skip to page content - When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in
1798, he brought with him an entourage of more than 160 scholars
and scientists. Known as the French Commission on the Sciences
and Arts of Egypt, these experts undertook an extensive survey
of the country’s archeology, topography, and natural history.
Among the contributors to the survey was Jean François
Champollion, who used the famous Rosetta Stone to unlock many of
the mysteries that long had surrounded the language of ancient
Egypt. In 1802 Napoleon authorized the publication of the
commission’s findings in a monumental, multi-volume work that
included plates, maps, scholarly essays, and a detailed index.
Publication of the original Imperial edition began in 1809. It
proved so popular that a second edition was published under the
post-Napoleonic Bourbon Restoration. The “Royal edition”
(1821-29) from the collections of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is
presented here. Imprimerie impériale, Paris Title in Original
Language Description de l'Egyp