TLDR;
This video provides a brief history of ancient libraries, tracing their evolution from archives to centres of learning. It explores several ancient libraries, including those in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt, and discusses the Library of Alexandria, addressing its vast collection and debated destruction. The video highlights the role of libraries in preserving and disseminating knowledge, as well as the threats they faced from censorship and destruction.
- Libraries evolved from archives safeguarding important documents to centres of learning.
- The Library of Alexandria was a significant intellectual hub in the ancient world.
- The destruction of the Library of Alexandria is debated, with evidence suggesting it may have survived longer than commonly believed.
Introduction [0:00]
The video introduces the topic of ancient libraries, prompted by World Book Day. It aims to explore the origins of libraries and examine several prominent examples from the ancient world, including the Library of Alexandria. The presenter notes that modern libraries have evolved significantly from their ancient counterparts, which initially served as archives for safeguarding written documents rather than public resources.
What is Cuneiform? [1:56]
The earliest known libraries or archives date back to 2600 BCE and contained clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script. Cuneiform is an ancient writing system that uses a reed to make impressions in clay. It was developed by the Sumerians and used to write in various languages in the ancient Near East around 3400 BCE.
The Tablets from Nippur [2:20]
Nippur, located in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), was a religious city that played a crucial role in the development of early civilisation. Although Nippur didn't have a dedicated library, its temples and governmental buildings housed thousands of Sumerian and Akkadian documents on clay tablets. An American expedition in the late 19th century discovered over 30,000 cuneiform tablets in Nippur, many of which were catalogued within the temples. Two cuneiform tablets found in Nippur contain lists of Sumerian literary works, representing the earliest surviving literary or library catalogue.
Assyrian clay tablets [3:24]
A collection of Assyrian clay tablets from the second millennium BCE was found in Tel El-Amanah, Egypt, in 1887. The discovery of these tablets is significant because it demonstrates the use of Mesopotamian script and the Akkadian language outside of Mesopotamia, across the eastern Mediterranean. The tablets were believed to have come from an ancient administrative office known as the Palace of the Corresponders of the Pharaoh.
Burning of the Books in Ancient China [5:00]
The burning of the books in China in 213 BCE, carried out by imperial edict, serves as an early example of censorship and the destruction of texts. Li Su, the grand chancellor of the Qin dynasty, instigated the burning to suppress divergent schools of political and social thought and to ensure governmental control over knowledge. The aim was to erase historical records, except those of the Qin dynasty, to make history begin with the dynasty. This incident highlights the vulnerability of texts in the ancient world and the potential for imperial power to eradicate history.
When Did Archives become Libraries? [7:04]
The Royal Library of Ebla, dating back to 2500-2250 BCE, is considered one of the oldest known libraries. Discovered in Syria in 1974, it contained approximately 2,000 complete tablets, 4,000 tablet fragments, and over 10,000 chips and small fragments. Unlike earlier archives, the tablets in the Ebla library were arranged by subject, and there was evidence of early transcription of texts into foreign languages, classification, cataloguing, and arrangement by size, form, and content. The Ugarit library, also in Syria, is another ancient library built around 1400-1200 BCE. Archaeologists discovered multiple libraries in Ugarit in 1929, including a palace library, temple library, and private libraries, containing diplomatic, legal, economic, administrative, scholastic, literary, and religious texts in at least seven different scripts.
Library of Alexandria [10:23]
The Library of Alexandria, established in the city of Alexandria following the death of Alexander the Great, became the intellectual jewel of the ancient world. It was estimated to contain between 40,000 and 400,000 papyri. According to the Byzantine scholar Johannes Zetses, the Alexandrian holdings were collected in two separate libraries: one outside the palace, housing 42,800 papyrus scrolls, and the other within the palace, consisting of 400,000 composite rolls and 90,000 single rolls.
How did Alexandra get so many books? [11:26]
The Library of Alexandria acquired its vast collection through various means. The Telemics issued an edict ordering all ships arriving at the port to be searched for books, which were then confiscated and copied. The originals were added to the library's collection, while the duplicates were returned to the owners. In one instance, the Athenian authorities allowed Telemia III to borrow the manuscripts of dramatic works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides to reproduce them in Alexandria. After transcription, the copies were sent back to Athens, while the originals joined the Telemic collection. The library aimed to house all original texts and translate barbarian texts into Greek, eventually containing works from various cultures, including the Elamites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Romans, and Persians.
Did the Library of Alexandria Burn Down? [13:23]
The destruction of the Library of Alexandria is a topic of debate. Plutarch suggests that the library was burned down when Caesar intervened in the Egyptian political struggle in 47-48 CE. However, witness accounts of the battle and fire do not mention the destruction of the library. Some scholars argue that the burning only affected the rolls and not the archive itself. Additionally, Alexandrian scholarship continued after the Civil War, suggesting that the library may have survived longer than commonly believed. Modern scholars propose that other events could have caused the library's destruction, with evidence indicating its survival well beyond Caesar's mythical flames.
