Ancient Lessons Delivered By Ancient Texts

By Contributing Writer Jane Sandwood

Do you know how good reading is for you and your child? Whether you are an adult who enjoys cuddling up with a good novel after a long day, or you are a parent looking to give your children new perspectives, reading encourages the sharing of knowledge in a positive, motivated way. Besides allowing inspiration to grow and creativity to develop, reading expands our knowledge of the world, other cultures, and language.

Over 40,000 years ago humans made a literal mark on the world that has remained until today. Silhouettes of hands became crude images of animals that conveyed stories. Eventually pictures became pictograms that in turn became the written word. Once the written word appeared, story tellers exploited the new medium and books were born. From carved stone to the printed page, books come in multiple forms and all have something to teach the modern world.

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is not strictly speaking a book but an ancient decree from Ptolemy V from 204–181 BC. Carved in stone and incomplete the Rosetta is listed because of the vital lesson it teaches. Ptolemy V’s decree was carved in three languages - Demotic, Hieroglyphics and Ancient Greek and it is this that is absolutely key. The Rosetta’s decree was the same in each language and Ancient Greek is a very well known and studied language. This in turn made two ancient languages accessible to modern scholars and opened up many more books understandable.

The Gutenberg Bible

Printed between 1450 – 1455AD in Latin the Gutenberg Bible is famously the first book ever mass produced with movable type. It is, in effect, the first modern book. Whilst still being in Latin the mass production of the Bible started to open up Christianity from being something taught by the elites to being a religion of the people.

St. Cuthbert Gospel

Like many books on this list the St Cuthbert Gospel is another Bible. This one was created in the 7th century AD by monks. It is only the Gospel of St. John but it is the oldest surviving European book and gives us a unique insight into how they were made at that time.

Nag Hammadi Library

These ancient Egyptian codices from 3rd – 4th century AD were written in Coptic. In total the Library is made up of thirteen codices sealed in a jar and buried in the village of Nag Hammadi. Amongst the codices are some of the most important works known to man. In some cases the works give alternative translations of known books but other parts are complete works that don’t exist anywhere else. Between Plato’s Republic or the Gospel of Thomas the Library contains years of study for modern scholars.

The lead and copper codices

Considered to be the oldest known books to refer to Jesus Christ the 70 ring-bound volumes fashioned from lead and copper are controversial to say the least. Whilst nothing contained in the volumes contradicts the established stories of Jesus Christ the codices provide a fresh take on the Messiah and add a context absent elsewhere. The book has an image of Jesus pressed into it and has the God he worships being considered to be both male and female. These volumes are still being studied and many decree it as fake but it deserves its place on the list here because of its potential to change everything known about three of the world’s biggest religions.

Pyrgi Gold Tablets

Written in 500 BCE by the King of Caere in Italy these gold tablets have much in common with the Rosetta Stone. Like the Rosetta the Pyrgi tablets were not strictly speaking a book. There is some evidence that they had been bound together at some point. Each tablet was written in two different languages (repeating the same content) which means that much like Rosetta they are an excellent way for researchers to understand an ancient language, in this case Etruscan.

Book of Kells

Written by monks in Latin in 800 AD this book is treasured in Ireland. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript that is thought to be the Gospel of Columba. Within the book there are extremely old examples of four Gospels which gives us a view of the earliest translations alongside the gorgeous and complicated illustrations.

Codex Sinaiticus (Sinai Bible)

Of all of the original versions of the Bible as we know it the Sinai Bible is both the oldest and most complete. It was written around 330 – 360 AD in Greek. Completely handwritten it is amongst the most accurate and important versions of the Bible and it is studied by scholars even today. If you’ve ever quibbled over what was meant by any passage in the New Testament then this is the definitive translation to refer back to.

Etruscan Gold Book

Written over 600 years before the birth of Christ in ancient Bulgaria this Etruscan book is formed out of pure 24 carat gold. It is not just the age and beauty of this book that makes it so important but the mystery surrounding it. Very little is known about the manuscript and its history may still have many more secrets waiting to be unlocked.

Garima Gospels

The last book on the list is another ancient version of the Bible, this time it dates from 330 – 650 AD. This version is Ethiopian and is written in Ge’ez. What makes them so important is that they are considered to be the single oldest and fully complete version of the Holy Text. They were for a long time considered to be much newer than we know them to be but Carbon Dating has shown them to be well preserved and truly ancient.