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Scribes In Ancient Egypt

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Scribes were among the first few people in ancient Egypt who knew how to read and write. As someone who was skilled in both the arts and writing, the scribe was supposed to write letters and legal documents, collected taxes, take records and tallies and performed all manner of clerical duties (Kraft). Scribes learned how to read and write from their fathers, since becoming a scribe was passed down to their sons, as well as attending a “scribe-in-training” school which is attached to a temple or the palace (Kraft). Wealthier young-scribes often had a tutor, but most learned by continually copying texts and rehearsing stories, often about manners and religious doctrine (Kraft). These lessons were strictly taught, “as attested by the fact that the ancient Egyptian word ‘seba’ means both ‘teach’ and ‘beat’” (Kraft). Not only was schooling physically draining, the lesson plans were also not easy. …show more content…

This was done with a reed pen dipped in ink and then used on a paper made from the stem of a water plant called papyrus. Eventually the Ancient Egyptians tried to simplify hieroglyphics by using hieratic scripts by diverging hieroglyphics (Kraft). Hieratic scripts eventually became the norm when writing on papyrus. After their schooling was done, Scribes could then work for priests, pharaohs, or become a village scribe or a military

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