Seminar Lecture 3

The lecturer this class focused on the ancient tradition of scribes which is indicative of the title of her discussion “the eloquence of scribes”. She first looks at the origin of the art coming from Egypt. Scribes played a key part in the Khemet society. These scribes wrote on papyrus scrolls which were found abundantly in the Nile Delta. Scribes aided almost all occupations in Khemet. They could be found in temples, cities, and at the right sides of kings. They also recorded daily activities from all aspects of life. Their jobs importance is demonstrated by the fact only scribes and priest were taught how to read and write. Furthermore, scribes were exempt from the heavy manual labor which was a staple of Egyptian society. The importance of scribes continued in later societies.

Cuneiform script is another example of the importance of scribes. It is considered by some as the earliest form of writing in the world. Histories records of Mesopotamia’s society are recorded through Cuneiform script. Scribes were also important in European societies. One the most famous of these is Jean Mielot who was a European scribe of the 15^th century. His work influenced the development of the French prose style. He also was known for his translations of several religious and secular texts. As the lecture continued a correlation between the importance of scribes and Howard University was made.

Many of Howard’s early contributors were scribes in their own way. One of our greatest scribes was Zora Neale Hurston. During her time at Howard she greatly contributed to her sorority (Zeta Phi Beta) and founded the hilltop. More important than the numerous scribes in Howard’s history is the collection of their work. The Moreland Spingarn is a collection of African American works. Its vast amount of photos and written work of art is an example of a modern day scribe.

By: Stanford Fraser