Just wanted to mention that certain texts like the Vedas and the Avesta survived for longer not because they were copied in writing, as you suggest, but because they had schools of rigorous oral transmission to pass them down. Often there was even an aversion to writing the texts down. As a result, the earliest written manuscripts we have of these works is from medieval times!
@@Adam-it3ld but the language used in Vedas are different from any classical sanskrit, and its more closer to the Iranian languages. So, by the time the vedas were written down, they were already memorised.
@@AB-yp7nc The words are *_"jumbled up in different permutations."_* and this *_"ensures that there is no corruption in the vedas?"_* I don't think that means what you think it means. *_"thus there are allegations of adulteration in every single scripture in the world, but not the vedas"_* That would be because no one knows what the words are supposed to be, because they are all jumbled up? {:o:O:} _(Edited for tyops)_
What a awful crime to posterity Diego Landa committed when he burned the Mayan codices because he assumed they contained nothing but _scribbles and works of devils._ Always holding out hope that some day a cache of them might be found as happened at Nag Hammadi with outlawed Christian, Gnostic and Hermetic writings.
I hope so too dear, as a South Asian, I am really sad at the destruction of Nalanda, Taxila and many Indian universities, which had been functioning since the times of the Guptas. Many books were burnt by the middle-eastern armies, it is even believed that the library of Nalanda had some 9 million manuscripts( read it somewhere) where Hindus, Buddhists and Jains came to study from different parts of the world, even Greeks and Romans at a time. The bulk was so much that it burnt continuously for 3 months. However, I bear no brunt towards anyone, but still many manuscripts are available in India and I sincerely hope for more older writings to be found. I am also sad about the American history, we have many similarities. Fun fact: the oldest grammarian is believed to be the Indian/South-Asian Hindu sage Panini, who wrote Astadhyayi, a Sanskrit grammar between some 800-500 BC. Another one is Tollakappiyam, a Tamil grammar written by Tollakapiyar in the period between 300 BC. Sanskrit is one of the oldest Indo-European language, while Tamil is the oldest Dravidian language archeologically.
After my little research first time it got destroyed by Huns under Mihirakula during the reign of Skandagupta (455-467 AD). Second time by The second destruction came in the early 7th century by the Gaudas. 3rd time by Turkish leader Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193. And those white huns destroyed the university of Texila in c600 AD I still can't find any resource or historical text even by biased hindu sites that middle eastern armies destroyed and burned them down?
Huns and Bakhtiyar khilji were Turkic, while Gaudas were Bengali kings. Even though these three groups attacked the site, Bakhtiyar khilji ransacked and killed all the Buddhist and Hindu clergy of his time in the 12th century AD. Nalanda had surely survived the Hun and Gauda invasions without much casualties as they were repaired under the Hindu Guptas and Buddhist Harshavardhana.
@@thunderbear0 I didn't even name Islam for it, don't engage me in your sinful Al-taquiya. Huns were not Muslim but Turkic/ Iranic shaman, but the last invader was and he did give a fatal blow and didn't allow any reparations during his rule to that place. That's where the problem lies, I need not play victim card here like your co-religionists always do, just reiterating history.
@@infinite5795 lol take it easy. Where did i took islams name? and that "sinful taqiya" is not our thing. Just tell me where and when did middle eastern armies came and destroyed those universities thats a simple question i asked in a respectful manner And since from when huns became turks? And i agree university doesn't matter if its muslims or hindu or Buddhist it shouldn't be destroyed khilji was a illiterate warrior that some turkic king hired for his fighting skills and did whatever he was told just like mongols, these people don't know the value of knowledge and universities
Thank you Dr. Miano for covering this subject. A few years ago I read The Epic of Gilgamesh and I became curious what was the other oldest books that are still around today. I was shocked how hard it was to find what the oldest books are because when I googled I was getting irrelevant answers.
A correction. The division you give of Samhitas, Aryanyakas, Upanishads and Bramanas are a general division of Vedas, samhitas being organized into many parts including Rig Veda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda and they span a larger period ending a bit after budhism. Rig Veda is the oldest layer of samhitas indeed, with "comentaries" regarding it divided into Aryanyakas, Upanishads and Bramanas .
I read a "book" (more like a collection of poems) from India that was told to me to have been the "oldest text in the world". At the time I read it (2008, maybe?) it had only been translated into German. It was a very philosophical book. Some of the text I remember went something like "is a fruit a fruit because of its 'fruit-ness'? or because of its shape? or perhaps its utility? If we change the shape of the fruit, or cut it up into pieces, or use it for decoration instead of for eating - is it still a fruit?". But I can't for the life of me find this book/collection of poems. But it was in an ancient form of writing pre-dating Sanskrit, which is why it took so long to translate and was only translated by a German scholarly team at the time. Does anyone perhaps know the text I'm thinking of? I believe it was something like 10 or 12 philosophical poems. I'd love to read it again if I can find it.
@@AB-yp7nc It could well be a prakrit Or pali text. How could you say that Sanskrit os older than the prakrit Or pali. There is no archaeological or epigraphical evidence which can prove so. The tradition of writing pali and prakrit is much older than sanskrit. The oldest written records of Sanskrit is in Brahami ( originally called as Dhamma) script which was originally used for writing prakrit and pali. The common script used for writing Sanskrit is Devnagari which originated somewhere between 9th to 10th century AD. If there was no script how was Sanskrit written then. Apart from that there is no signs/sounds for writing 'R' in Brahami so writing the word 'Sanskrit' was almost impossible in Brahami. It is most certain there must a text in pre Sanskrit language in India. The written tradition of Sanskrit is only 2000 to 1500 years old while pali and prakrit were written from 2500 years.
@@AB-yp7nc The question is what is the proof of all of this you're claiming. If we have epigraphical and archaeological evidence of prakrit and pali why not of Sanskrit. Whether composition or writing there must be something that proves the claims. And I challenge you show me the symbols of Brahami which represents 'R'. Of ot was not Brahami what was the script of Sanskrit because Brahami's oldest written records only go as far back as 3rd century BCE.
If there is no physical records of a text or a book in written and neither oral ( for the sake of conversation) how could someone claim that text to be oldest. The oral tradition of stories go as far back as 30,000 years. This doesn't make those stories vedic.
@@AB-yp7nc isn't it pretty dumb to say that Sanskrit was not being written yet the Agni changed into agg Or dharma changed in dhamma. We get these words (at least dhamma) in writing on Asokan inscription centuries before Sanskrit was being written. The Term Sanskrit gives the sense that something was 'Sanskritised'. If there was no older language how could have they sanskritised then.
@@AB-yp7nc Man I am testing it's true but your claim and not you. Testing is a scientific method to reach an objective conclusion. Writing had do everything with dhamma or dharma because its a way to know to know origin of a word (etymology ). How could you claim that Dharma was before dhamma when it wasn't written. I asked you to prove your claims which you failed miserably. And i challenged you to show me a symbol that was used to write 'R' in Brahami ( originally called dhamma script in Asokan inscription) which you didn't provide. There were other sounds or syllables like 'Sh' which are impossible to write in Brahami. There are no 'visarg' either in Brahami and you know Sanskrit can't be written without visarg. So how was it possible that Sanskrit was written in Brahami. If it was not written what makes it oldest language. You're confused because you don't know the difference between a dialect and a language. Sanskrit if only was spoken and not written could only be a dialect not a language. An important feature of language is it is written as well as spoken. And you're saying Sanskrit means 'perfected'. A language can be perfected only when there exist a language prior to it. You can perfect something which already had been in existence. The prakrit is a group of languages I know that but according to linguists they were structurally different from Sanskrit. Pali is totally different from Sanskrit. If prakrit was Sanskrit why were Indians unable to read it's script. It was only when James prinsep deciphered Brahami and kharoshtee circa mid 19th century. And you saying that vedi mantra were not written because they create vibrations is the most unscientific and ridiculous argument I have ever come across. If it's true even for the sake of conversation what evidence you can provide of your claim.
imagine your entire culture reduced to four book because of the ignorance of another group of humans. Such a shame ! Just the loss of the medical knowledge is a tragedy !
Can you imagine, that there are some fanatical religious nutcases in the USA still burning books? We just need them to gain power and the pyre they build to burn everything literary will make the historical tyrants look like rookies.
If anything it's apt. All cultures inevitably are forgotten, misrepresented or distorted. We can only do our best but given the fact that putting 1890's America's into context is an immense challenge, let alone Mesoamerica 3000 years ago.
Lugalbanda II: Electric Lugaloo On a serious note when I think of all the literature that has been lost to time I always flash back to 1 particular piece of writing, "Thunder, Perfect Mind." (TPM) While not nearly as old as some of the books mentioned here, and a shorter form poetic work, it reminds me of the magnitude of what we are missing. I find TPM amazing; it comes from a voice not as often heard in ancient literature, what could certainly be understood to be the divine female. It is as beautiful as it is impactful. In fact it speaks to much of what women face in modernity regarding what actually is a woman's role, how she is perceived, and if others can hold the contradictions concerning womanhood in their minds as easily as women must contain all of those often disparate facets in their very being. This brilliant poem was completely lost to history before the discovery of the Nag Hamadi library. A story so wonderful, that holds just as much meaning in every day life as it did nearly two millennia ago, that had blinked out of memory and therefore existence, but that roared back to public consciousness once found, translated, and made available to the masses. TPM just always gets my mind racing about what other immense works of creativity and knowledge that remain lost and if any are still out there somewhere, waiting to be found while time slowly destroys them and the virtual timer for finding them ticks lower and lower. Thanks for the great video, as always, Professor Miano! You do some of the best work on the platform in your field and seeing there is a new video from you is always exciting. I always have to drop what I am doing and take a history break whenever one of your upload notifications go off.
Language and culture are so hard to get back once they are lost. This is why I believe ancient man knew how to sail the wide oceans: It makes sense that we lost an oral tradition. It makes no sense at all that we lost Magic Stone Levitation Devices or Laser Cutting Tools. 45,000 years ago, a group of people sailed to Australia. The Polynesians populated the whole Pacific without the use of nails, much less a compass, chronometer, or GPS. We were one man dying from potentially losing that knowledge forever. Ancient homo sapiens was no less clever than we are. Once we got to the "cognitive revolution" between 70k and 30k years ago, they had everything they needed to build the same pyramids in Cambodia and Mexico. The Polynesians could sail anywhere between Madagascar and Peru. When they wrote down how to do it, it come out as "religion," stories, "people from the stars." We just didn't understand that this was what made such stories memorable and useful ...
Not more than 2000BCE. But arround 2000BCE to 500BC. Latest layers of Upanishads date back to 500BC. Still it very impressive becouse vedic people memorized rather than writting. Even if they wrote it they have to copy it time to time. As books in indian subcontinent were written on palm leaves books which are Highly perishable.
@@subhashanvs3229 Not correct. The oldest layers of Rigveda go back to 3800 BCE. The language of Rigveda and the language of Upanishads is very different .
@@ranapratapsingh3416 you are very wrong. Rig veda doesn't go back to 3800 BCE. There was IVC still around. And Iranian branch and aryan branch didn't even split. I don't no why you estimated that. Could you please give me reason. And Upanishads are the latest that's why I said 500BCE
Another excellent video on a really interesting and important topic. Ive been aware of the destruction of knowledge from Mexico and Peru, and similar destructive events in Europe and the middle east, for a long time, but when I first learned about the destruction of ancient books in China by the early emperors a couple years ago I somehow found it even more shocking, perhaps just because it was new to me, and perhaps because it was a culture erasing huge chunks of its own past.
Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something I didn't know about history. There's not many videos or video creators I can say that about. Your RU-vid channel is making me think about getting commercial free RU-vid cuz I want to scream every time an ad pops up. No ads are more important than the content of you videos even the funny videos 💜
Talking about old books, back in middle school back in the late 80s I had to use my grandfather's encyclopedia for research on the moon landing. I spent an hour trying to find it until I realized his encyclopedia was from the Kennedy administration, so the moon landing hadn't even happened yet! I thought it was both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.
What's "heartbreaking" about _that?_ Hilarious, I get. The idea that something wasn't known because it hadn't happened yet, though? I don't see why that would even be sad, much less "heartbreaking." And, child, if that's your idea of "heartbreaking," I wish I had your sheltered life. I'd trade you at the drop of a hat. I could tell you a lot about what's heartbreaking.
Excellent video. One point regarding Rig Veda which i feel you may have missed is the geography that was mentioned in it. The reference to river Saraswati which slowly becomes a deity from a river. Corroborated by on-ground archaeology. Am i on the right track Doctor
Doc has a separate video on the vedas, you should check it out! He discusses the geographical descriptions, the geographical history of the place, and how one should interpret the “stuti” format of some of the vedic meter.
Excellent that you mentioned Tolkappiyam ! According to sangam texts there were two sangams before this that scholars place before the 5th century b.c , a lot of ancient texts that were lost due to time
Thank you so much for these videos. You are such a pleasure to watch, your energy is contagious and your love of history is inspiring. Please never stop making content!!
Sad to see David not mentioning the oldest book of all time - Twilight. Historians date it to around the 33rd century BCE, at a time when the concept of how to write a piece of literature had not yet been developed.
Dr Who..:):) You have done it again! Great Teaching. Thank You. I was very lucky, at school, to have had 3 teachers of History who brought the subject alive for me. You are the 4th!. Not that there is an order of excellence:) I was born in Bath. I am sure you can imagine how that influenced me when I was young. Thank You Prof. David! Great Educator!
Many times I’ve read an interesting fact or story and learn that the old source I got it from got it from an older source that no longer exists. One example is Augustus’s right hand man Marcus Agrippa wrote a book that is pretty much totally lost. The guy was a major figure and his descendants were quite powerful so it would seem like at least one version would of made it thru the ages. Yet here is the epic of Gilgamesh with it’s old ass, a letter from a guy begging for help cause the “sea peoples” were attacking was found in a furnace which was used to harden the clay tablets they wrote on. Apparently the sea peoples conquered the place while the tablet was being finished. That’s a crazy glimpse into things that happened long ago. The loss of libraries in Alexandria and Constantinople. To bad people didn’t try to make a copy of important books in brass or such.
Here goes my "super thanks" for you creating this video. Good to see other works I had no idea about, being brought into the topic! Sadly, the Americas and far east tend to be left in the shadow. Thumbs up for you to close this gap!
One that I would like to bring up is the Diary of Merer, while not as glamorous as the Pyramid Texts from the 5th and 6th Dynasties, it does predate them, coming in at the 4th Dynasty under Khufu. More people need to know about these as they tell us of the transportation of limestone to the Giza plateau which helps put the Pyramidologists (aka Pyramidiots) in their pseudohistory place XD A Fantastic video though ^^
I think you should've mention books of Hittites and generally Asia Minor. Yes, formally it's Asian territory (and actually the one that the name "Asia" was originally about), and it has tight cultural connections with West Asia, but still, there are theories on how they were influenced by Crete myths (and maybe lost books?) and how they later influenced Greek myths and literature, Hesiod's Theogony. So I think it has notable connections with Europe literature and may be somewhat considered part of it.
Thank you so much for doing what you do in the manner in wich you do it. I love documentaries and most historical based videos and literature but your style has made these topics very digestable. So keep it up, you are doing a great service to mankind, keep it up and thank you so much.
As always, I love your channel; loved this lecture, learned a whole bunch, so thank you, thank you, many times thank you. One request/suggestion would be that at some point you return to the Popol Vuh and maybe mix in a look at the Rabinal Achi, it would also be fascinating to hear a discussion of the Chilam Balam books. The thing about the Popol Vuh that would make such a good discussion is that yes, the versions we have are written in alphabetic script in the the 16th and 17th century, BUT the current scholarship seems to feel that some traditional works in the Maya script were still being actively (clandestinely) read/used into the late colonial period (contemporary with the alphabetic texts) and that the versions we have are in fact transcriptions of "original" Mayan versions ---AND --- that archaeology has found artistic representations and short pieces of text which correspond closely to many stories in the Popol Vuh we actually have, thus indicating the extreme antiquity of these stories (back into not just the classic period, but deep into pre-classic antiquity). With the Popol Vuh, then, we have a case study to look at how transcription, oral traditions, etc. succeed and/or fail in preserving ancient texts and traditions. I suggest the Rabonal Achi, a much more obscure work, also from the conquest/early colonial period because it preserves a mode of ritual drama employed by the post classic Maya to glorify kings and warriors --- in some ways reminiscent of other heroic traditions --the Iliad, etc.
Your content is fascinating and nearly as fascinating are the various ways people get crazy about your content which you seem very familiar with. Humans gonna human. Thanks for all the great videos ✨
Something that I find fun to point out, from more...modern literature. Gilgamesh, or a version of him, still exists as a superhero in the Marvel universe, he's even been a member of the Avengers before. Something's kinda nice to me about the heroic mythology of the past becoming part of the heroic mythology of the present, even the oldest hero's story is still told.
I only started exploring comics a year ago, and one thing that's struck me is how much of a mythological vibe a lot of it has. Gilgamesh is another Jack Kirby creation. That guy was amazing. Such fascinating world-building.
The very first university of the world is known as Nalanda University and taxila University. Which got destroyed as attacked by conqueror and the library got burnt by them and many research work got burnt which were incarved on iron or copper tablets. We were unfortunate enough. Many foreigners used to study and work here in nalanda vishwavidyalay. Like people from east asia like Japan or china or Tibet or Korea or Europeans like Greek or Rome.
Hi Irena, he mentioned it by name. The Book of the Dead is the culmination of the Old Kingdom texts found in the Pyramids. The Book of the Dead was compiled during the New Kingdom thus making it substantially "younger" than the Pyramid texts :)
Loved this program. Seemed like I just traversed the world thousand of years ago. Unbelievable how our ancients in different parts of the world captured microcosm of their lives and beliefs for posterity.
The burning of Pre-Columbian manuscripts is so heartbreaking!!! & in typical colonizer-fashion, 3/4 were whisked away to European countries... It's time to start returning the goods!! 💙 Thank you as always Dr Miano, being immersed in Ancient History is the best way to start my day!
Or you inform yourself before making baseless accusation against "European countries". A good start would be "Breaking the Maya Code" by Michael. D. Coe.
@@puremathematics5730 I value the cultural contributions of all prior civilizations, and just like with any dated system of beliefs- we have the modern-day advantage of understanding the world & what contributes to the wellbeing of living creatures. We can appreciate the manuscripts, architecture & art left by a culture, without adopting anachronistic beliefs, life human sacrifice. I don't identify with any specific culture, I'm a homosapien!
@@puremathematics5730 well the Europeans being adults married children and treated their women like slaves. They sacrificed women as witches, not much of a difference.
The only ones of these books that I have read is The Iliad and I was shocked how much I enjoyed it. The style is a bit odd with paragraphs describing individual warriors who are never seen again. However, Achilles character arc, moving from his angry at being wronged by Agamemnon, then his wrath at Hector after the death of Patroclus, before ultimately coming to terms with his feelings of loss and returning Hector's body to Priam is still relatable (the emotions not necessarily the events that produce them), and make for a great read. Truly timeless
I think that your's is the best and closest explanation regarding this topic that I've seen up until now. I especially liked the fact as to how you also mentioned the fact that most books or literatures in East and South Asia didn't survive due to them being written on perishable material but you know there's actually more to it. In that region the climate is very bad for these perishable materials to survive and also in China during Qin and Mongol invasion as well as during Islamic Invasion of Indian Subcontinent a lot of these texts were destroyed. For ex:- in india the oldest university Nalanda was destroyed and it's whole Library was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji burned it and it's said that the fire from library continued to burn for 3 whole months resulting in destruction of 9,000,000 manuscripts.
*in india the oldest university Nalanda was destroyed and it's whole Library was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji burned it and it's said that the fire from library continued to burn for 3 whole months resulting in destruction of 9,000,000 manuscripts.* What is the earliest source that gives this information?
This was an awesome list. I quite enjoyed it and would enjoy a follow up w more ancient writings from different cultures. Or a video about just what different people decided to start writing about when they developed writing systems
I liked that you took something from lots of regions but would've been nice to know about sub-saharan africa. I guess it would be something from West Africa stored in Timbuktu but I believe the Swahili coast had lots of early texts too.
You should read The Singer of Tales by Albert Lord. It explains the process of oral epic transmission. It's a wonderful book. Most of the songs, proverbs, and stories that are considered literary works are just transcriptions of oral expression. You mentioned this when discussing Homer, but I think it would apply to a lot of the other written documents you discuss in your video.
I think you should have subdivided Africa into multiple regions like you did with Asia. It feels a little unfair to just treat it as one unified continent when it has many diverse cultures.
@@WorldofAntiquity Africa, the continent that gets treated as a single country. You can fit Europe, Japan, China, the US, and India into the amount of land Africa covers. Yes the line has to be drawn somewhere, but...is that really the best place to draw it, or is it just that we are so used to thinking of Africa as one big Sally Struthers charity case that we don't even think twice about treating it as the diverse expanse of the start of man that it is. And honestly, I know very little of what was going on south of Egypt during these time periods you tend to cover. So, it'd be really interesting to get something. If it is just a lack of information, or knowledge, or whatever, even that is worth pointing out as it provides some justification, context, and insight into why handle it as one large single place.
Other parts of Africa had written long-form content waaay later (and like Dr. Miano said, that's not a knock against African cultures). And then when they do show up, in the Middle Ages, they're translations: the Bible in Ethiopia and Islamic hadith and fiqh along the Niger River and Swahili Coast. I wonder how translations would figure into a list like the one in this video. Is it still the oldest book if it's a translation of a work from somewhere else?
@@franks450 As I said, at least put some context around why one is opting to treat an entire continent as a single thing. As pointed out in the original post Asia was split up. And why did you scare quote inclusion? Are you trying to elicit doubt that inclusion is an actual thing?
@@AveragePicker *Africa, the continent that gets treated as a single country.* It gets treated as a region, as the other sections also do. *You can fit Europe, Japan, China, the US, and India into the amount of land Africa covers.* Okay, but how many books prior to the year 1000 have been preserved from Africa? I'm an ancient historian, remember. If there were ancient books from other places in Africa, I would most certainly have given them due coverage. Anyway, I did not have Japan, China, the US, or India as sections in the video.
A mention I would like to make are the Spring and Autumn annals. I have yet to find and read a translation (if one exists, I have yet to look, currently I have the records of the three kingdoms translated to English ready to read), but it is often mentioned as an important piece of the Chinese classics.
6:39 "...we do not have any copies that go back into ancient times." Orally transmitted until late. Like Greek epic poetry, nothing was written but recited by bards, families of bards, for generations. Re-"discovered" by Milman Parry.
I just found this channel and I find fascinating subjects here that I will be watching. Not surprise that and old book was written after the "new". Remind me what Anatoly Fomenko said about the Bible in his extraordinary research "The New Chronology". I hope you can make some videos about that work.
The world is obsessed with dates not the content.when scholars are obsessed in believing with the crazy idea that the world is created 6000 years ago as described in their so called religious book then they try everything to fit into that 6000 year timeframe. 😅
You just said, "we can date texts by the language". The Rig Veda is an oral text obviously in its strict meter composition. How long it existed before it was written down can be dated by the content of its text.
thanks for the lecture illustrated by original found texts. we Really gotta thank those irish monks that decided to use punctuation to clarify the texts - although it looked that one old greek text you showed us did have like commas spaces ... meanwhile: the indian legend has it that the Compiler of the oral vedas Bharadwaja? VedaVyasa? also wrote History : his MahaBhaharat (accept NO "simplified" version - for you, prof, particularly it may clarify why there was so little unusual weaponry and now it is difficult to find: few had access to it. like an armor you could switch Off: Bhisma's) having difficulties finding the UNsimplified second volume of that lovely bilingual Ramāyana by Valmiki - who belonged to one of those weird side branches of the human races: tiny stature, black skin... being a serious vana jatamuni a dreadlocks "rasta" he posed a scary look ! i need to reread my two volumes in storage since my homelessness - i thiiink there is mention of the ahém Saraswati River.. : ) as a river .
But Sir, according to Praveen Mohan Vedas contain scientific manuscript that were used in the design of space rockets and nuclear reactors and teleportation devices and plastic surgery and Tesla coils, all written 18,000 yeas ago. And you are saying it describes chalcolithic inventions only. Whom shall we believe now.
Isn't this Praveen Mohan the "gentleman" who has upset religious leaders in India by trespassing on sacred sites instead of gaining their permission to do so? 🤔
Strange thing: The other day I was trying to remember the names of professors under whom I took classes at UCSD and you were one of them. Fast forward a couple days and I see your face on a RU-vid-recommended video!
I think knowledge is very very important to mankind. Unfortunately some works of ancient times are lost for maybe forever but these days we have the internet and is full of knowledge and the knowledge on the internet is IMPOSSIBLE to wipe out even if we want to.
Oldest copy of Rig-Veda dates back to 1040 CE not 1500s although literature dates back to 1500-1000 BCE from Early Vedic. Also, Book 1.9,10 are from same dates as they are continuation of same text and the story of events that lead to literature like Ramayana & Mahabharata. Book 2-7 is likely from 1500-1200 BCE which is 35% of RV. Book 1,8,9,,10( 65% of RV) is likely from 1300/1200-1000 BCE probably written in Kuru Kingdom around Modern day- Delhi after Battle of Ten kings mentioned in Rig Veda b/w various 10 Indo-Aryan tribes as it. mentions the story
I really enjoyed this video. Some time ago I had decided to learn 2nd century Majuscule Greek since there is still a healthy amount available to read from that era. I am currently working on trying to read Ancient Sumerian but alas, it's harder than I thought and there isn't a lot of content to read when I'm done. Love this topic!
Bakhtiyar Khilji burned down the Nalanda University (India) along with its huge library that contained more than a million manuscripts. Let that sink in. 💔
I consider all of those ancient books and texts as world human heritage. Over time each of them have contributed to our world knowledge base. And this means that we should value all of them as our own personal heritage und give it all the respect possible and all protection possible to preserve it for future generations and nations and make it accessible for everyone to read in the original and their own language. This is why education in different languages and learning about the history of different nations, studying their cultures and values still matters. The world will fall in the same traps as the old cultures did, if we do not learn about their success and mistakes.
considering how long Vedic and other books were simply memorized and passed on orally, it will be difficult to pin a date on any physical books. however the human physiological corelate of having prodigious memories was likely large brains with correspondingly large areas (Brocca, Wernicke) used for remembering, processing, and writing language. that's hard to date. what do some think?
You can almost date modern books to the month they were written in by the use of certain new words or memes. I can just imagine future historians arguing over when something was written and their argument being "the word fleek does not appear once in the text, it must be pre 2015"
Just let you know your lecture is way more interesting than your introduction. Your lecture reminded me why I enjoyed my college years. Your introduction reminded me why I hated my college years. Please take it into consideration.
All the book burnings throughput history. It's so sad. Then the library of Alexandria heart breaking. I can only imagine the knowledge that's lost to History.
It wasn’t a complete loss as many scrolls burned were not the only copy. Supposedly Mark Anthony gave Cleopatra 200,000 scrolls so not everything was lost, Renee.
Fortunately all the books did make it in one way or another. Example whoever wrote the first books used in yielded a spiritual relevance that relevance can be analyzed revealing the information in its entirety in its original language and that is just the common basic average normal step there are advanced expert so forth and so on.
Rig veda isnt written in between 1500-1000 BCE. It was said like rig veda transmitted to next gen orally in that time period. And the text written after 300BCE
What are your thoughts on the recent discovery of spanish stonehenge thanks to Europe drought? And what do you think if there’s lost ancient civilization under the sea ?
Atlantis not real. Doggerland, Pavlopetri, Mahabalipuram all real (edit: And cool. And there's many other flooded places also cool) Spanish Stonehenge (Guadalperal Dolmen) was known about for almost 100 years, it's just recently become visible. It was flooded in 1963 to create a reservoir. It has been visible several times in the past decade, whenever water level is low, most notably in 2019. It's cool Edit: drought bad. Global heating real and bad and artificially worsened by human activity
