The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The decree was written in three scripts: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian Demotic script, and Ancient Greek, and it has only minor differences between the three versions, making the Rosetta Stone key to deciphering the Egyptian scripts. The Rosetta Stone is 1,123 millimeters (3 ft 8 in) high at its highest point, 757 mm (2 ft 5.8 in) wide, and 284 mm (11 in) thick, and it weighs approximately 760 kilograms (1,680 lb). The Rosetta Stone has been on display in the British Museum since 1802, and it is one of the most famous objects in the museum. The stone is a broken part of a bigger stone slab, and it was an important clue in deciphering the Egyptian scripts. The Rosetta Stone has become an international icon whose symbolism has been appropriated by diverse groups over the last two centuries. Its critical role in deciphering ancient Egyptian scripts has led to the proliferation of the term “Rosetta Stone” as a generic reference to anything that decodes ciphers or reveals hidden mysteries.