10 Incredible Texts From Our Ancient Past

There are literally thousands of incredible texts that have survived from the ancient world, which are etched onto copper, beautifully inscribed on papyrus, chipped onto tablets, and even written using the ink of ground down gold and precious stones.

Background: A manuscript page from Timbuktu. Top Left: Sutra of the great virtue of wisdom, 5th century Chinese manuscript on silk brought back from the Mogao Caves by the Pelliot mission, now at Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Bottom Right: Part of the Qumran Copper Scroll. Wikimedia Commons

There are literally thousands of incredible texts that have survived from the ancient world, which are etched onto copper, beautifully inscribed on papyrus, chipped onto tablets, and even written using the ink of ground down gold and precious stones. While it is impossible to choose the best of the bunch, we have chosen ten incredible texts to feature, which have served to open a window onto the daily lives of our ancestors and enhanced the knowledge we hold about our ancient past.  

1. The Dunhuang Manuscripts

Paul Pelliot examining manuscripts in Cave 17 at the Mogao Caves. Musée Guimet/Wikimedia Commons