Full-scale replicas of the Rosetta Stone are now available thanks to a Severn resident. Although they cost about $2,000 to $30,000, he insists his intention is not commercial gain.

"I wanted to popularize the whole idea of the Rosetta Stone and bring it to the masses," said Joel Freeman, who spoke Wednesday about the Rosetta Stone at the Library of Congress. "I see it as a gateway to greater curiosity and greater understanding."

The Rosetta Stone, discovered in Egypt by the French in 1799, was the key to decoding Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Ancient Egyptian written language was lost by the time the stone,...