Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-11
BURNING OF THE ALEXANDRA
AN LIBRARY

Alexandria is a celebrated city and
seaport out in the northern part of!
Egypt near the western most branch
OF the Nile. This ely communicates
with the Mcditerrancan sea by rail
way, canal and the river Nile. Alex.
andria was founded in 332 3. c. byI
Alexander the Great. Alexandria
made great progress under the dy-l
nasty Of the Ptolemies end became al
that time the center OF all science asI
we'll as the center of the greatest H.!
hrary in the world. Ptolcmy Soterl
founded and his successors enlarged
and extended the famous AlexandriarE
Library, which came to be the most
important collection of books that had
probably ever bee n"oIlected any-|
where in the world. This library isl
said to have contained half millionI
manuscripts. In connection with the
library was an institution which wast
virtually college where the most
distinguished scholars of the dayt
taught and studied
Potassium the kew to Egypt was cap
tured in $50 A. D., by the SaracensI
under tn" leadership of Amru, a ia !
nous soldier and follower of Nal
homet. The spirit of Amru wass
more liberal than that of his brethren
end in his leisure hours the Arabians
chief was pleased with the conversa-
ton of John the las. disciple of Am
months the Greek scholar. John hadk
derived the surname of Philoponuss
from his lahorious studies Of grant,
r"r and philosophy. f,mboldened bvE
Alexandria had rot been appropriated
presumed to solicit 4 gift, inestima-
in that of the Barbarians, the royalE
library which among the spoils oil
Alexandria had not bee nappronriated!
by the ronuueror Amru was inclineds
to rrc tifT tho wish Of the 9ra'Nmarians
hnt his rigid il, agritv refused to sur-i
render tho r'inutest object withouts
The consent Of his chief Omar the Ca
linh He well knew that the answer
Of Omar was inspird by the shirt
&c y fanatic: 'If these writings of theE
Greeks agree with the book of God
III" Koran. they are useless and needl
rot be preserved: if they disagreed
thnv are nnn:cious, and ought to bel
dcSt~cved'' Tho Caliph's sentercaI
was carried ont with blind ODE.
dienre. The volumes of paper were
Distributed to the four thousand baths
of he CITY: and su"h was their ,incred
ihle numhcr. th"t SIX months wasl
bar"'v efficient frr tho consrlmntion
of thu '.rccious frol Since the histo-i
- nf the dvnastieS by Abul Farai,
has been oiven to the world in Latin,
the t"1a Of the burning OF the library;
has been repeatedly transcribed; and
every scholar with piouS INDIGNATION
has deplored the objectionable ship
w-rr"k Of tho learnine Of ANTIQUITY. It.
is disclosed hv tho Mohammedan Cas-;
r;sts that the religious books Of the;
Jews and the Christians. which arel
acquired by the rioht of war. should
never he committed to the flames: and
that the works If the nrofane writers
on science, noetry. history, medicine.
and philosophy NAV be lawfully ap-
piled TO the use Of the faithful.
Alexandria had nossesSed two IL
l,~aries. orc of which was DESTROYED
during the time or the popular tumu1ts
in the reign of Ga1leimns 263 A. D.,
tho other evnerienred the same fate
lotor en-. These valuable collections
hod +he~nfore disapneared two hun
dred pr1 fftv wears before the inva-
SIGN of Eovpt BY Amrn and no ruler
had wished or been able to replace
tbon, TN
Eva Eugenia Weeks.