What is the oldest joke in the world?
The oldest recorded joke in the world dates back to 1900 BC and suggests that "toilet humor" was also popular in ancient times, writes "Reuters".
It originates from the ancient Sumerians, who lived in the area of present-day southern Iraq, and reads: "What has never happened since time immemorial?" "A young woman did not fart on her husband's lap."
Following this, the oldest pharaoh joke dates back to 1600 BC, believed to be about Pharaoh Snofru, and reads: "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh?" You send a boat full of young women, dressed only in fishing nets, down the Nile and encourage Pharaoh to go fishing."
"Jokes have changed over the years, with some consisting of questions and answers, while others are wise sayings and riddles," said Dr Paul Macdonald, an expert from the University of Wolverhampton, who published a list of the world's ten oldest jokes in 2008.
"But what all jokes have in common is their ability to tackle taboos and have a degree of rebellion. Modern puns, girl jokes, etc. "Toilet humor" can also be observed in these old jokes that we found in this research," says Dr. MacDonald.
