Why did priest and scribes held such high ranks on egypt's social pyramid?

Priests served the gods’ needs and, at times, the power of the High Priest of Amun-Ra rivaled pharaoh’s. Pharaoh appointed the priests during early periods but later the posts became hereditary. Scribes, part of the third level of the pyramid, were some of the only people in Egypt who could read and write. They kept the records of the country including the amount of food produced and gifts presented to the gods. 

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