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Scribes were the few Egyptians who knew how to read and write. There were a wide range of employment opportunities for them. A scribe might write letters or draw up contracts for fellow-villagers, but others had more demanding jobs. They might record the harvest and collected the state's share of it in taxes. They could calculate the amount of food needed to feed the tomb builders. They would keep accounts onestates and order supplies for the temples and the Egyptian army. In this way, they kept the government working. Other scribes were more scholarly and wrote mathematical or medical papers. Some acted as teachers or librarians who copied books and composed inscriptions for tombs and temples. A scribe's job was to be a manager or a civil servant. Scribes could hold a wide variety of positions. A scribe's proffession was highly regarded in Ancient Egypt. Although being a scribe was rewarding, the training could take as long as twelve years. Most of the boys who went to school learned to be scribes.
The Egyptians made their paper, called papyrus, from reed stems which had to be flattened, dried, and stuck together to make pages. They cut the stem of the plant vertically in thin slices. They laid the strips next to each other lengthwise and slightly overlapping to form the a layer. More slices were placed on top of them in the other direction to form another layer. A cloth was placed on top of the reeds and they pounded the sheet of reeds with a mallet. The pounding made the juices of the plant stick them together. The resulting sheet of papyrus was slightly sticky and was put out to dry in the sun. When it was dry, it was rubbed smooth with a stone or a piece of wood. To make long rolls of papyrus, the Egyptians glued the ends of the sheets or papyrus together with a paste made of flour and water. Egyptian "pens" were tin, sharp reeds, which they would dip in ink to write with. .
Every example of Egyptian art from any time period strictly adheres to the same style.