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BIBLICAL LIBRARIES

it is through its building that this library was first of all in its influence on other libraries and is most significant for moderns. It set the type, so it is alleged, for ancient library buildings, and it has given to moderns the key to these ancient library buildings.

Near the end of the nineteenth century the remains of the library building at Pergamon were uncovered and showed a series of rooms adjoining a colonnade, one of these at least fitted for wall cases or shelves, and having a statue of Athena. In this room or rooms were inscribed the names of various writers; Herodotus, Homer, Alcaeus, Timotheus of Miletus, also the titles of two works—comedies. These are the now recognized elements of the Greek library building

and their discovery together served to crystallize the bits of information from other libraries here and there into what is now recognized as the type of the

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