Writings were considered sacred and were usually used to record religion, actions of the pharaoh or high class people and sometimes daily events. Only around 2% of the egyptian population was literate, scribes read and wrote everything. In Ancient Egypt they were about 700 writing symbols but by the Tolomeo Empire around 6,000 existed. These symbols are called herogliphics; hero means sacred and gliphics, record. Sacred records. Symbols consisted of animals and objects that represented letters, silabyls, words or phrases. Generally they are read in the direction of the birds tail but their are various ways in which to know from where to start.