1/24/20210:00:01
hieratic script
– The nature of the line
Hieroglyphics is a type of ancient Egyptian writing written with simplified symbols of the original hieroglyphic symbols. Since hieroglyphs were not suitable for quick writing, a shortened way of writing for practical purposes arose, which is known as hieratic, in which each symbol replaced the original hieroglyph.
– Etymology
The word “hieratic” is derived from the Greek word “gramata hieratica γράμματα ἱερατικά”, which means “priestly writing.”
– Who was using this line?
Priests were the people who used this script the most, as a large percentage of hieratic texts, especially in recent times, are religious texts, and most of them were written by priests.
– Reasons for using this font
The hieratic script is a simplification of the hieroglyphic script, or in other words an abbreviation of it. The hieroglyphic script, which is the script of complete signs, is not compatible with the nature of worldly and religious texts, which increased with the increase in the movement of life and which required fast handwriting. It also required writing materials for which only fast handwriting is suitable, such as papyrus and ostraca (al-Shaqafa). This is in contrast to the hieroglyphic script – the script of details – which is more suitable for large constructions as it was engraved with chisels
– Topics of this writing
Some of the texts are religious and some are secular
– The beginning of dealing with this line
Hieratic was used in ancient Misr for approximately 2,000 years, from the First Dynasty until the New Kingdom.
– The tool that wrote in this script
Reed pen and ink
– The material on which it was written
Hieratic was written on papyrus with a thin wood stick with a pointed point dipped in black or red ink at the beginning of paragraphs, in calculations, in writing punctuation marks, or when writing the names of evil creatures. Hieratic was written in vertical lines until the Middle Kingdom, and after that it was written gradually in horizontal lines from right to left.
– When did this line stop working?
With the emergence of demotic writing around 800 BC. Hieratic lost its power and was replaced by Demotic writing, which is the popular script. Greek tourists called hieratic the sacred script or the script of clergy, due to its use in sacred texts. In the Roman era, it was written in thin lines, so it lost all its ancient joy.
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Demotic writing
– The nature of the line
Demotic writing is one of the ancient Egyptian scripts and was used to write down religious texts, scribes’ training texts, letters, and legal and commercial documents among the ancient Egyptians. It is a simplified script of the hieratic script.
– Etymology
This name was derived from the Greek word (δημός demos) and its relative (δημοτικός demoticos), which means “popular”.
– Who was using this line?
The people
– Reasons for using this font
The Demotic script represents the third linear stage after the hieroglyphic and hieratic. The emergence of this script came as a result of the multiplicity of activities and the large number of transactions, especially administrative ones, which require speed in completion.
– Topics of this line
Daily transactions
– When did this line appear?
It appeared since the eighth century BC
– The tool that wrote in this script
Reed pen and ink
– The material on which it was written
This script was written on two main materials: papyrus and ostraca.
– When did this line stop working?
Fifth century AD.
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If the purpose of these scripts appearing in Misr was to write quickly on papyrus and was not difficult compared to hieroglyphic writing, which is difficult and requires engraving in stone.
The logical question:
Why is the Musnad script extracted from the hieroglyphic script, which is the simplest and easiest script compared to the hieroglyphic and demotic script, not written on papyrus and calligraphy, but rather on stone tablets, despite its simplicity that suits life?
And why did the ancient Yemeni who went to Misr and extracted his writing script from hieroglyphics, or took his writing script from Misr, did not develop his life and develop the Musnad script, in order to make it easier and simpler, and did he not take from Misr the papyri as he took the script from them to write in the Musnad script on As happened in Misr, the papyri did not appear in Yemen, any papyrus material written in the Musnad script?
So, the Musnad script was extracted from the hieroglyphic script after the Egyptian extracted another script and wrote it on papyri, but the Yemeni did not write in the Musnad script on papyri and parchment, but rather wrote on stone tablets through engravings.
The Hierotic and Demotic scripts are fake scripts and were not written in by Egyptians in ancient Misr.
Because if the papyri existed in Misr, they would also appear in Yemen and the region, because it is easy to obtain them and transport them anywhere, but the West only extracts them from Misr.
Rather, the funny thing is that the two names were created by Greece, and the West never transmitted to us the ancient Egyptian names for these two scripts, because it is natural that if the ancient Egyptian had written in these two scripts, he would have had special designations for them to distinguish them from the hieroglyphic script.