Modern man draws a significant part of knowledge from the media. But there were times when new knowledge could only be obtained from books. Sheets of papyrus or parchment scribbled with neat signs, rolled up or stapled together, were the first books.
From the history of books
For some time, oral legends were the only source of information. The transfer of knowledge and experience was carried out in ancient times from person to person, by word of mouth. Moreover, information was often lost or distorted beyond recognition. To get rid of this shortcoming, people began to look for ways to consolidate knowledge on some material basis, using picturesque writing, and then written speech.
The most advanced ancient civilizations ultimately invented writing. For this purpose, wooden boards, clay or wax tiles, sheets of soft metal were widely used. In ancient Egypt, for example, information was recorded on sheets of papyrus, made in a special way. The earliest records on papyrus folded into long scrolls date from the third millennium BC. We can assume that the Egyptian scrolls were the first books known in history.
The first manuscript books on parchment appeared much later, shortly before the advent of a new era. Sheets of such books were fastened together, making small volumes. Since one could only dream of copying technology in those years, specially trained people handwritten the first books in good faith. Several masters could work on one book at once: one prepared parchment sheets, the other diligently displayed written signs on them, the third worked on illustrations.
