The Legacy of Egypt

The contribution of Egypt to modern knowledge and civilization is less direct than that of Greece or Rome, but nonetheless many aspects of ou r everyday life owe their origins to Egyptian influence. One outstanding legacy is the calendar of 365 days, and from Egypt came the first alphabet and the papyrus on which to write it. In science and medicine the Greeks built on the groundwork of Egyptian experience; and the value and achievements of the early inhabitants of the Nile valley can also be traced in the fields of law, diplomacy, the arts, literature, and the religious life of both the Christian and the Islamic churches.