Top 10 Oldest Known Texts in Human History
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Jan 23, 2025
Step back in time and discover the world’s oldest known texts! From ancient manuscripts to early writings, these texts offer a fascinating glimpse into human history and the development of language.
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throughout history humans have developed
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remarkable ways to record information
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preserve stories and communicate across
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time from ancient civilizations to
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Modern cultures written texts have
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provided a window into our past
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revealing everything from myths and laws
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to scientific discoveries the oldest
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known texts offer invaluable insights
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into early human civilization let's
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explore the top 10 oldest known texts in
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human history one the Sumerian cuniform
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Tablets dating back to around 3,500 B CE
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the Sumerian uniform tablets are some of
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the earliest written records developed
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by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia modern
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day Iraq these clay tablets contain some
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of the first examples of written
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language including administrative
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records contracts and epic poems two the
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Egyptian pyramid texts the pyramid texts
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found in the pyramids of the Old Kingdom
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of Egypt around 2400 B.C are the
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earliest religious texts in the world
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these inscriptions carved into the walls
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of Royal tombs contain spells and
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prayers intended to guide the deceased
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pharaohs into the Afterlife three the
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Epic of Gilgamesh considered one of the
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oldest known works of literature the
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Epic of Gilgamesh originates from
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ancient Mesopotamia likely around 2100
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BCE written in Acadian on clay tablets
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it tells the story of the Sumerian king
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Gilgamesh and his quest for immortality
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touching on themes of friendship loss
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and The Human Condition four the code of
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yor namu the code of Y namu written
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around
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21250 BCE is one of the earliest known
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legal codes it was established by the
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Sumerian king yoru and is written in
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cuni form the code addresses issues such
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as theft slavery and marriage offering a
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glimpse into the legal systems of
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ancient
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Mesopotamia five the hammer ABB code the
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hammer ABB code dating back to around
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1754 B.C is one of the most famous early
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legal codes in inscribed on a large
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Stone Stell it was created by King
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Hammer ABI of Babylon in Mesopotamia the
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code covers a wide range of laws from
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trade and property to family and
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criminal justice influencing future
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legal
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systems six the rig
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Vader the rig Vader composed around 1500
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BCE is one of the oldest religious texts
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in the world this ancient Hindu
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scripture consists of hymns dedicated to
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various deities offering insights into
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early vadic culture and religion in
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ancient India it was originally passed
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down orally before being written down in
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Sanskrit seven the Old Testament Torah
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the Torah the foundational text of
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Judaism is believed to have been written
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between the 12th and 5ifth centuries BC
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while the precise date of composition is
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debated it is one of the oldest
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surviving texts in the Western World it
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contains the religious teachings laws
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and narratives that form the basis of
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Jewish Christian and Islamic traditions
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eight The Iliad and the Odyssey
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attributed to the ancient Greek poet
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Homer these epic poems were composed
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around the 8th Century BCE The Iliad
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focuses on the events of the Trojan War
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while the Odyssey follows the Journey of
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adicus as he attempts to return home
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these texts have had a profound
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influence on Western literature and
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thought nine the Dead Sea Scrolls
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discovered between 1946 and 1956 near
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the Dead Sea these ancient Jewish texts
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date from around the Third Century BCE
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to the 1st Century CE they include parts
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of the Hebrew Bible as well as other
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writings from the second temple period
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offering valuable insights into early
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Jewish religious
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practices 10 the enumer leash the
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enumeral leash a Babylonian creation
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myth dates back to the 12th century B.C
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written on seven clay tablets it tells
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the story of the creation of the world
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and the rise of the god Marduk offering
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insight into Mesopotamian mythology and
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cosmology these texts written in various
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languages and cultures reflect
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Humanity's early attempts to understand
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the world codify laws and express
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spiritual beliefs they not only provide
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a rich historical record but also
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continue to influence literature
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philosophy and religious thought to this
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day as the oldest surviving written
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works they serve as a testament to the
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enduring power of human communication
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and storytelling
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