The Rosetta Stone: What is it and Why is it so Important?

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone unlocked the secrets of Ancient Egypt with the Ancient Greek and Demotic texts being the key to translating the Hieroglyphics for the first time. So, if you want to know what the Rosetta Stone is, why it's so important and why it's so famous, make sure to stick around! The text carved onto the Rosetta Stone dates to the year 196 BCE, and we know this because the text is actually a very run-of-the-mill document, and each script outlines what King Ptolemy V Epiphanes had achieved in the year since his coronation.

Where was the Rosetta Stone found, you may ask, and well, the answer is in the name! In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte and his troops were in Egypt, and Lieutenant Pierre François Xavier Bouchard removed the Rosetta Stone from a section of an old wall of a building that was being demolished. The beginning of the decipherment began with the Englishman Thomas Young who worked out the direction in which the hieroglyphics were meant to be read, and identified some of the hieroglyphs which related to Ptolemy V Epiphanes. It was then in the early 1820s that the script was fully deciphered by the French linguist and scholar Jean-François Champollion.

— BUY OUR MERCH —

— SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON—

— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
0:39 What is the Rosetta Stone?
1:42 Where was the Rosetta Stone Found?
2:43 Why is the Rosetta Stone so Important?
5:35 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —

— WATCH NEXT —

— ATTRIBUTIONS —

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

— THUMBNAIL IMAGE —
© Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 4.0

World History Encyclopedia

#therosettastone #rosettastone #egyptianhieroglyphs

[WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Do you think it was Young or Champollion who deserves the most credit for deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics? Let us know what you think!

[Tekmirion]

Well presented as always Kelly :) and thank you for the information!

[HighPowrdBeavr]

So technically, we owe the translation of Egyptian Hieroglyphs to Pharoah Ptolemy since he got it translated to Greek. This shows the legacy of the Alexandrian Empire.

[marias.]

Has the demotic (second) part of theRosetta Stone been translated yet?

[pixelvader]

Another great video, as always. I loved your shirt. Although I like the Assyrian more.

[chamythemage]

I was there when the stone was written. 😁

[hannahhope]

4:57 Not sure what you are referring to as “superstition.” The Bible? Or believing the Bible? Please clarify.

[redavout]

It must be a one hell of a thing to be an Egyptian.wow

[gonebush]

I love WHE and their videos and articles but what I HATE are the fatuous questions at the end. Who cares what non-experts think (I include myself here).

[MTB]

Thanks for history of Rosetta Stone.bits fascinating about different cultures writing systems. You made an the error that math from Biblical account is 6000 not 4000 years. Just wanted to let you know.

[Ohmzdmx]

Empyrical like minded people as with Descartes, Newton and yes Isaac Asimov always use that system not to supercede only in which The Bible is the testimony and witness thereof from ancient to modern times. Henceforth Descartes' belief that science borrows from nature and nature is directly under Divine system. I do love the relics, Milton, Alghieri, Blake and yes the late century all beliefs were divided into so many but under Judeo-Christians.

[xman]

So no person is able to translate it till today?

[brentcoffman]

Kelley I really like the video and I also like your shirt. The Rosetta Stone is very enchanting as are you. I was wondering if you were married? If not may I take you out to dinner?