Many believe that in the age of information technology, the book is losing its significance. But earlier it was the only way to transfer knowledge through generations. The oldest books that have come down to us are awe-inspiring, and for historians they are simply priceless.
1. Book of the Dead
The Mystical Book of the Dead is often featured in adventure films. But its original title is "Chapters on Exit to the Light of Day." The book is a collection of papyri with ancient Egyptian prayers, spells that were supposed to help the deceased to pass to another world. The name "Book of the Dead" was given by the Egyptologist Lepsius. The book was written in the period from the 6th to the 1st century BC.
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2. The Gospels of Garima
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The Monastery of Saint Garima (Ethiopia) contains two Gospels created in the period from 330 to 650 AD. They are written in Geez, the sacred language of Abyssinia. The gospels were discovered by art historian Beatrice Plain in 1950. The books are designed in the same style, but written in different handwritings. The first Gospel has a binding of wooden planks covered with gilded copper, and the binding of the second is made of silver. Unfortunately, the books cannot be restored, and they are all preserved in the same monastery.
The Garima Gospel, dated to periods 330 to 650 BC e.
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3. Sinai Code
The oldest book, executed in the form familiar to the modern man in the street, is the Sinai Codex, dated to the 4th century. The first part of the code was found in 1844 by accident by the German scientist Konstantin Tischendorf on the Sinai Peninsula in the monastery of St. Helena. The sheets lay in a pile of rubbish to be destroyed. Then the scientist found 86 more pages of the code and took them to Europe, where he published it to the public. When Tischendorf came to the monastery again in search of a continuation of the codex, the monks did not even let him on the threshold.
Emperor Alexander II saved the day. He paid the monastery 9 thousand rubles, after which Konstantin Tischendorf was able to find and bring new pages of the codex to Russia. The Sinai Codex contains a portion of the Old Testament, the full text of the New Testament, the Epistle of Barnabas, and Herma's Shepherd, written in Greek. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks in 1933, the code was sent to the British Museum.
Codex Sinai, dated to the 4th century AD e.
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4. The Ostrom World Gospel
The Ostromir Gospel is considered the most ancient book in Russia. It was written in 1056-1057 for the Novgorod mayor Ostromir by deacon Gregory. The unique manuscript is decorated with initials and miniatures. In addition, the book is important in that the deacon in the afterword indicated the date of its writing from the creation of the world. The Ostrom World Gospel became the model from which scholars took a start, creating modern grammars of the Old Slavonic language. Today the book is kept in the Russian National Library of St. Petersburg.
The Ostromir Gospel, dated 1056-1057
Photo: libamur.ru
5. Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra is an almost 5-meter-long scroll printed by woodcut (engraving). This book contains a text with the basics of Buddhism. The diamond sutra was found by archaeologist Mark Stein in China in 1900 and taken to the UK. The book indicates that it is imprinted on the 15th of the fourth moon of the year Xiantong, i.e. May 11, 868. The Diamond Sutra is now kept in the British Library.
Diamond Sutra, dated May 11, 868
Photo: maxpark.com
All ancient books were made by hand with inlaid precious stones and were practically equated with works of art. These 6 stunning books of the Middle Ages surprise not in content, but in appearance.