Much more than a decoding exercise centered on a single artifact, the race to decipher the Rosetta Stone brought humanists and scientists together in a wild and unpredictable intellectual adventure. Join writer and historian Diane Josefowicz as she presents the new and neglected archival evidence at the heart of this quest and situates the decipherment within broader nineteenth-century disputes about language, historical evidence, biblical truth, and the value of classical learning.
The Riddle of the Rosetta is available for preorder from Princeton UP at a 30% discount, redeemed by using code RR30-FG at checkout.
EX LIBRIS is a series of virtual programs produced by the Providence Athenæum. Featuring an array of humanities scholars, authors, historians, and thought leaders, these short conversations illuminate fascinating topics and inspire the intellectually curious. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the speaker after the presentation. You will need access to a computer or other internet-connected device to join the program on Zoom.
--
Diane Josefowicz is the author, with Jed Z. Buchwald, of The Zodiac of Paris: How an Improbable Controversy over an Ancient Artifact Provoked a Controversy Between Science and Religions(Princeton University Press, 2010) and The Riddle of the Rosetta:How an English Polymath and a French Polyglot Discovered the Meaning of Egyptian Hieroglyphs (Princeton University Press, 2020). A native Rhode Islander, she lives in Providence with her family.