Many events recorded in the Bible took place alongside the civilizations surrounding Israel, making knowledge of those cultures invaluable for understanding Scripture. One of the greatest breakthroughs came on July 19, 1799, when French officer Pierre-François Bouchard discovered the Rosetta Stone while rebuilding Fort Julien in Egypt.

The stone contained the same inscription in Greek and two forms of ancient Egyptian. Because scholars could read Greek, they finally had a key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. After the stone was transferred to Britain, Thomas Young identified several hieroglyphs and recognized that one Egyptian script was phonetic. Building on his work, French scholar Jean-François Champollion fully deciphered the inscription, revealing it to be a decree issued by King Ptolemy IV around 196 BC.

The Rosetta Stone unlocked the language of ancient Egypt, allowing scholars to read tombs, monuments, and historical records for the first time in centuries. This transformed our understanding of Egyptian civilization and provided valuable historical context for the Bible, helping researchers better understand Egypt’s religion, rulers, and events connected to biblical history, including the period of the Exodus.

Also On This Day

1597 – Annaken van den Hove becomes the last Anabaptist martyr in Flanders. Catholic theologians determined she deserved death as a heretic and handed her over to the civil authorities, who buried her alive.

1838 – Christmas Evans, one of the most notable Welsh preachers, died.

1850 – John Joseph Hughes was consecrated as the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York.

1948 – Gilbert Mulaha experienced salvation. Following his filling with the Holy Spirit a few months later, he became a Bible student, an evangelist, a man of prayer, and a prominent Christian leader in Kenya, noted for his advocacy of holy living.