2. The number of writers of different kinds must have been much greater than is generally supposed. At a very early period during the residence of the Israelites in Egypt the taskmasters werealways accompanied with “writers,” called “officers” in our version, Exod. 5:6, and we find them pictured on the monuments, with their tablets and reeds, writing even while walking. The children of Israel had scribes also on their brick-fields to check off the records of those who wrote for the taskmasters, Exod. 5:15, 19.So also the Judges in “the gates”[83] had their writers, Deut. 16:18, also called “officers.”
Writers were employed for such engineering purposes as are recorded in Josh. 18:9, and these were not simply draughtsmen who mapped the country in a book, but also recorded the position of cities, of which not less than four hundred and eleven are mentioned by name.
3. In more recent times there arose the class of writers called by the Hebrews “Sopherim” or “scribes,” who appear to have been high officers of the State or secretaries, recording edicts of the king besides the many important occurrences of history.
4. That writers or scribes existed at so early a period as that when the Israelites were in the desert is certain from the statement in Num. 11:16, where Moses is commanded to assemble these writers with the seventy elders. It is plain from these instances that there were numbers in the camp who were expert writers, and it is highly probable that many of the people were instructed through their writings, not only then, but during all the residence of the Israelites in Canaan.
5. There were men then, as now, peculiarly fitted to record current events, or interested in genealogy, or gifted with poetic talent, and their inclinations led them to make records which were interesting at those periods, or to make “books” which were known to be faithful and authentic; and hence in no less than fourteen instances there seem to be references to such books throughout the Old Testament writings: Num. 21:14; Josh. 10:13; 1 Sam. 10:25; 1 Kin. 4:32, 33; 11:41; 1 Chron. 27:24; 29:29; 2 Chron. 9:29; 12:15; 13:22; 12:15; 20:34; 33:19; 35:25.
6. It is certain therefore that in the times of the monarchy public records were carefully kept, and even long before that time the people were not without their historians, who wrote down all important events and preserved and copied writings for others then living and for those who should come after them.
PERIOD V.
THE PERIOD OF THE KINGS TO THE CAPTIVITY.
FROM B. C. ABOUT 1095 TO B. C. 588, 507 YEARS.