Ancient Egypt, one of the world’s most fascinating civilisations, left behind more than pyramids and mummies it also passed down wisdom through sacred texts, tomb inscriptions, and teachings from philosophers, priests, and rulers. These quotes offer a window into the spiritual, moral, and philosophical values of a society that valued order (Ma’at), balance, and legacy.
- “Know thyself, and you shall know the gods.”
– Ancient Egyptian proverb - “True teaching is not an accumulation of knowledge; it is an awakening of consciousness.”
– Ancient Egyptian wisdom - “To speak the name of the dead is to make them live again.”
– Egyptian funerary inscription - “Do not be arrogant because of your knowledge, but confer with the ignorant man as with the learned.”
– Ptahhotep, The Maxims of Ptahhotep - “He who is rich in wisdom is richer than he who is rich in gold.”
– Ancient Egyptian proverb - “The body dies, but the name lives on.”
– Tomb inscription
- “A man’s heart is his own judge.”
– Book of the Dead - “Do not repeat slander; you should not even listen to it.”
– The Maxims of Ptahhotep - “Excellence is doing your work well, even when no one is watching.”
– Egyptian moral teaching - “He who makes his ancestors proud, his children will honor him.”
– Tomb wisdom - “Ma’at (truth, balance) will protect the righteous.”
– Belief in Ma’at, the cosmic order
- “I am yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and I have the power to be born a second time.”
– The god Ra - “I have not caused pain, I have not stolen, I have not lied.”
– Negative Confession, Book of the Dead - “The kingdom is a garden, and its ruler the gardener.”
– Pharaoh’s metaphor for rule - “All are equal in the face of Ma’at.”
– Ancient Egyptian belief in justice
- “Death is not the end. It is simply a beginning of a new journey.”
– Funerary inscription - “Live in joy and gratitude, for the gods have given you breath.”
- “Walk in Ma’at, and your heart will be light when weighed.”
– Judgment in the afterlife - “You will not carry riches into the afterlife; only your deeds follow you.”
- “Every day is a rebirth. Rise like Ra in the morning.”
- “Do not let your heart be proud because of your knowledge; take counsel with the ignorant as well as with the wise.”
- “The mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer.”
– Light-hearted Egyptian saying - “A people without knowledge of their past are like a tree without roots.”
- “To do justice is the delight of the gods.”
- “He who knows how to obey will know how to command.”
- “Instruction in wisdom is more hidden than emeralds, yet it is found among maidservants at the millstone.”
– Proverb from The Instruction of Amenemope - “He who listens becomes wise. He who talks too much becomes foolish.”
- “Discipline your son while he is young; he will be useful when he is old.”
- “Great is the truth, and it prevails.”
- “The wise man is silent; only the fool shouts.”
Ancient Egypt continues to inspire with its reverence for balance, the divine, justice, and the human soul. These quotes aren’t just echoes of a lost civilization they are timeless insights into how to live with honor, integrity, and purpose.
“Live as if your soul will be weighed at the end of each day—because in Ancient Egypt, it was.”
