Headless Statuette of a Scribe

The Egyptians valued literacy even more than physical strength or military prowess. Individuals wishing to immortalize their wisdom and education frequently commissioned statues of themselves as scribes, professional men whose income derived from their great learning rather than physical labor. Images of scribes seated with papyrus rolls in their laps were placed in tombs as early as the Fourth Dynasty (circa 2625–2500 B.C.E.).