# What's the Oldest Book You've Read? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473 **Category:** Cafe Society **Created:** [October 18, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473 "2008-10-18T00:45:18Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/1 "2008-10-18T00:45:18Z")
For me, it’s [The Epic of Gilgamesh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh). I don’t think I’ll be breaking that record anytime soon. ---
### Author: ![Just1Lurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@Just1Lurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just1Lurk) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/2 "2008-10-18T00:47:31Z")
Don Quixote ---
### Author: ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/3 "2008-10-18T00:56:05Z")
The Bible. 😉 Didn’t get past Numbers, though. ---
### Author: ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/4 "2008-10-18T00:58:12Z")
The Torah. ---
### Author: ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/5 "2008-10-18T00:58:17Z")
**The book of Job** , though we can’t know when it was written. It’s probably the oldest book in the Bible, putting quite a way back. ---
### Author: ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/6 "2008-10-18T01:13:44Z")
Almost non-religious fiction and also the most boring book I’ve ever finished because I had to for school: The Pilgrim’s Progress From this World to That Which is to Come: Delivered Under the Similitude of a Dream Wherein is Discovered, The Manner of his Letting Out, His Dangerous Journey; And Safe Arrival at the Desired Country. Modern publishers try to hide this books boring, boring innards by titling it Pilgrim’s Progress. Beowulf is pretty old too. It’s older than Pilgrim’s Progress but it sure doesn’t feel older than Pilgrim’s Progress. ---
### Author: ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/7 "2008-10-18T01:16:12Z")
The Odyssey, The Old Testament, and I feel like one other but I can’t think what it is. ---
### Author: ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/8 "2008-10-18T01:19:40Z")
I’ve read The Iliad, the Old Testament, and The Art of War. I think the original dates of all are disputed. ---
### Author: ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/9 "2008-10-18T01:22:11Z")
If you’re talking about when it was printed, I’ve read part of the book where Darcy comes up with his law concerning head loss through soils. If you’re talking about when it was written, Plato’s Republic. ---
### Author: ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/10 "2008-10-18T01:23:20Z")
I’ve read _The Odyssey_, _The Iliad_, and _The Aeneid_, and _The Art of War_. For “Non-classical” literature; probably Sir Thomas Malory’s[_Le Morte D’Arthur_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Morte_D%27Arthur), with the original spelling (The grammar and paragraphing had been cleared up and the spelling had been given some consistency, though), along with Marco Polo’s _Travels_ and Niccolo Machiavelli’s _The Prince_. ---
### Author: ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/11 "2008-10-18T02:06:43Z")
Parts of The Canterbury Tales and The Decameron, in high school. I remember liking both, especially The Decameron. ---
### Author: ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/12 "2008-10-18T02:50:01Z")
Plato’s _Republic_, if that counts. ---
### Author: ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/13 "2008-10-18T02:52:00Z")
Gilgamesh. But it’s the oldest literature period. After that, Illiad and Odyssey. ---
### Author: ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/14 "2008-10-18T02:56:19Z")
Counting non-literary texts: I’ve read some Linear B texts, though I forget why. Literary texts: Depending on who has priority, either Homer or Hesiod. ---
### Author: ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/15 "2008-10-18T02:59:41Z")
Does [Bladder-Head Boy](http://www.folklore.bc.ca/Bladderheadboy.htm) count as literature? ---
### Author: ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/16 "2008-10-18T03:24:25Z")
It’d be interesting to consider the oldest book not read in translation. I’ve read bits of the Greek Bible, and a large part of _Parzival_, but for a whole work longer than a few pages, the oldest for me is _Gawain and the Green Knight_. ---
### Author: ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/17 "2008-10-18T03:26:31Z")
The Greek stuff (again…not counting the Bible) ---
### Author: ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/18 "2008-10-18T03:29:28Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > **The book of Job** , though we can’t know when it was written. It’s probably the oldest book in the Bible, putting quite a way back. Ditto. ---
### Author: ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/19 "2008-10-18T03:29:29Z")
The Bible. I’ve read chunks of it not in translation, too - I used to go to a Torah study thing in college that assumed a relatively decent knowledge of Hebrew (which, at the time, I actually had). Not counting the Bible…The Iliad, I guess. ---
### Author: ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl) #### Post date: [October 18, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473/20 "2008-10-18T03:31:34Z")
But _everybody’s_ read The Iliad and The Odyssey, no? I had to read those in High School. Isn’t it, like, required? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-book-youve-read/468473.md?page=2)