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jfinke jfinke
 
M$1 January 29, 2009 09:27 PM

What is literally the oldest joke in the book?

What is the first joke in recorded history?
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tomhere tomhere
 
 January 29, 2009 10:04 PM
The study that is referenced in the BBC article quoted by thx1138 was produced by Dr. Paul McDonald of the University of Wolverhampton.

The complete top 10 list can be found at this link:
http://uktv.co.uk/press/item/aid/604755

Here are a few excerpts to so you get the idea:

1. Something which has never occurred since time immemorial: a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap (1900 BC – 1600 BC Sumerian Proverb Collection 1.12-1.13)
(I guess you could credit the first joke in the list as the "first in recorded history")

5. Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his real name is nobody. When Odysseus instructs his men to attack the Cyclops, the Cyclops shouts: “Help, nobody is attacking me!” No one comes to help. (Homer. The Odyssey 800 BC)

10. Asked by the court barber how he wanted his hair cut, the king replied: “In silence.” (Collected in the Philogelos or “Laughter-Lover” the oldest extant jest book and compiled in the 4th/5th Century AD)

You can also find more detailed information on the study through these press releases:
http://www.wlv.ac.uk/Default.aspx?page=18098

http://uktv.co.uk/uktv/item/aid/604709

The study was done for a website called "Dave the home of witty banter":

http://dave.uktv.co.uk/

The UKTV Press Office (at http://uktv.co.uk/press/item/aid/604755 ) Notes:

Dr Paul McDonald from the University of Wolverhampton is an eminent lecturer whose work on comedy writing and humour research has been published extensively worldwide. Dr McDonald, the author of The Dave Historical Humour Study is available for interview.

Dave – the home of witty banter – showcases the best in contemporary entertainment alongside the very best quiz shows and cult comedies, including QI, Top Gear, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The Catherine Tate Show, and its own originations including the World Rally Championships. www.dave-tv.co.uk.
Source(s):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7536918.stm
http://uktv.co.uk/press/item/aid/604755
http://www.wlv.ac.uk/Default.aspx?page=18098
http://uktv.co.uk/uktv/item/aid/604709
http://dave.uktv.co.uk/



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thx1138 thx1138
 
January 29, 2009 09:34 PM
Hello jfinke and thank you for the question.

From the BBC:

"Academics have compiled a list of the most ancient gags and the oldest, harking back to 1900BC, is a Sumerian proverb from what is now southern Iraq.

"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap," goes the joke.

Randy pharaohs, thirsty ox-drivers and barbers also feature in the list.

The oldest British joke dates back to the 10th Century, and uses the traditional question and answer format to suggestively poke fun at Anglo-Saxon men.

"What hangs at a man's thigh and wants to poke the hole that it's often poked before? A key."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7536918.stm

All the best

THX1138
Source(s):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7536918.stm


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socrtwo socrtwo
 
January 30, 2009 04:43 AM
If you talking about "The Book" then you mean jokes in the Bible, and there aren't any that I noticed, but scholars can probably name a few. One about the Bible, not really from it, is: Q: Who were the three shortest men in the Bible?
A: Bildad the shoe-height, Knee-high Miah, and Peter the man who fell asleep On His Watch.

Apparently that joke was told by by missionary great-grandmother to my dad when he was growoing up so although being a Victorian she did have a sense of humor.
If I remember right
Source(s):
http://www.juliantrubin.com/biblejokes/newbiblejokes.html - thanks for reminding me about that Bible joke.


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bernices bernices
 
January 31, 2009 07:58 PM
Awww.. It's not the oldest, but definitely an honorable mention. The Monty Python dead parrot skit was found in Egypt in the early 200s B.C.!
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/jul/10/20040710-094510-7415r/?page=2

Here's the modern take:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218

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