10/29/2002

EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-10219

LIBRARY IN ALEXANDRIA

Ancient Egypt was a cradle of civilization. Its many contributions to mankind include the first national government, arithmetic, the beginnings of writing, and the calendar used today.

The ancient Egyptians played an important role in the development of medicine, architecture, engineering, and the arts. Historians believe that during the fourth century B.C., a pupil of Aristotle named Demetrius of Phalerum was expelled from Athens and took refuge in Egypt. At his suggestion, the Egyptian king ordered the establishment of a library at Alexandria. The library was to contain "all the books of the world" and "the writings of all nations."

By the middle of the first century B.C., the library at Alexandria contained as many as seven-hundred-thousand manuscripts. Its scholars in residence included the great mathematician Euclid, Herophilus, considered to be the father of anatomy, and many other giants of science and literature.

The library stood for three-hundred years. Eventually it was lost to earthquake, fire, vandalism, neglect, and censorship by Christian and, later, Muslim authorities.

But this month the library of Alexandria was reborn. With contributions from many nations, as well as UNESCO, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is one of the largest libraries in the world. It has space for some two-thousand readers and as many as eight-million books. Its internet archive spans billions of pages. "Having this beacon of culture here will bring a great deal of attention and many visitors to Alexandria," said library organization director Dr. Muhsen Zahran. But its main purpose, he said, is "to develop the mind."

The development of the mind depends upon freedom of expression. Like all libraries, the Biblioteca Alexandrina will have to decide which publications are suitable for it. In so doing, library authorities can draw on the tradition that made its predecessor one of the marvels of the ancient world.