Think being a notary is a thoroughly modern profession? Not quite! This is one profession that is about as ancient as history itself. Believe it or not, the very origins of notaries can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt. This was a time period in which making new records and noting official transactions was super important to all of humanity. They played a key role in the development of government, commerce, and the overall organization of society.

Back in ancient Egypt, these early notaries were known as “sesh” or “scribes.” They were first established in the Old Kingdom and were unquestionably the earliest known chroniclers of communications in recorded human history. Scribes even made up an entire level of the renowned Egyptian bureaucracy. Whether it was personal letters, tax records, or proclamations, every document first went through the hands of a scribe or sesh. These early notaries were so highly valued, that the renowned Pharoah Tutankhamen included writing equipment in his ancient tomb bound for the afterlife!

We think that makes notaries a pretty valued profession back then and in the modern-day.