Credit is given to the Greek author Herodotus, who wrote a book called “History” in the 5th century Before Christ which described the Greco-Persian wars. He is known as the "father of history". Side Note – I’m sure there were many other ancient texts before Herodotus but he is credited with writing the first book.

There's no single candidate for the oldest book as such, because the earliest texts were lists of items on tablets, then catalogues, then descriptive catalogues and so on. These were all pre-Minoan texts, carved into tablets. The oldest known story is the Epic of Gilgamesh. And yes, you can find it on Amazon.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Babylonia and is arguably the oldest known work of literature, predating 2000 BC.

The bible is the first book ever written. The bible means a storybook. And God created everything. So wouldn't that be the first book that counted?

Well, if you're talking about on 'paper' of some sort, it almost has to be something Egyptian or Chinese, probably Chinese.

What about the Egyptian Book of the Dead, approximately 3,500 BC? "Mine is yesterday, I know tomorrow."

"how to catch a mammoth" by Gronk, it was a limited edition, hand copied from about 56,000 BC

No one can ever say what was the first book EVER written. We weren't there. It probably didn't survive, even if it was written on a stone tablet or carved into the side of a mountain. The bible is up there for oldest, not as a full collection (which is what it is, a collection of 66 smaller books) but the book of Job is considered one of the oldest as it was written about 3,500 years ago. The other books by Moses are also about the same age. No one knows for sure.

I would like to believe the bible. However, the Bible itself is a collaboration of books. I know that other scrolls have been found. Would these scrolls be considered books? Or are we talking about PUBLISHED books? What do we consider PUBLISHED books? Is it enough to discover written material and put it in an understandable order, thus creating a book, or is the text /scroll itself a book? I know the Bible is the oldest published book.

1) "Nowadays there is more-or-less consensus on a few points concerning the origin of writing. First of all, writing was invented independently in at least three places, Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica. Recent discoveries might also provide evidence that writing was invented in Egypt and Indus independently of Mesopotamia." Source and further information: http://www.ancientscripts.com/ws_origins.html 2) Maybe that one... http://homepage.mac.com/doubtboy/First.html ;-) 3) Here a list of ancient texts of the Bronze Age: "Early Bronze Age (ca. 3300 to 2000 BC) approximate dates shown 6600 BC Jiahu script from Henan, China. 2600 BC Sumerian texts from Abu Salabikh, including the Instructions of Shuruppak and the Kesh Temple Hymn 2400 BC Egyptian Pyramid Texts, including the Cannibal Hymn (in parts likely composed from as early as 3000 BC[citation needed]) 2400 BC Palermo stone 2350 BC The Maxims of Ptahhotep 2270 BC Sumerian Enheduanna tablet hymns (earliest author known by name) 2050 BC Sumerian Code of Ur-Nammu 2000 BC Egyptian Coffin Texts inscriptions 2000 BC Sumerian Lament for Ur 2000 BC Sumerian Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000 to 1600 BC) approximate dates shown 1900 BC Egyptian Westcar Papyrus; assumed age of the text, the surviving papyrus copy dates to ca. 1700 BC. 1950-1750 BC Kultepe texts The Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumerian version) Egyptian Story of Sinuhe (in Hieratic) Enûma Elish (Akkadian version) Atra-Hasis epic (Akkadian version) 1780 BC Babylonian Code of Hammurabi stele 1750 BC Hittite Anitta tablets 1650 BC Egyptian Ipuwer papyrus 1600 BC Chinese Oracle bones Late Bronze Age (ca. 1600 to 1200 BC) approximate dates shown 1500 BC Hittite military oath 1500-1100 BC Vedic Sanskrit Rigveda (redaction likely around 800 BC) 1550 BC Egyptian Book of the Dead 1400 BC Hurrian & Ugaritic Amarna Letters 1330 BC Great Hymn to the Aten the Babylonian Poor Man of Nippur the Epic of Gilgamesh (Akkadian version) " Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_literature However, the Jiahu script would not qualify as a book, there are just a few signs: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2956925.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiahu_script

Plain and simple "The Diamond Sutra" 868 AD Look it up. Here is some info. The world's earliest dated (868 AD) printed book is a Chinese scroll about sixteen feet long and containing the text of the Diamond Sutra. It was found in 1907 by the archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein in Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and is now in the British Museum. The book displays a great maturity of design and layout and speaks of a considerable ancestry for woodblock printing. The colophon, at the inner end, reads: Reverently [caused to be] made for universal free distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the 13th of the 4th moon of the 9th year of Xiantong [i.e. 11th May, CE 868 ].

I'm still amazed that people can be ignorant to the point of believing that the Bible is the oldest book ever written. What do they teach in American schools for history? And the oldest printed book in existence is indeed a copy of the Diamond Sutra, as another poster mentioned.

I think the oldest is The Audacity of Hope. By Barack Obama. Can you believe that it was written in the twentienth century? Maybe it was the 21st. Still not sure.

Book: A written or printed work on sheets of paper bound by covers. So, scrolls, stone tablets, clay tablets, wax tablets, wooden boards, chiseled stone, leather skins, crop circles, ect..don't qualify as a proper answer to this question. Whether you agree or disagree the collection of Old and New Testament writings were the first to ever be bound and distributed as an actual book. Obviously those who are anti-christian will try and convince you otherwise. The earliest complete copy of the New Testament was written out no long after A.D. 300, it is called the Codex Sinaiticus and it now is in preservation at the British Museum in London. John 3:16

Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.

infact the oldest book was an account book of taxable produce and stock