Readers and writers
The native writing systems of ancient Egypt used to record the Egyptian language include Hieroglyphs and Hieratic, (the 13th century BC variants of the hieroglyphs which became popular).
However, not everyone in ancient Egypt, not everyone learned to read and write in ancient Egypt. Only one specific group of people called scribes were permitted to have this knowledge. Scribes were usually men, and they were the only ones to learn to read and write. They wrote books or documents by hand as a profession and to help keep track of records.
To become a scribe, one would have to attend a special school specifically for scribes, and there you would learn how to read and write hieroglyphic and hieratic scripts. It was apparently very hard work, this is easy to tell because the scripts were complicated and there were many signs to learn. The students would spend a lot of their time practicing the signs by copying them down onto sheets of papyrus (old pieces of pottery or flakes of limestone. It could take four to five years for a person to make it through this special scribe school. Hieroglyphics were used only by professional scribes, who held higher social positions and probably had more experience.
Most often, it was the children of scribes that would become scribes. Some craftsmen were able to get their sons into these schools, but this was very rare.
Scribes were also considered part of the royal court and did not have to pay tax or join the military. They were not required to do the heavy labour that the lower classes were forced to do.
However, not everyone in ancient Egypt, not everyone learned to read and write in ancient Egypt. Only one specific group of people called scribes were permitted to have this knowledge. Scribes were usually men, and they were the only ones to learn to read and write. They wrote books or documents by hand as a profession and to help keep track of records.
To become a scribe, one would have to attend a special school specifically for scribes, and there you would learn how to read and write hieroglyphic and hieratic scripts. It was apparently very hard work, this is easy to tell because the scripts were complicated and there were many signs to learn. The students would spend a lot of their time practicing the signs by copying them down onto sheets of papyrus (old pieces of pottery or flakes of limestone. It could take four to five years for a person to make it through this special scribe school. Hieroglyphics were used only by professional scribes, who held higher social positions and probably had more experience.
Most often, it was the children of scribes that would become scribes. Some craftsmen were able to get their sons into these schools, but this was very rare.
Scribes were also considered part of the royal court and did not have to pay tax or join the military. They were not required to do the heavy labour that the lower classes were forced to do.