The book attempts to reconstruct the social context for Egyptian wisdom literature during the Middle and New Kingdoms (c. 2000-1000 BC), using The Instruction of Ptahhotep as a case-study. By looking at the archaeology and material culture of manuscripts, intertextual references and editorial changes to the text over time, the book traces the life of a wisdom poem from the hands of its copyists to the minds of its readers, charting its use and reception over hundreds of years.