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The Importance of Scribes in Egypt
and Mesopotamia
Julia Sivers

Advice to Egyptian Scribes
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Ancient Mesopotamia& Egypt werethefirst cultureswith awritten
language.

Only afew peopleknew how to write, so each culturedesignated scribes
that weretrained to writeasaprofession

Theearliest writingsincludetextsin which literateskillsarepraised and
in which youth learning to writeareencouraged to pursuethecareer of a
scribe.

Advice to Egyptian Scribes
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Amunemone, theoverseer of therecord keepersof thetreasury of
Pharaoh, spoketo thescribePentawere, after heheard that hehad
abandoned writing.

Amunemonetalked about how working in thefieldswasadifficult and
dangerousjob, and reminded Pentawereof thebetter lifeand superior
statusthat belonged to all scribesof thetime.

Advice to The Youthful Scribe
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Young scribeswould copy passagesof advicein order to practicetheir
writing.

“O scribe, do not beidle, do not beidle, or you shall becurbed
straightway. Do not fiveyour heart to pleasures, or you shall fail. Write
with your hand, recitewit your mouth, and conversewith thosemore
knowledgeablethan you...”

The Hardships of the Soldier's Life
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Young scribeswould also copy passagesabout how thelifeof ascribeis
better than that of any other worker.

“What isit that you say they relate, that thesoldier'sismorepleasant
than thescribe's? Come, let metell you thecondition of thesoldier, that
mush castigated one. Heisbrought whileachild to beconfined in the
camp. A searing beating isgiven hisbody, an open wound inflicted on
hiseyebrows...”

Dialogue Between A Mesopotamian
Schoolboy and an Adult
18th
Century B.C.E

Mesopotamian scribes, likeEgyptian Scribes, werealso well- awareof
therespecial statusin society.

Studentswould copy passagesto practicewriting, such asthisonethat
waswritten in theSumerian language.

“Adult: Young man, areyou astudent?

Schoolboy: Yes, I am astudent.

Adult: If you areastudent, do you know Sumerian?

Schoolboy: Yes, I can speak Sumerian.

Adult: You areso young; how can you expressyourself so well?...”

Examining the Evidence

What doestheMesopotamian student claim to havealready mastered?

In theDialo gue passage, thestudent claimsto havemastered theSumerian
language.

According to thesetexts, why arescribesso important for theproper
functioning of society?

Scribeswereso important in society becausethey weretheonly peoplewho
had theskill to record important events, documents, and taxes.

According to thesedocuments, why isthelifeof ascribesuperior to that of
other professions?

Thelifeof thescribewassuperior becausescribeshad ahigher standing in
society and alifeof very littlephysical labor.

Image Sources

http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/scribe6.jpg

http://eduscapes.com/history/beginnings/sumeriancun.jpg

http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/soldier5.jpg

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/podcasts/graphics/small/egyptian_scribes.j
pg

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4168/PreviewComp/SuperStock_41
68-2340.jpg

http://historylink101.com/n/egypt_images/heirogylphics.jpg

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Scribes of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

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