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SnakAncient and Medieval Manuscripts

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Welcome

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1papyri Første besked:
Redigeret: maj 18, 2008, 9:57 am

Welcome to the wonderful and fascinating world of ancient and medieval manuscripts and the history of books and writing in general. This is a vast topic and covers an array of subjects and disciplines.

Manuscripts can be objects of great beauty. Examining the intricate details of an illuminated medieval manuscript in a museum case, as a digital image on a computer screen, or reproduced in a book, one often wonders in amazement about how this beautiful object was created and who created it.

The accidental discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls by a shepard looking for a lost goat in a cliff-side cave in Israel. Solomon Schechter battling choking clouds of dust in the Cairo Genizah as he explored a room filled with piles of jumbled Hebrew manuscripts hidden away for over a millennia. Aurel Stein treked though vast desert wastelands in China, rediscovering forgotten cities. He also recovered ancient Buddhist scrolls which had been walled up for centuries in a cave in China. Grenfell and Hunt digging in the rubbish mounds of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt recovered thousands of papyri, including lost fragments of the sayings of Jesus. The stories of how lost manuscripts were recovered are both fascinating and wonderful tales of high-adventure.

Documentary manuscripts are generally devoid of "artistic" qualities, but are still often considered beautiful in the eyes a palaeographer. These letters, contracts and laundry lists initially seen of little value. However, these seemingly mundane documents, allow ancient voices to speak again and provide details about daily life in the past which would otherwise be unknowable and lost to history. They supplement the archaeological evidence and allow modern researchers to fill in gaps and better understand the past.

Books are also inexorably linked to libraries and bring to mind the topics of the care, collection and organization of books and the dissemination of knowledge. The founding of the Library Company in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin and the burning of the great Library of Alexandria in Egypt are equally interesting tales. The latter brings to mind there is also a dark side to the world of books. This includes topics such as the suppression, neglect and destruction of books.

Old books and manuscripts are no longer just dusty relics of the past, but in the modern era, are being digitized and their images made freely available to the entire world.

Ancient and medieval manuscripts, as well as old printed books, have unique magic. They conger up emotions on many levels which are hard to fully capture in words.

The purpose of this group is to share information about the many aspects of the world of ancient and medieval manuscripts and the history and archaeology of "books" and writing in general.

Members and visitors are encouraged to highlight a new museum, library or on-line exhibit, provide information about new publications and even make a book recommendation or two. Questions relating to this area are also welcome. Feel free to participate.