One of the most important discoveries made concerning the historical and cultural study of ancient Egypt is undoubtedly the translation of the known form of writing under the name of hieroglyphs. This language, lost for thousands of years, constituted a tempting challenge for the young Jean François who devoted his life to its translation. Scholars such as Sylvestre de Sacy had attempted to translate the Rosetta Stone before Champollion, but after painstaking and unsuccessful work, they abandoned it (Giblin 32). Champollion's breakthrough with the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone opened new possibilities for studying and understanding ancient Egypt like never before, and modern Egyptology was born. The Rosetta Stone was found in the town of Rosetta and sent to French scholars in Alexandria during the summer of 1799. (Giblin 23). This black stone measuring 112 by 76 found while the city's soldiers were destroying a citadel was unprecedented because it carried three different languages, the only one understood being Greek (Silet 1). The three languages ​​on the stone were, as noted, Greek, Common Egyptian Demotic, and 14 lines of hieroglyphics (Giblin 27). Scholars familiar with the Greek language and writing system were able to translate this section, and the final sentence revealed a fact that laid the foundation for future translations of the other parts. The last line reads: “This decree shall be inscribed on a stele of hard stone in sacred, native and Greek characters” (Giblin 27). It was understood that all three sections contained the same message, and scholars quickly set to work on the translations. One of the first to work with copies made from the stone (the British had taken the stone during their war with the French) with...... middle of article ......and historians. Even if the Rosetta Stone remains in London, France triumphantly imposes itself as the country responsible for the man who made its translation and the rejuvenation of Egyptology possible.Works Cited1. Giblin, James. The enigma of the Rosetta Stone. New York: Harper Trophy, 1990. Print2. Meyerson, Daniel. The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone Westminster, MD: Ballantine Books, 2004. Web.3. Robinson, Andrew. “The Codebreaker’s Secret Diaries: Rediscovering Ancient Egypt.” History Today 60.1 (2010): 57-58. Internet. February 15, 2012.4. Silet, Charles LP “The Rosetta Stone and the Renaissance of Ancient Egypt”. Magill Book Review (2007). Web February 15, 2012.5. Champollion: Egyptian hieroglyphs deciphered: a film. Real. Jean Vidal. Magic Films and the International Film Bureau, 1979. VHS.