‘the oldest book in the world’ as long ago as 1858, about a decade after the most important papyrus scroll containing the text was acquired by an antiquarian in Egypt. Presumably the work could have become as world-renowned as the paintings of Altamira, the pyramids of Giza, or Stonehenge, but instead it gained a reputation as gobbledygook and essentially disappeared from public sight. Nevertheless, the survival of this book sheds light on a key moment for human history: the appearance of literature. It remains a celebration of how the written word has been transforming lives since history began – an event as momentous as
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