Breaking World Records

○ There weren't many people writing things down back in the days of Ancient
Greece, which is why it was such a tragedy when the Library of Alexandria,
one of the most expansive collections of texts in classical civilization, was
burned to the ground (possibly). Another ancient library, the Abbasid
Caliphate's House of Wisdom, was destroyed when the Mongols swept by
on their way to Hungary and back again. Discuss with your team: how does
destroying a society's history impact it? What would happen in our own world
if information-tracking resources like Wikipedia and TikTok suddenly
vanished?

The title of this section is very deceiving, we are talking about “Records of History”, not actually World
Records. (clever) Anyway, to the topic at hand. This section discusses two particular destructions of
libraries, the Library of Alexandria and the House of Wisdom. The Library of Alexandria was supposedly
in Egypt and was destroyed by Julius Caesar (maybe). The House of Wisdom was in the Abbasid
Caliphate and was destroyed by the Mongols.

Firstly, the Library of Alexandria. A library put together by Ptolemy I, containing half a million documents
from the civilizations of Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India, and many other neighboring states. Many
scholars did translations. It was a global center of knowledge. However, it is confusing how it was
destroyed. The first suspect was Caesar. When chasing Ptolemy, Caesar was blocked by an Egyptian
fleet at Alexandria. Thus, to keep pursuing Ptolemy, Caesar ordered that the fleet be set on fire. However,
as a result of the fire on the fleet, large parts of the city were burnt down, including the Library of
Alexandria. However, there are issues here. The documents show Caesar mentioning starting a fire, but
not the burning of the Library. Furthermore, while this could have been writing his own history, even his
detractors never mentioned the Library, a very strong point they would have had against Caesar. This
makes it unlikely that he was the sole perpetrator.

The second is a very popular interpretation due to Edward Gibbon’s book, “The Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire.” His explanation is Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria between 385 and 412 AD was
to blame. During his rule, he converted the Temple of Serapis to a Christian Church, likely causing the
destruction of numerous documents, about 10% of the contents of the Library. When he died, his nephew
Cylia became the Patriarchy. However, this caused riots, where Hierax, a Christian Monk was publically
executed by the order of Orestes, the city Prefect. People said Orestes was under the influence of
Hypatia, the female philosopher of the “last member of the Library of Alexandria.” Many sources even call
her the last Head Librarian. As a result of volatile politics due to Christians, Jews, and Pagans living
together, many claimed that the Alexandrians loved fighting. Thus, after the death of Hierax, the Jews
who instigated the killing said the church was on fire, inviting many Christians to the church. When the
Christians ran out, they were killed by the Jewish Mob. Due to this mass tragedy, Christians retaliated
against the Jews and Pagans, Hypatia being one of them. While the story varies by version, many say the
Christians dragged her through the streets and murdered her. Most say the death of Hypatia was the final
destruction of the Library, but others say Theophilus destroyed the last scrolls building the Christian
Church. Others blame Theophilus for simultaneously murdering Hypatia and destroying the Library, even
though Theophilus died before Hypatia.

The last suspect is Moslem Caliph Omar. When the Moslems took hold of Alexandria in 640, Caliph Omar
learned about the “great library containing all the knowledge of the world.” When informed by the general,
he said that the contents of the library would either “contradict the Koran”, which is Heresy, or “agree with
it”, which would be superfluous. Allegedly, all the texts were destroyed as tinder for the city’s bathhouses,
however, it would have taken 6 months to burn all the documents. However, these details were written
down 300 years after the fact, by Bishop Gregory Bar Hebraeus, a Christian who wrote a lot about
Moslem atrocities without documentation.

So who is the final perpetrator? It is hard to be sure. All of the accused individuals have some form of bias
against them. Everyone likely had a part in the destruction of the library. However, the library may have
also had a flow of documents when some were destroyed. Mark Antony supposedly gifted Cleopatra over
200,000 scrolls, after Julius Caesar was accused of burning them. It is also unlikely that the destruction of
the Main Library caused the Library to finish, as Hypatia continued. Most people conflate the Library of
Alexandria and the Library of Serapis, even though they were separate. Thus, we can never know for
sure who destroyed the Library of Alexandria.

The second case is that of the House of Wisdom. Here, the perpetrators are more clear-cut, but the story
is still convoluted. Established by Bibliophile (Book-savvy, not Christian) Muawiyah I, the Caliph of the
Umayyad Caliphate established the Bayt-Al Hikma, which became the House of Knowledge at the center
of the Islamic Golden Age. With help from Christian and Persian Scholars (multiculturalism win), most
foreign works were translated into Arabic, allowing for more intercultural communication and development
of the Arab World. This is what led to the Islamic Golden Age, where the Arab world flourished in terms of
science, culture as well as economy. When the Abbasids succeeded the Umayyads, the Caliph Al-Mansur
made Baghdad the new capital instead of Damascus. However, following his predecessor, Al-Mansur
promoted scholarship and the building of a Palace Library, allowing for the global exchange of
Knowledge. Successor Al-Mamun was very fond of science and favored it over wars. Thus, he worked
more towards the cause and claimed Ptolemy’s work Almagest as the peace condition within the Roman
Empire. The Abbasid society was generally scholarly, with academics given higher preference, and
academia considered a status symbol. (sounds fun) Besides Baghdad, many scholars visited the Abbasid
Caliphate, with Banu Musa Brothers (the Scientists), Al-Khwarizmi (the Mathematician), Al-Jahiz (the
Philosopher), Al-Kindi (the father of Arab Philosophy) and Al-Battani (the Astronomer) being just a few of
the scholars who visited the House of Wisdom. By the end of the ninth century, the House of Wisdom had
the world’s largest book collection (like the Library of Alexandria, guess what happens next).

Unfortunately, then came, the Mongols. (cue the John Green Mongoltage) Around 500 years after the
establishment of the Bayt-al Hikma by Muawiyah I, the Mongols attacked Baghdad in a thirteen-day
siege. They intended to plunder the capital and leave the land in ruins. And history says they did precisely
that. With Hulagu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, as a commander who launched a surprise attack,
they demanded the Caliph submit to the Khagan forces. These conditions were unacceptable for the
Abbasids, causing a siege of twelve days. Unable to fight back, the Abbasids were forced to surrender.
The pillaging, destruction, and atrocities endured by Baghdad are unimaginable. The Caliph was
immediately executed, while locals were massacred. During this siege, the books from the House of
Wisdom were thrown into the Tigris River. Many were ripped apart and burnt, while the leather covers
were used to make sandals. (ouch) The number of books thrown into the river was so many, that a bridge
could have been formed using just the books alone, which could support a man on a horse. The only
remaining books were the ones Nasir-Al-Din-Al-Tulsi took to Maragheh before the attack. This caused the
end of one of the House of Wisdom, one of the most advanced and diverse libraries in History, and ended
the Islamic Golden Age. Even more, the Mongols were never able to conquer Europe due to damp and
moist conditions in Hungary. That ended one of the most tragic chapters in history.

For the question at hand, destroying a society’s history and knowledge is the best way to end it and make
it submit. When a society loses its history, it is scarred to the point where it cannot recover. That is why
many sieges throughout history have involved the destruction of libraries, schools, universities, etc. If in
today’s society, the destruction of information tracking sources like Wikipedia and YouTube (sorry, not
mentioning TikTok) would be massively damaging to humanity’s collection of knowledge and would make
it very difficult for the commoner to access this knowledge. (it would also make many high schoolers very
disappointed) Thus, the destruction of knowledge resources always has had and will continue to have
horrible consequences for society.

○ On the other extreme lies the Tripitaka Koreana, the most

exhaustively-cataloged collection of Buddhist scriptures in the world. In the
11th century, Korean monks took 80 years to carve their entire canon into
wooden tablets—and then the Mongols (hello again!) destroyed them all.
Unfazed, the monks tried again, creating over 80,000 woodblocks. Their
effort was worth it; the new tablets have survived for almost a millennium.
Research how they disaster-proofed those tablets using the technologies
they had at the time. Should we adopt similar strategies for records of our
society? Is it possible for us to prepare for events we can't predict?
Let us visit Korea, shall we? The Tripitaka Koreana is a complete collection of Buddhist texts, laws,
and treaties that exists on Gaya Mountain in the Haeinsa Temple. There are 80,000 woodblocks of
engraving, and the Tripitaka has been used by Zen Buddhist authorities for around 1,000 years. This
wonder of the past is uncharacteristic when it comes to Korea’s history, as it is an original, instead of
a replication, and its history is very interesting. (the question provides a summary)

The original took more than 70 years to create, completed in 1087. However, as mentioned, the
Mongols destroyed it in 1232. However, King Gojong hoped that Buddha might intervene and cause
the Mongol Invaders to escape. Thus, he decided the collection must be remade. Despite being
destroyed, they wanted the Library to be remade! (yay) Thus, the library was made bigger and
better. Between 1237 and 1248, woodblocks were carved on Ganghwa Island, 30 miles west of
Seoul. (global round) As per tradition, magnolias, birches, and cherry trees from the Southern coast
of the Korean peninsula were used for wood, being cut into individual blocks during winter. This
prevented warping, where moisture causes deformities in wood. The wood was soaked in seawater
for three years to prevent this warping. After that, the pieces were boiled in salt water, preventing
insect infestations and molds. They were then dried before the carving began. The carvings of the
characters were very consistent and delicate, as they were made by one person.

Then, during the Yi Dynasty, this new Tripitaka was moved to Haiensa temple, close to the modern
city of Daegu. The buildings of Janggyeong Panjeon have been dated back to the 15th century, and
it was made specifically to house wooden blocks. As with most significant structures in Haeinsa, the
depositories were positioned at a higher level than the primary Buddha. This is because it was built
in the style of the early Joseon Dynasty, distinguished by simple details, and the harmony of layout,
size, and balance.

In order to protect the wood from deteriorating, the depositories have been constructed with
ventilation kept in mind, and temperatures and humidity kept moderate. The ingenious design has
kept the blocks safe for 750 years from pests, extreme weather conditions, and deterioration. This
has created a collection hardier than any other, despite being rebuilt.

The extremely effective conservation methods and the collection’s history make it unique, and thus it
was declared a National Treasure of South Korea in 1962, and UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1995. In 2000, after nine years of research, the Tripitaka Koreana was adapted digitally. (another
evolution) The work is also being taken from wood to copper plates to ensure preservation and serve
as a backup for the digital version. Meanwhile, hundreds of Buddhist pilgrims, historians and
scholars, buffs, and art lovers will continue to visit the Haeinsa temple to get a glance at one of the
most well-preserved libraries in history.
 ○ If someone invites you to the opening of a time capsule from the year 1800,
tell them it's a scam—the first time capsule, the "Century Safe", dates to
1876, and the term "time capsule" wasn't invented until the 1939 World's
Fair. Research these early time capsules and what they contained, along
with this much more recent Polish polar time capsule, then discuss with your
team: what would you put in a time capsule if you were making one for
scholars a hundred years from now? You may also want to look at the work
of the International Time Capsule Society, which is trying to make sure no
one forgets where all the time capsules are. (And there are apparently more
than ever—why do you think that is?)

Yo, time capsules! If I’m not wrong, this was also there last year. (someone verify that)

Now the link about Century Safe is blocked (thank you google 🙂) so I am going to use ChatGPT for
this. The Century Safe was a time capsule buried in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1876, for the
centennial celebration of the USA. However, it was initially not called a time capsule, as the term had
not been invented until 1939, as mentioned. It was a bronze box in a rectangular shape, measuring
2 by 2.5 feet, and weighing over 800 pounds. It was decorated with various inscriptions, which
included the seals of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The contents were
of the respective era, including but not limited to, newspapers, photographs, books, a telegraph key
(ancient), a daguerreotype of Abraham Lincoln (basically an old photo), etc. It was buried in the
Centennial Exhibition Building in Philadelphia and was not reopened until 1976. (timely!) It was
opened during the country’s bicentennial celebrations (shocking how this all happened without a
hitch), and the contents were displayed at the Philadelphia City Hall. The Century Safe contains
many significant artifacts of the late 1800s and provides a peek into America’s past. The values,
beliefs, and ambitions of those that lived during America’s Centennial. This time capsule inspired
many others, including the Westinghouse Time Capsule in 1939 (The First Time Capsule officially
named Time Capsule) and then 1964, and the International Time Capsule Society, founded in 1990.

There is then the Polish Polar Time Capsule. It is a stainless-steel tube, filled with artifacts that
display science and technology as it was in 2017. Buried on 17th September, it could stay within the
ground for half a million years before it will eventually resurface due to geological uplift and erosion.
It is five meters deep, in an out-of-use borehole at the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund, Svalbard.
(yes, that island every YouTuber talks about) The samples include a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite
(damn, as old as the Earth?) Basaltic lava from an Icelandic Volcanic Eruption, Namibian Sand with
particles of Kimberlite and Diamond, and other discoveries about the Earth’s Geology. For the
biologists, there are DNA Samples of Humans, Rats, Salmon, Potato, a Bee in Resin (oddly
specific), seeds, and 300 tardigrades. (an extremophile) This is believed to be enough to
communicate the modern technologies of 2017, packed into silicon-based electronic devices, such
as accelerometers, radiation detectors, and a phone. They also added a credit card (wonder whose
it is), a wristwatch, and a photograph (look at this photograph!), etched into porcelain, of Earth, taken
from Space! The time capsule was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Poland’s Polar Station,
set up in the International Geophysical Year 1957-58, a research project involving many geophysical
activities.

Lastly, there is the International Time Capsule, the official body of Time Capsules. (can’t believe this
exists, this is so cool!) It is referred to as “The Not Forgotten Library Depository.” (fun name) Its goal
is to track the world’s time capsules, such that they are created but not lost. This is because, as
founder Paul Hudson mentions, 80% of time capsules get lost or are not opened on the intended
date. Thus, the ITCS oversees registrations of time capsules and has received thousands since their
inception. This allows them to catalog time capsules so that they are not forgotten and are timely
opened. Fun! The digital and physical records of Oglethorpe University were recently permanently
transferred to the Not Forgotten Library Depository in 2020. This is a very unique International
Organization, and I am sure all time capsule enjoyers appreciate its existence.