The Derveni Papyrus, an ancient Greek scroll from the era of Philip II of Macedon (340-320 BC), is considered the oldest readable manuscript in Europe still preserved today, according to the Greek Reporter website. Its name derives from the site where it was discovered about six miles north of Thessaloniki, and it is currently kept in the Archaeological Museum there. The papyrus was found in 1962 within the remains of a funerary pyre in a local cemetery, alongside rich artifacts primarily metal tools. After meticulous work to separate and reassemble the charred scroll layers, twenty-six columns of text were uncovered, though their lower parts were lost in the fire. The papyrus contains a philosophical treatise and symbolic commentary on an ancient Orphic poem related to the birth of deities. Followers of Orphism revered the legendary poet Orpheus and worshipped Persephone and Dionysus, who descended to and returned from the underworld.

The authorship is debated among scholars, with candidates including Euthyphron of Prospalta, Diagoras of Milos, or Stesimbrotos of Thasos. The text features a mixture of dialects, mainly Attic and Ionic Greek, with some Doric forms appearing occasionally. The papyrus was the first Greek item inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World program, aimed at preserving global documentary heritage by highlighting the value of past works and facilitating access. UNESCO stated that the Derveni Papyrus is immensely important not only for studying Greek religion and philosophy, foundational to Western philosophical thought, but also as early evidence of Orphic poems offering a unique version of pre-Socratic philosophers. According to UNESCO, the Derveni Papyrus, the first book of the Western tradition, has a global impact reflecting universal human values.