The Pyramid Texts emerged first, during the Old Kingdom, as a way for Pharaohs to protect themselves and ensure safe passage to the afterlife after their death. The Coffin Texts emerged later, first appearing during the First Intermediate Period and flourishing during the Middle Kingdom. The Coffin Texts were based on the Pyramid Texts, but unlike the Pyramid Texts, the Coffin Texts were available to the whole Egyptian population (so long as one could afford to be buried in a coffin). Both texts were primarily comprised of funerary spells that were inscribed on the walls of the tomb or coffin.

The Coffin Texts first appeared during the First Intermediate Period and became popular during the Middle Kingdom. Like the name suggests, the Coffin Texts were a series of funerary spells that were inscribed on the walls of coffins. They were inspired by the earlier Pyramid Texts, but unlike the Pyramid Texts — which were reserved for the Pharaoh and other rulers — the Coffin Texts extended access to funerary spells, and an understanding of the afterlife, to the common people.

Shawabtis were little figurines of servants that were often buried with deceased Egyptian rulers in order to serve the ruler in the afterlife. During the Old Kingdom, they were usually built of stone. During the Middle Kingdom, they were usually built of wood. Prior to their usage in predynastic and early dynastic Egypt, however, it was relatively common for real servants to be buried alive so that they could serve the Pharaoh in the afterlife.

Flinders Petrie was a British Egyptologist in the nineteenth century. He is probably most famous for discovering the Merneptah Stele in 1896. The Merneptah Stele tells of the military exploits of King Merneptah. Petrie is also notable for discovering the ruins of Lahun — an important archaeological site that provides evidence for how the common working class of Egypt might have lived.

Pyramids built during the Middle Kingdom are distinct from pyramids built during the Old Kingdom in that they included traps and secret passageways, designed to prevent tomb raiding. This demonstrates that the ancient Egyptian rulers had learned from the past and highlights how grave robbing must have been relatively common in Egyptian society, in spite of the many social customs designed to discourage it.

The cult of Osiris began in the Old Kingdom and continued to develop in the Middle Kingdom. Egyptians believed Osiris judged them on the lives they had lead and those who lead good lives would be allowed to join the gods in the afterlife. At the height of his popularity, mere mortals were believed to connect with Osiris after death.

Hieratic writing developed in Egypt contemporaneously with Egyptian hieroglyphics. Unlike hieroglyphs, which are a series of pictograms and symbols representing differing things and ideas, Hieratic writing is a more flowing, cursive style. It was therefore much more efficient and less time consuming and was used widely by Egyptian scribes.

The Story of Sinuhe is one of the most celebrated works of Egyptian literature. It was probably written in the nineteenth century BCE. It was written in Hieratic, which was the cursive language used by scribes and intellectuals throughout much of ancient Egyptian history. The invention of Hieratic was instrumental to the development of Egyptian literature, because hieroglyphs do not lend themselves to efficient or colorful written communication.

The Kahun Medical Papyrus dates from approximately 1,800 BCE, at the height of the power of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt. The Kahun Medical Papyrus is primarily concerned with female reproductive health, and is probably the earliest known work on female sexual health in human history. It deals with fertility, pregnancy, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases.

The Story of Sinuhe is probably the most esteemed piece of ancient Egyptian literature. It was most likely written in the 19th century BCE. It tells the story of an individual, called Sinuhe, who flees Egypt in the immediate aftermath of the death of Amenemhat I. Sinuhe flees to Canaan, but longs to return to Egypt. As an old man he asks movingly that God allow him to return home and he is subsequently invited home by the Egyptian Pharaoh to live in peace and opulence. Most historians agree that The Story of Sinuhe is a fictional tale.