The tablet consisted of records of sick leaves, many the same as today, others are mind-boggling. Taking sick leave is nothing new for employees. In fact, the practice has existed for centuries. A tablet from 1250 BCE, now housed in the British Museum, recorded the sick days and leave taken by Egyptian workers. According to My Modern Met, the tablet, known as an Ostracon, listed workers’ names and reasons for their absences. While many excuses resemble those of today, some are quite surprising.
The tablet documented 40 workers, listing their names and dates of absence marked in red, according to Medium. Some reasons were typical, like illness or caring for family, but others were more unusual. Several workers, for instance, reported being stung by scorpions. The list, translated into English, included over 20 reasons. One entry read, “Horneffer: Winter, 2nd month, 13th day-17th day (With the boss).”
Another worker had quite a few entries of absence. They were recorded as “Sawadjyt: Spring, 3rd month, 23rd day-24th day (With the boss), Spring, 4th month, 16th day (Daughter had her period), Winter, 1st month, 14th day-15th day (Offering to the God), Winter, 1st month, 24th day-25th day (Libation for father), 26th day-28th day (With the boss).” Being with the boss or carrying out tasks for the boss was another repetitive reason for absence among workers. Another record is that of menstruation of the women in the family. The latter was taken from a different perspective back then and men were required to be home during this time.
Other records consisted of building the house, looking after parents and having other chores and tasks to do. Workers even excused themselves to make offerings to God and other traditional practices or rituals as per the importance at the time. However, the most stunning reasons were the mummification of family members and beer brewing. While the former is no longer used in today’s corporate world, the latter could cause havoc if used as an excuse! However, for Egyptians, both tasks were crucial back in the day. Mummification was done as a traditional practice among Egyptians. Brewing beer was considered a duty since it is said to have been the daily drink. The beverage was deemed a principal food and was consumed for celebrations and festivals, per the British Museum.
Workers at pyramids relied on beer and were granted 10 pints daily. Apart from its heavy consumption, it was also associated with the Egyptian Gods. Hathor, the goddess of love, dance and beauty, was also known as “The Lady of Drunkenness.” Given beer’s importance, it’s understandable that workers were excused to brew it. While several excuses resonate even today, many offer a dive into the Egyptians’ rich culture and lifestyle. @AlisonFisk shared a post on X with an image of the tablet. She wrote, “Reasons recorded for worker absence on this 3,200-year-old ancient Egyptian attendance register include ‘brewing beer,’ ‘stung by a scorpion’ and ‘embalming brother!’”
Charles R
I can not imagine getting a workers best results by giving each more than a gallon of beer. Perhaps it was a very weak alcohol content, as alcohol dehyrates a body. And in a desert climate, this would seem to be extreme.
Ron S
Charles, it likely wasn’t a desert at the that time. Water was and is vital to all civilizations, even Las Vegas has the Colorado River with run off from the Rockies, then stored in Lake Mead which is only 36% full now as compared to 1983 when it was at 100% and it’s not looking so good for the future. Google will try and dissuade you that it’s at a three year high, but those three last years are the three worst years ever… That sucker is going dry (especially the last 20 years) and in the process it’s revealing the human corpses from the recent past in good ole “Sin City”. Like Bill Engvall says “Here’s your sign”.
How many times do people have to worship wealth, splendor and their own achievements above God and then for tragedy to strike and they still don’t get it?
The past is supposed to teach us every time God said “Ok, that’s enough of that”. Instead we put up another Luxor and put pyramids on the buck, build taller buildings, good grief…Perhaps it was a warning when we felt all fat and sassy and build the worlds biggest Ocean liner, then God says “Oh, I see you haven’t learned about self indulgence from the pyramids I left for you in the desert. Ok, I’ll give you a great pyramid of my own… This one is ice. How’s that float your boat?”… Ok, he didn’t actually say that but life is definitely actions and reactions much the same in regards to intent though, imo.
Ron S
P.S. God bless all those that perished on the Titanic. I’m not making fun or light of a tragedy, I’m trying to prove an overall point. 🙏🏼
Ron S
Bigger and (presumably) better IS and always has been simply just bigger and better evidence for a future civilization to find buried, sunk or in ruins and someday at some point hopefully realize, bigger and better ways to self gratification or power didn’t ever seem to work, or last.
Ron S
Look at the hieroglyphs, pretty obvious to see the symbolic nature within the figure of young girls depicted with a “blood red” feather or phallus looking object on their head while standing before a ruler, or with an appointed older female whose feather is colored gold (gold was for their gods) these girls are are usually depicted to be of roughly the same age and also in groups… sometimes looking very sad or scared with maternity style clothing while others look a bit more brainwashed or even happy.
Other depictions show the girls dancing wildly mostly unclothed (with folds of skin on the belly to apparently show they had recently given birth)… They can be seen dancing around near a pile of various food and urns ready for sacrifice… sometimes on the hieroglyphs you can tell there was hatred towards certain rulers or gods afterwards at some point as their eyes or faces have been destroyed or stabbed at with a knife or chisel or something, while the rest of the images surrounding it is untouched. Sometimes the damage looks deliberately and largely chiseled off in one flush and even slab to areas of most interest or would’ve revealed a vital clue as to what was actually being sacrificed. I literally almost want to cry and puke when I see those images… It isn’t much different to me than what is happening today. As an artist I feel as though I can read these inscriptions well enough where it emotionally impacts me, which is a very strong feeling.
This article trying to get us to assimilate this unfortunate past culture with us now calling in drunk to work is a disgrace. It’s a desperate and bold attempt to get us to buy into a terrible past.
And as far as the menstrual day off?… likely the “red feather” and was more than likely your day off work so you’d celebrate it for some horrific upcoming event. Look at all the urns they found with infants inside (Unless it’s not available online anymore)… It’s sick!
I apologize if this seems graphic but It all seems very obvious to me, and people need to wake up.
Whoever dared to push this article in such a way is suspect in my book and should be looked into more closely. The truth will emerge either way. Have faith.
Ron S
Red tipped feather*
Ron S
Digital history or information is garbage, it can be slightly changed, altered or omitted (immediately or over time) without anyone really realizing it.
I think I’m going to mow the lawn now, maybe twice.
Ron S
The word “boss” wasn’t used until it was first coined in 1806 by Washington Irving as a preference over the previous title which was “master”.
This article really irritates me, can you tell?
I think my biggest pet peeve in life is being lied to, even seeing others lied to or others lying… nothing good for all parties involved ever comes from that, and the longer the lie is perpetrated the more catastrophic the consequences are bestowed upon the liars.