The Library That Vanished Overnight — 40,000 Scrolls Lost Forever

The Library That Vanished Overnight — 40,000 Scrolls Lost Forever

The Library of Alexandria was the most important library of the ancient world. It was founded in the early 3rd century BC in the Macedonian-Greek city of Alexandria, which had been established shortly before in Egypt. The Library was accidentally burned by Julius Caesar during his civil war in 48 BC, but it is unclear if that really happened and if so how much was actually destroyed.

Hallowedhistory tells what we know about it: What really happens when a great library disappears? The story behind a vanished library, the claims about 40,000 scrolls, the eyewitness reports and later investigations, and what scholars today say about the truth behind the legend.

This content is hosted by an external service. By viewing the external content, you accept the terms of use of youtube.com

Hear also: In his audio essay on kontrafunk, Uwe Jochum reports (in German) in detail on the rise and fall of the famous Library of Alexandria (see our post 11-01-2025)