I knew that would be the first comment someone would make.
The fact is this guy is a recognized authority on the history and archaeology of Alexandria. Despite their other faults the French do have over 200 years of credibility in Egyptian archaeology.
The fact is this guy is a recognized authority on the history and archaeology of Alexandria.I'm aware of the debate surrounding the burning of the library at Alexandria. My point -- to the extent that I ever have a point on FRidays other than getting in a cheap and lighthearted shot -- was to give M. Empereur a dose of his own dismissive medicine.
Perhaps a more serious iteration of my post would have been, M. Empereur's statement that "the stories about him are related by a Christian writer and cannot be trusted" is polemic, not scholarship.