Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia relied on scribes to record important documents as writing was a rare skill, and scribes enjoyed high social status. Young scribes would copy passages praising the career and reminding them to continue practicing their writing. The texts also contrasted the difficult life of soldiers and laborers with the safer, more respected life of a scribe.

1. The Importance of Scribes in Egypt
and Mesopotamia
Julia Sivers

2. Advice to Egyptian Scribes
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Ancient Mesopot amia & Egypt were t he f irst cult ures wit h a
writ t en language.

Only a f ew people knew how t o writ e, so each cult ure
designat ed scribes t hat were t rained t o writ e as a prof ession

The earliest writ ings include t ext s in which lit erat e skills are
praised and in which yout h learning t o writ e are encouraged
t o pursue t he career of a scribe.

3. Advice to Egyptian Scribes
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Amunemone, t he overseer of t he record keepers of t he
t reasury of Pharaoh, spoke t o t he scribe Pent awere, af t er he
heard t hat he had abandoned writ ing.

Amunemone t alked about how working in t he f ields was a
dif f icult and dangerous j ob, and reminded Pent awere of t he
bet t er lif e and superior st at us t hat belonged t o all scribes of
t he t ime.

4. Advice to The Youthful Scribe
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Young scribes would copy passages of advice in order t o
pract ice t heir writ ing.

“O scribe, do not be idle, do not be idle, or you shall be curbed
st raight way. Do not f ive your heart t o pleasures, or you shall
f ail. Writ e wit h your hand, recit e wit your mout h, and
converse wit h t hose more knowledgeable t han you...”

5. The Hardships of the Soldier's Life
13th
-12th
Centuries B.C.E

Young scribes would also copy passages about how t he lif e of a
scribe is bet t er t han t hat of any ot her worker.

“What is it t hat you say t hey relat e, t hat t he soldier' s is more
pleasant t han t he scribe' s? Come, let me t ell you t he condit ion
of t he soldier, t hat mush cast igat ed one. He is brought while a
child t o be conf ined in t he camp. A searing beat ing is given his
body, an open wound inf lict ed on his eyebrows...”

6. Dialogue Between A Mesopotamian
Schoolboy and an Adult
18th
Century B.C.E

Mesopot amian scribes, like Egypt ian Scribes, were also well-
aware of t here special st at us in societ y.

St udent s would copy passages t o pract ice writ ing, such as t his
one t hat was writ t en in t he Sumerian language.

“Adult : Young man, are you a st udent ?

Schoolboy: Yes, I am a st udent .

Adult : I f you are a st udent , do you know Sumerian?

Schoolboy: Yes, I can speak Sumerian.

Adult : You are so young; how can you express yourself so well?...”

7. Examining the Evidence

What does t he Mesopot amian st udent claim t o have already mast ered?

I n t he Dialogue passage, t he st udent claims t o have mast ered t he Sumerian language.

According t o t hese t ext s, why are scribes so import ant f or t he proper f unct ioning of
societ y?

Scribes were so import ant in societ y because t hey were t he only people who had
t he skill t o record import ant event s, document s, and t axes.

According t o t hese document s, why is t he lif e of a scribe superior t o t hat of ot her
prof essions?

The lif e of t he scribe was superior because scribes had a higher st anding in
societ y and a lif e of very lit t le physical labor.