# Oldest known joke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958 "2006-10-26T09:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/1 "2006-10-26T09:30:28Z")
What is the earliest recorded (as in written) instance of a use of language that a historian would have reason to believe was an attempt at humor with no other intended purpose? A qualified entry would have been funny for its target audience but not necessarily to a modern audience (humor being subjective and all, the intent of the author is most important here) Excuse the wordiness but I want to frame my question in a way that is specific so as to increase the chances of a possible definitive answer. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/2 "2006-10-26T09:37:20Z")
Oh, and I expect some comedians to show up here. If you’re attempting a serious answer, just give some background as to _why_ you think such-and-such might be the oldest joke. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/3 "2006-10-26T10:23:08Z")
oldest one I can remember concerns a Roman emperor who collected taxes on urine from the city urinals (which was used in making felt). His son asked for money and he handed over a few coins. Thanks, dad, the kid says and walks away. Dad calls after him, Does it smell funny? Kid sez no, why? Dad says That’s funny, it came straight from the urinal! ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/4 "2006-10-26T13:58:30Z")
A Roman Emperor? Surely the ancient Greek comedies pre-date the founding of the Roman Empire. Of course, REAL humor didn’t exist until the invention of the light bulb. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/5 "2006-10-26T14:11:46Z")
There must be some examples of Hebrew jokes in the old testament? I’m thinking more along the lines of puns / homonyms or situational humour. Abraham being told at the age of 100 that he would father a nation of desendents certainly provokes a ROTFLMAO response… (Gen. 17:17) ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/6 "2006-10-26T14:20:41Z")
Here’s one from 573 AD: Gregory the Great, on being shown some fair-haired Anglo-Saxon children brought to Rome as slaves, remarked _Non Angli sed Angeli, si forent Christiani._ ((If they were Christians, they’d be angels rather than Angles") ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/7 "2006-10-26T14:23:42Z")
[QUOTE=cmkeller] …Of course, REAL humor didn’t exist until the invention of the light bulb. [/QUOTE] I’d think the door beats the lightbulb. Unless knock-knock jokes aren’t funny! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/8 "2006-10-26T14:26:29Z")
[QUOTE=crowmanyclouds] I’d think the door beats the lightbulb. Unless knock-knock jokes aren’t funny! [/QUOTE] Surely roads and chickens predate doors? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/9 "2006-10-26T14:27:06Z")
crowmanyclouds: > [@](#): > > I’d think the door beats the lightbulb. But _how many_ doors does it take to beat a lightbulb? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/10 "2006-10-26T14:35:01Z")
I guess it depends on how you define “joke.” The oldest known examples of humor are found in ancient Egyptian graffiti, much of which was scatological or obscene in nature and some of which contained slapstick images like people being pecked in the ass by birds or having bricks dropped on their heads. As for written jokes as we would recognize them, I don’t know exactly _which_ joke would be the oldest but ancient Greek literature is full of them. The Athenian playwright, Aristophanes (5th Century BCE) was kind of the Kevin Smith of his day. His plays were filled with dick and fart jokes. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/11 "2006-10-26T14:41:36Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] What is the earliest recorded (as in written) instance of a use of language that a historian would have reason to believe was an attempt at humor with no other intended purpose? A qualified entry would have been funny for its target audience but not necessarily to a modern audience (humor being subjective and all, the intent of the author is most important here) Excuse the wordiness but I want to frame my question in a way that is specific so as to increase the chances of a possible definitive answer. [/QUOTE] Oldest known joke? Joke about oldest known person. Re: fleas/lice. **“Adam hadem”** 😉 Couldn’t resist. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/12 "2006-10-26T15:10:32Z")
Oldest joke? “Pull my finger.” ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/13 "2006-10-26T15:29:50Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Oldest joke? “Pull my finger.” [/QUOTE] Illustrated [here.](http://battellemedia.com/images/sistine%20chapel.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/14 "2006-10-26T16:51:52Z")
[QUOTE=spingears] Oldest known joke? Joke about oldest known person. Re: fleas/lice. **“Adam hadem”** 😉 Couldn’t resist. [/QUOTE] Actually that is often cited humorously as the shortest poem rather than the oldest joke, thusly FLEAS Adam Had 'em ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/15 "2006-10-26T17:11:12Z")
[QUOTE=Scarlett67] Illustrated [here.](http://battellemedia.com/images/sistine%20chapel.jpg) [/QUOTE] Now _that’s_ funny! ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/16 "2006-10-26T17:20:48Z")
First man: My wife went on vacation. Second man: D’yer mak’er? First man: No, she went of her own volition. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/17 "2006-10-26T17:38:39Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] Second man: D’yer mak’er? [/QUOTE] And how are you pronouncing that? Ja! … Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/18 "2006-10-26T17:54:05Z")
Pronounced as “jamaic-er.” (did you make her?) Like the title of the Led Zeppelin song. Now you know the _rest_ of the story. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/19 "2006-10-26T17:57:25Z")
The [Epic of Gilgamesh](http://www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.htm), possibly the oldest known literature, from about 2000 BC, contains a joke of sorts. Gilgamesh has been challenged to stay awake for a week. Instead he falls asleep for a week, and when awakened denies it: > [@](#): > > So she baked loaves of bread, each day one loaf, and put it beside his head, and she marked on the wall the days that he slept; and there came a day when the first loaf was hard, the second loaf was like leather, the third was soggy, the crust of the fourth had mould, the fifth was mildewed, the sixth was fresh, and the seventh was still on the embers. Then Utnapishtim touched him and he woke. Gilgamesh said to Utnapishtim the Faraway, ‘I hardly slept when you touched and roused me.’ “I was just resting my eyes!” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958/20 "2006-10-26T17:58:17Z")
[The master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_244.html), sorta: > [@](#): > > Bathroom jokes. Scatological humor is beneath the Bible, eh? See what you make of 1 Samuel 4-6. The Philistines, having captured the Ark of the Covenant, are visited with twin plagues: mice and, depending on whose translation you accept, either tumors or hemorrhoids. Cecil naturally prefers the latter. Consider the ineffable poignance of the following: “There was a deadly destruction throughout all the city . . . and the men that died not were smitten with the hemorrhoids: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.” > > The Philistines ask their priests what to do, and the priests say to send the Ark back to the Hebrews with a “trespass offering.” What kind of offering, the Philistines ask. “They answered, five golden hemorrhoids, and five golden mice, [one each for the five] lords of the Philistines.” My consultants caution that the author of this did not necessarily think it was funny, and I am confident this column’s refined and sensitive readers will not think it is funny either. But nobody’s going to tell me whoever wrote it didn’t have his tongue stuck firmly in cheek. Daniel [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-known-joke/377958.md?page=2)