Wednesday 11/February/2026 – 10:01 AM
French writer Claudine Le Tourneur Desson, author of the book “The Library of Alexandria: The First Intelligence in the World,” said that the goal of this book is to return to the roots of human knowledge to clarify that everything we call today “artificial intelligence” depends primarily on human intelligence and the knowledge they have recorded throughout history.
The importance of documenting events for knowledge
This came during the book launch ceremony at the Library of Alexandria, and she pointed out that humans were the first to realize the necessity of documenting events and knowledge through writing on stone or papyrus, which are the greatest inventions of humanity, because without them there would not have been any written knowledge or artificial intelligence later.
Regarding the Library of Alexandria, Deason emphasized that it is an amazing invention of mankind, and it was not founded by Alexander the Great himself, but by Ptolemy I, a student of Aristotle, who saw that the empire was not achieved by force alone, but rather by science and knowledge, and made it an authority based on science in the service of man. The library was later expanded by Ptolemy II and III, and was open to scholars from Egypt and Mesopotamia, with texts translated to ensure access to knowledge for all.
Deason explained that the library’s history was not without difficulties. The period of decline began under the rule of the later Ptolemies, and reached the era of Cleopatra, who showed exceptional intelligence and passion for knowledge since her childhood, and her ability to rule Egypt wisely. She realized that Egypt was weak before the Romans, so she chose diplomacy instead of military confrontation, and continued to protect knowledge and preserve the library during its political conflicts until her reign ended in suicide.
Deason stressed that the famous legend about the library’s fire during the conflict between Caesar and Ptolemy III is inaccurate, as no contemporary historian mentioned the complete burning of the library. It may have been partially damaged, but it continued until the third century AD, with gradual deterioration due to lack of funding and maintenance. Later, Christians destroyed some pagan texts and temples during the reign of Emperor Theodosius, including the Serapeum, which contained the subsidiary library.
