Famous Doctors. Egyptian records allow scholars to reconstruct a history of medicine stretching from 3000 B.C.E. to the seventh century C.E. Egyptian doctors were famous in the ancient world, attracting calls for aid from the Hittite royal court in Dynasty 19 (circa 1292-1190 B.C.E.). Egyptians were also aware of the foreign practice of medicine in Syria-Palestine and Babylonia. At the very end of ancient Egyptian history, the Greeks adopted much of Egyptian theory and practice through collaborations in Alexandria.

General State of Health. The fertility of Egypt in ancient times meant that the population enjoyed a healthy diet. One farm laborer produced enough food for twenty adults. This fruitfulness was the reason that Egypt was known for food production in the stories of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the biblical Book of Genesis. Wealthy Egyptians regularly consumed a...