The Papyrus Lansing is an ancient Egyptian document that dates to the reign of the Pharaoh Senusret III (also known as Sesostris III, and, arguably, the legendary Sesostris written of by Herodotus) the 5th ruler of the 12th Dynasty of Egypt from 1878-1839 BCE. It was written by the scribe Nebmare-nakht to his younger apprentice Wenemdiamun and is a document which praises the profession of a scribe while denouncing other trades. More importantly, for a modern reader and, perhaps, an ancient one, the Papyrus Lansing also offers insight into the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. The document begins with the admonition “Apply yourself to this noble profession” and then goes on to describe unfavorably the different professions Egyptians may go into other than that of the scribe. Through these very biased descriptions one gets at least a glimpse of what it was like to live as a farmer, merchant or soldier in ancient Egypt. The papyrus is written from the bureaucrat's perspective, and it is due to its' highly subjective view on the various professions that one enjoys reading it today.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/189/the-papyrus-lansing-be-a-scribeor-else/.