Research at the University of Wolverhampton: "The World's Ten Oldest Jokes"

[struggle4progress]

...
2. How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge the pharaoh to go catch a fish (An abridged version first found in 1600 BC on the Westcar Papryus) ...

8. Augustus was touring his Empire and noticed a man in the crowd who bore a striking resemblance to himself. Intrigued he asked: "Was your mother at one time in service at the Palace?" "No your Highness," he replied, "but my father was." (Credited to the Emperor Augustus 63 BC – 29 AD)

9. Wishing to teach his donkey not to eat, a pedant did not offer him any food. When the donkey died of hunger, he said "I've had a great loss. Just when he had learned not to eat, he died." (Dated to the Philogelos 4th /5th Century AD)

10. Asked by the court barber how he wanted his hair cut, the king replied: "In silence." (Collected in the Philogelos or "Laughter-Lover" the oldest extant jest book and compiled in the 4th/5th Century AD)

http://uktv.co.uk/dave/item/aid/604717

... The oldest British joke is .. from the 10th century ... "What hangs at a man's thigh and wants to poke the hole that it's often poked before? A key."

Breaking wind joke is world's oldest: study
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_OczNQMGiWXoiyi7apguhKSQXWw

[crispini]

1. Ok, 9 was pretty funny, actually.

I laughed. :D