Scribes, ancient Near East

Abstract

Few people were literate during most of ancient Near East history. Scribes were trained in a fairly standard curriculum, and many of the students were sons of scribes. They were responsible for all record keeping and most long‐distance communication. Scribes generally wrote on rectangular clay tablets, indeed, the ancient Sumerian and Akkadian terms for a scribe meant “tablet writer.” Inscriptions on stone and metal are also known. Many scribes served on the administrative staffs of temples and palaces, or as diplomats, royal secretaries, translators, merchants, businessmen, judges, physicians, and teachers. Elite women in the palaces and temples sometimes employed female scribes.