The influence of Egyptian scribal culture would become quite widespread in early Israel. In addition to learning the practices of accounting (that is, using hieratic numerals) and of writing with ink, the early Israelites borrowed several linguistic terms relating to the scribal profession from Egyptian. To begin with, it is worth noting that the Hebrew word for “scribe” (sōᵽēr) derives from the root spr, which originally meant not “to write” but rather “to count,” reflecting the administrative roots of the scribal profession. We have already mentioned the terms for “ink” and “papyrus,” but other Egyptian (Eg.) loanwords include those for “a scribe’s palette” (Eg. gśty; Heb. qeseṯ), “seal” (Eg. ḫtm; Heb. ḥôṯām), “signet ring” (Eg. ḏbʿt; Heb. ṭaḇaʿaṯ), “ephah” (a certain measurement for grain; Eg. ypt; Heb. ʾêᵽâ), “hin” (a certain liquid measure; Eg. hnw; Heb. hîn), and “zeret” (a span of measurement; Eg. ḏrt; Heb. zereṯ). There are very few Egyptian loanwords in Hebrew, but most are related to the scribal technology and profession, most likely reflecting the continuing work of Egyptian natives or Egyptian-trained locals after the retrenchment following the Twentieth Dynasty.
Schniedewind is annoyingly repetitive and occasionally confusing in his attempts to differentiate between spoken and written language (he’s read the linguists but does not seem to have fully assimilated what they say), but I’m learning enough from him that I’m willing to forgive him his deficiencies. (For a less indulgent response, in Russian, see Anatoly’s review.)