The Hieroglyphes of Egypt

There is little doubt that this form of writing has its origins in a picture script such as we can still see on the Narmer Palette. The most ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions date back from the time of unification of Upper with Lower Egypt, about 300 B.C. and the last known inscription is dated 394 A.D.

The time of transition from the picture script to hieroglyphic writing with its enormous number of different signs must have been effected in a relatively very short time of not more than 3 generations since already perfectly precise inscriptions in the 3rd dynasty of King Zoser can be found circa 2700 B.C. Apart from the decorative hieroglyphes on buildings of all kinds and on art objects, a cursive form of hieroglyphes was used and generally employed for writing on papyrus. The difference between this latter form called hieratic and the hieroglyphic writing may be compared to that of our type writing and hand writing. The Hieratic writing was used until about 700 B.C. and from then on a simplified modification form was used for popular writing of contracts and protocols; this form of writing is called Demotic.

The final form of Egyptian writing, originating from the Demotic and before the introduction of Arabic in Egypt, is the Coptic Script using the Greek alphabet by adding a few more letters and specially vowels. The foundation of reading of hieroglyphes is the knowledge of Coptic. This coptic writing is still used today for Coptic Liturgy.

Now tomorrow all of us learn how to read the hieroglyphics! Stay tuned!