Rosetta Stone decree Rosetta Stone decree The Decree of Memphis (Ptolemy V) is the third Memphis decree, the first being for his grandfather Ptolemy III (Decree of Canopus), and the second being The Raphia Decree (Ptolemy IV). The Decree for Ptolemy V is the text recorded on the Rosetta Stone (issued at Memphis in 196 BC) in the Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic (Egyptian) script, and Greek. The Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC, issued a series of decrees over the course of their reign. The Rosetta Stone is the best known example. After six lines of preview on
Rosetta Stone is its most-visited single object, and a simple image of it has been the museum's best selling postcard for several decades. The Rosetta Stone was originally displayed at a slight angle from the horizontal, and rested within a metal cradle that was made for it, which involved shaving off very small portions of its sides to ensure that the cradle fitted securely. It originally had no protective covering, and it was found necessary by 1847 to place it in a protective frame, despite the presence of attendants to ensure that it was not touched by visitors. Since 2004, the conserved