Why The Rosetta Stone Failed To Decipher The Egyptian Medu Neter

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone did not result in the decipherment of the Egyptian Medu Neter script which according to Dr Theophile Obenga is the oldest writing system in the world.

In this entry, we will explore the reasons why the Rosetta Stone failed to decipher the Egyptian Medu Neter Script.

The Rosetta Stone was written in three scripts—hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek.

The decipherment of the Hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone

The decipherment of the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone was achieved by looking for a text that contained both Greek and Egyptian writing, which then gave scholars the opportunity to compare and find similarities. 

Why the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone did not lead to the decipherment of the Medu Neter

The decipherment of the Rosetta Stone did not lead to the decipherment of the Medu Neter firstly because most of the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone were in Greek and not Egyptian. 

The Egyptian Script on the Rosetta stone was in Hieroglyphic and Demotic script and only the Demotic Script could be compared to the Greek to obtain an understanding of the Rosetta Stone. 

Understanding The Medu Neter

The Egyptian Medu Neter means ‘Words of Nature’.

According to Dr Theophile Obenga, the Medu Neter is the oldest known writing system in the world dating back to around 3 400 BCE.

The Medu Neter consists largely of a combination of Idiograms. 

Conclusion

It is clear that the Rosetta Stone did not decipher the Egyptian Medu Neter because only the Greek and Demotic Script could be compared in understanding the Rosetta Stone. 

However, without the partial decipherment of the Rosetta Stone, we would not be able to read some Ancient Egyptian texts today.