The Rosetta Stone

Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge (E. A. Wallis Budge)Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 24K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Rosetta Stone by Sir E. A. Wallis BudgeAuthor: Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir, 1857-1934,Language: English, Class: PJ: Language and Literatures: Oriental languages and literatures, Release Date: Apr 6, 2015

Editor's review

The Rosetta Stone is a monograph on the Rosetta Stone by the British Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge. It belongs to the Oriental languages and literatures category and is released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Its value lies in a systematic introduction to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, the composition of its texts, and the process of decipherment, making it a foundational read for understanding the early development of Egyptology and the history of hieroglyphic decipherment. Budge, an Egyptologist long associated with the British Museum, writes from a distinctly period academic perspective; readers gain basic knowledge of the stone's trilingual inscriptions while also observing how Egyptology was articulated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In terms of reading context, it suits supplementary material for introductions to ancient Egyptian writing, archaeological history, or translation studies. Note that some scholarly views in the book carry the limitations of their era; readers should treat it as a text in the history of scholarship rather than the latest conclusions of contemporary Egyptology.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers interested in ancient Egyptian writing and the history of deciphering the Rosetta Stone
Students of archaeological history or translation history who need primary-text case studies
Readers of history and literature curious about how Egyptology was articulated in the late 19th century
Readers with some English reading ability who enjoy topical academic booklets

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers seeking the latest conclusions of contemporary Egyptology
Very young readers with no background knowledge of ancient Egyptian history
General readers who want only light stories and prefer to avoid academic exposition

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself with the basic background of the Rosetta Stone's three scripts before entering the main text for smoother reading.
Note Budge's argumentative approach and distinguish his conclusions from current Egyptological consensus.
Read alongside modern translations of the stone's texts to appreciate how decipherment approaches evolved.
Take brief notes on the names, places, and terms mentioned for easy reference.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this book discuss the stone itself or the history of its decipherment?

Both. Budge builds his account around the Rosetta Stone, introducing the composition of its texts and the decipherment process, while also reflecting the Egyptological perspective of his time. Readers gain basic knowledge of the stone and also see how early Egyptology was articulated.

Can I understand it without knowledge of ancient Egypt?

You can read it, but some background preparation helps. The book involves ancient Egyptian history, script types, and academic terminology, which may be taxing for readers with no foundation at all. It is advisable to first learn the basics of the Rosetta Stone and the general differences among its three scripts before reading the main text.

Are the views in the book still accurate today?

Many of the foundational introductions remain of reference value, but some scholarly judgments carry the limitations of Budge's era and may differ from contemporary Egyptological conclusions. Read it as a text in the history of scholarship, comparing its views with modern research rather than using it directly as the latest conclusions.

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About the author

Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge (E. A. Wallis Budge) Author · English · 1857–1934

Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge (1857–1934) was a British Egyptologist and Orientalist, born in Bodmin, Cornwall. He joined the British Museum in 1883 and later served for many years as head of its Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities. The author of more than 140 works, seven of which are held in this collection, he is known for his annotated translation of The Book of the Dead, Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life, The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians, The Rosetta Stone, and studies of Babylonian creation legends and the story of the Deluge. His writings consist chiefly of translations and introductions to ancient texts, aimed at making the civilizations of ancient Egypt and the Near East accessible to general readers. He was knighted in 1920.