The Farmer

The farmer got out of bed and washed and shaved.

Then, he dressed in a kilt and sandals made of reeds.

The farmer's wife was already awake. She had washed and dressed in the early morning light. Then she had gone into the next room to wake the children and begin her daily chores. She wore a dress made of coarse linen. Around her neck was an amulet of the goddess Tawaret on a piece of papyrus string.

The farmer, his wife and their children sat down to a small meal of bread and fruit. They sat on a bench and ate on reed mats.

Then, the farmer got up and went to work in the fields near his house.

His wife lit the cooking fire and began grinding the wheat to make bread.

It had been a good year for the farmer and there was a large harvest. Today he would have to take a part of his harvest to the temple to pay for the use of the temple land. He filled several baskets with his harvest, loaded them onto two donkeys and set out for the temple with his two field workers.

The farmer and his workers left the baskets at the temple where they were counted and their contents were added to the storeroom. On the way back to the fields they shared a mid-day meal of bread, meat and beer.

The farmer's wife spent the day grinding wheat and baking bread. In the afternoon she walked to the river with her children to collect water.

In the evening, she prepared a small dinner of bread, meat and beer for her family.

As it grew dark outside, the farmer lit the small oil lamp. The farmer and his wife put their children to bed, blew out the lamp and went to sleep.