List of ancient Egyptian scribes

This is a list of Egyptian scribes, almost exclusively from the ancient Egyptian periods.

The Seated Scribe, 2613–2494 BC; painted limestone and inlaid quartz. Louvre
The hieroglyph used to signify the scribe, to write, and "writings", etc., is Gardiner sign Y3,
Y3
from the category of: 'writings, games, & music'. The hieroglyph contains the scribe's writing palette, a vertical case to hold writing-reeds, and a leather pouch to hold the colored ink blocks, mostly black and red.

Alphabetic list edit

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

List of scribes edit

List of scribes, especially starting with the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt.

Scribe Time period Notes
Roy (Egyptian Noble) c. 1300 BC, 18th dynasty Owner of tomb TT255
Ahmes Second Intermediate Period
17th century BC
part of
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus
Amenemope c. 1200 BC, 19th dynasty Author on papyrus, in hieratic:
Instructions of Amenemopet
(12 ft long scroll)
Amenemope & Hori Scribes, protagonists of Papyrus Anastasi I
Amenhotep, son of Hapu under Amenhotep III later deified
Ani (scribe) 19th dynasty the Papyrus of Ani, or scribe Ani
(a Book of the Dead)
Chancellor Bay for Siptah started as "scribe and butler"
A life of 'king's servant' and many duties; ordered killed before Siptah dies (in 1 year)
a foreigner, and not buried in the tomb he had overseen (1 of 3)
General Djehuty important general
for Thutmosis III
many titles
Royal Scribe, etc.
Dua-Kheti possible author of:
1-The Satire of the Trades
2-Instructions of Amenemhat
Hesy-Ra scribe for Pharaoh Djoser (3rd dynasty) Noted for his wood panels (archaic hieroglyphs)
Hori & Amenemope Scribes, protagonists of Papyrus Anastasi I
Hunefer
Irtyrau Female scribe
(Nitocris I)
TT390
Khakheperresenb[1] ca. 2000 BC
Menna Tomb of Menna,
Theban Tomb 69-TT69
Scribe of the Fields of the King
Meryre II Amarna Period (Royal Scribe, etc., for Nefertiti)
Tomb of Meryra II
Nakht Reign of Thutmose IV Tomb at TT52
Scribe and "Astronomer of Amun"
Nakhtmin The King's Scribe
other titles, including Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King
under Tutankhamun
Created 5 ushabtis as presentation pieces for Tutankhamun's funeral. (the shabti photo is at Nakhtmin; wood ushabti, some gilded gold, 6-columns of hieroglyphs, (Ht: 0.62m, (62 cm)))[2]
Nebamun Tomb of Nebamun
"Nebmerutef" 18th dynasty 2–"Baboon-(Thoth) and Scribe" statues
the baboon-(as Thoth), the Symbolic God for the scribe, (see Tutelary deity)
Penthu Amarna period
Ptahhotep Tshefi
(grandson of Ptahhotep)
5th Dyn. to 6th Dyn./25th-24th century BC Suspected author of his grandfather's precepts: The Maxims of Ptahhotep
(see Ptahhotep)
Ramose (reign of
Ramesses II)
lived at Deir el-Medina
created for himself: TT7, TT212, TT250
Scribe in the Place of Truth
Reni-seneb Dynasty 18 owner of the Chair of Reniseneb on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, (see Caning (furniture))
(See also: a Dynasty XII scribe, Reny-seneb, article Pah Tum.)
Roy Scribe TT255
Senu 18th dynasty Scribe of the Army
(Stele and inscribed tomb enclosure)
Tuna el-Gebel necropolis
Setau was "Viceroy of Kush", during reign of Ramesses II in youth, was:
"Chief Scribe of the Vizier"
Thanuny
(Tjanuny)
(reign of
Thutmosis III)
TT74; Royal Scribe, and Army Commander, (Commander of Soldiers)
an extensive chronicle of Thutmosis' military exploits
Tjaneni records the Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) at Karnak, Hall of Annals
The Seated Scribe 4th dynasty A painted, lifelike seated statue in the Louvre

Theban Tomb list of scribes edit

Scribes from the Theban Tombs.

  • TT7Ramose (TT7)-Scribe in the Place of Truth
  • TT17–Nebamon-(scribe title)
  • TT21–User-(scribe title)
  • TT23–Tjay-(or To)-(scribe title)
  • TT38–Djeserkaraseneb(Djeser-ka-ra-sen-b)-(scribe+title)
  • TT49–Neferhotep-(scribe title)
  • TT52Nakht-Scribe, "Astronomer of Amun"
  • TT56–Userhet-(titles)
  • TT57–Khaemhat-(titles)
  • TT65–Imiseba/Nebamon-(titles)
  • TT69Menna-Scribe of the Fields of the King
  • TT74–Tjanuny-(titles)
  • TT79–Amenemhat-(scribe title)
  • TT80–Tutnefer-(titles)
  • TT82–Piay-(scribe title)
  • TT102–"Imhotep"-scribe, etc.
  • TT107–NefersekherU-(scribe title)
  • TT136–Unknown-Royal Scribe
  • TT147–Heby/Unknown-(scribe-etc.)
  • TT226–Unknown-Royal Scribe
  • TT255Roy (Egyptian Noble)-Royal Scibe
  • TT347–Hon-Scribe
  • TT350–Unknown-Scribe
  • TT351–Apau(ApaU)-Scribe of Cavalry
  • TT364–Amenemheb-(scribe title)
  • TT365–NefermenU(Nefermenu)-(scribe title)
  • TT370–Unknown-Royal Scribe
  • TT373–Amenmessu-(scribe title)
  • TT374–Amenemopet-Treasury Scribe
  • TT387–Meryptah-(scribe title)
  • TT390–Irty-RaU(Irtyrau)-Female Scribe-etc.
  • TT403–Merymaat-Temple Scribe
  • TT406–Piay-(scribe title)
  • TT412–Kenamon-Royal Scribe
  • (Note: all names ending in "U" show a plural for the last 'hieroglyph "syllable"')

Scribes with block statues edit

Scribes honored and revered with a block statue. (The original block statue started with the Tomb of Hetep, Saqqara, 12th Dynasty as two cuboid statues, one each of granite and limestone, and inscriptions explaining the block form, and exposed limbs receiving the first rays of the morning sun-(to arise out of primordial earth). The granite statue represents the daytime sunlit journey, the limestone the night.[3])

  • Khay-(scribe)–New Kingdom-Thoth-(tutelary of Scribes)-honored in Shrine-form-(Naos)(at Louvre)
  • Nebnetro-(scribe)–honors Egyptian God figures: extensive hieroglyph story-(+plinth inscription)
  • Unknown1-(scribe)–at British Museum

Non-scribe, ancient Egyptians portrayed as "seated scribes" edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Bate, 1970
  2. ^ James 2000, Tutankhamun, "Shabti presented by Minnakhte"-(Nakhtmin), p. 114.
  3. ^ Hagan, 2003, 1999, p.128
  • Bate, The Burden of the Past and the English Poet (1970) by Walter Jackson Bate.
  • Hagen, R. Hagen, R. Egypt: People, Gods, Pharaohs, Rose-Marie & Rainer Hagen, (Barnes and Noble Books, New York), c 2003, (originally: Taschen, GmbH, Koln, c 2003, 1999); pg. 60; pg. 101.
  • James, 2000, Tutankhamun, T.G.H. James, Photographs, Araldo de Luca, c 2000, Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. Picture-book, (over-sized), 319 pp. List of Objects, p 316-319, (about 350+). Shabti: "Shabti presented by Minnakhte"-(Nakhtmin), {hardcover, ISBN 1-58663-032-6}
  • Shaw. Shaw, Ian, The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press, 2000. (hardcover, ISBN 0-19-815034-2)

External links edit

For Hesy-Ra: