To the Ancient Greeks, hieroglyphic writing was of Ethiopian (aka Nubian) in origin. Just look at what noted Greek historian Diodorus Siculus had to say:
LacusCurtius • Diodorus Siculus — Book III Chapters 1‑14
Diodorus in this statement says that in Nubia, everyone knows how to read hieroglyphics as its their standard writing system. However, in Egypt only the priests can read it cause it's considered a holy script. Also as a side note if you study hieroglyphics you'll notice most of the symbols are of flora and fauna from plants and animals that lived far south of Egypt. Giving us a clue that the origin of Ancient Egyptian writing came from further south.
Also here's great YouTube video on the hieroglyph for face:
It does a good job breaking down how hieroglyphics might actually be of Nubian origin rather than being native to the Ancient Egyptians.
LacusCurtius • Diodorus Siculus — Book III Chapters 1‑14
And the larger part of the customs of the Egyptians are, they hold, Ethiopian, the colonists still preserving their ancient manners. For instance, the belief that their kings are gods, the very special attention which they pay to their burials, and many other matters of a similar nature are Ethiopian practices, while the shapes of their statues and the forms of their letters are Ethiopian; for of the two kinds of writing which the Egyptians have, that which is known as "popular" (demotic) is learned by everyone, while that which is called "sacred" is understood only by the priests of the Egyptians, who learn it from their fathers as one of the things which are not divulged, but among the Ethiopians everyone uses these forms of letters......
Diodorus in this statement says that in Nubia, everyone knows how to read hieroglyphics as its their standard writing system. However, in Egypt only the priests can read it cause it's considered a holy script. Also as a side note if you study hieroglyphics you'll notice most of the symbols are of flora and fauna from plants and animals that lived far south of Egypt. Giving us a clue that the origin of Ancient Egyptian writing came from further south.
Also here's great YouTube video on the hieroglyph for face:
It does a good job breaking down how hieroglyphics might actually be of Nubian origin rather than being native to the Ancient Egyptians.
Last edited: