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The Library and Museum were founded sometime between 300 and 290 BC. Scholars are unclear on who founded it but most agree it was either the first or the second King from the Ptolemaic dynasty. The Ptolemies were a dynasty of Pharaohs who ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. The first Ptolemy was a general under Alexander the Great. They financially supported the library and its scholars and as such earned a reputation in the ancient world for being culturally enlightened rulers.<ref>Thiem, Jon. “The Great Library of Alexandria Burnt: Towards the History of a Symbol”. <i>Journal of the History of Ideas 40.4 (1979):507. Web. 6 Dec, 2015, </ref>
The Library of Alexandria contained both a library and a museum. The museum was made of a community of scholars who were involved in academic as well as religious pursuits. The museum was named for the Muses, the Greek goddesses of artistry and scholarship. Its resident scholars studied mathematics, medicine, astronomy and literature. They are famous for having edited most major Greek texts including those of Homer and Hesiod. It is also believed that the library scholars served as teachers for privileged members of the community .<ref>Erskine, Andrew. “Culture and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Museum and Library of Alexandria”. <refi>Greece & Rome</refi> 42.1 (1995): 38. Web. 6 Dec, 2015 38</ref> The library also had gardens, decorated walkways and a dining hall where all of the fellows of the museum ate together <ref>Hendrickson, Thomas. “The Invention Of The Greek Library.” Transactions Of The American Philological Association 144.2 (2014): 371-413. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.</ref>
It is not known how many members the museum had. Their names have been lost to history. <ref>Erskine, 39.</ref> However, it is known that many famous intellectuals studied and worked there including Euclid, Callimachus and Eratosthenes. <ref>Erskine, 38</ref> The scholars were led by a librarian who was appointed by the King. The librarian was the chief curator, the head scholar and also a tutor to the royal family. <ref>Erskine, 39</ref>
