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The writing of the gods : the race to decode the Rosetta Stone / Edward Dolnick.

Summary:
"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.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781501198939
  • ISBN: 1501198939
  • Physical Description: xv, 311 pages, 8 unnumbered pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First Scribner hardcover edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Scribner, 2021.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-297) and index.
Subject: Rosetta stone.
Egyptian language > Writing, Hieroglyphic.
Young, Thomas, 1773-1829.
Champollion, Jean-François, 1790-1832.
Genre: Instructional and educational works.
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 11 of 11 copies available at SPARK Libraries.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 11 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Abington Community Library 493.111 DOLNICK (Text) 50687011749549 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Albright Memorial Library 493.111 DOLNICK (Text) 50686016109576 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Cambria County Library 493.1 D665w (Text) 85131001798322 CACM Non-Fiction Available -
Gettysburg Library 493.111 DOLNICK (Text)
Endowment: Anna Jane Moyer Named Endowment, 2021
35740635793664 Nonfiction Available -
New Castle Public Library 493.111 Dolnick (Text)
Bookplate: Purchased with Funds Provided by the Friends of the Library.
31902005444690 NWCM Non-Fiction Available -
Parkland Community Library 493.111 DOL (Text) 34422007231166 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Slatington Public Library 493 DOLN (Text) 34175100308063 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Tamaqua Public Library 493.11 DO (Text) 30TPL001890829 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Bethlehem Main Library 493.1 (Text) 33062009581738 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Easton Main Library 493.111 D665w (Text) 31901004555068 Adult Nonfiction Available -

Summary: "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"--

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