Why Did Ancient Egyptians Fear Ordinary Jobs?

Why did ancient Egyptians fear ordinary jobs—or did they? Nearly 4,000 years ago, an Egyptian text called The Teaching of Khety warned students about the hardships of manual labor while praising the life of a scribe. But was ordinary work in ancient Egypt really as miserable as the text suggested? In this Ancient Egypt documentary, we explore ancient Egyptian jobs, daily life, education, and social status through archaeological discoveries, historical records, and the stories of real workers. From the skilled sculptor Qen to the workers' strike at Deir el-Medina, discover what life was actually like beyond the pyramids and pharaohs. Sources & Further Reading: British Museum — The Teaching of Khety, Ostracon EA29550 & Papyrus Sallier II. UCL Digital Egypt — Satire of the Trades, Lahun Pottery Account UC32193 & Literacy. Nikolaos Lazaridis (2010) — Education and Apprenticeship, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Hana Vymazalová (2016) — Ration System, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Stela of the Sculptor Qen (59.93) & Scribe's Palette (10.176.62). British Museum — Workmen's Attendance Register (EA5634). Museo Egizio, Turin — Turin Strike Papyrus (Cat. 1880). #AncientEgypt #AncientEgyptianHistory #AncientHistory