Ancient Scribes and the Word of God

THE Hebrew Scriptures were completed by the end of the fifth century B.C.E. During the centuries that followed, Jewish scholars, notably the Sopherim and later the Masoretes, proved to be meticulous custodians of the Hebrew text. However, the oldest Bible books go back to the days of Moses and Joshua, a thousand years before the time of the Sopherim. The material upon which those books were written was perishable; so the scrolls must have been copied many times. What is known about the scribal profession in that early period? Were there skilled copyists in ancient Israel?

The oldest Bible manuscripts available today are parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which date back to the third and second centuries B.C.E. “Earlier copies of any part of the Bible are denied us,” explains Professor Alan R. Millard, a scholar of Near Eastern languages and archaeology. He adds: “Neighboring cultures can show how ancient scribes worked, and such knowledge can aid evaluation of the Hebrew text and its history.”

Scribes in Ancient Israel

Moses grew up as a member of Pharaoh’s household. (Exodus 2:10; Acts 7:21, 22) According to Egyptologists, Moses’ education would have included mastering Egyptian script and at least some of the skills of the scribes. In his book Israel in Egypt, Professor James K. Hoffmeier states: “There is reason to believe the biblical tradition that ascribes to Moses the ability to record events, compile itineraries, and other scribal activities.”b

The Bible refers to others in ancient Israel who had scribal skills. According to The Cambridge History of the Bible, Moses “appointed literate officials . . . to record decisions and order affairs.” This conclusion is based on Deuteronomy 1:15, which says: “So I [Moses] took the heads of your tribes . . . and put them as heads over you, chiefs of thousands and chiefs of hundreds and chiefs of fifties and chiefs of tens and officers of your tribes.” Who were these officers?

The Hebrew word for “officer” occurs a number of times in Bible texts referring to the days of Moses and Joshua. Various scholars explain that this word means “a secretary for recording,” “one who ‘writes’ or ‘records,’” and “an official who assisted the judge in secretarial work.” The occurrences of this Hebrew word indicate that a considerable number of such secretaries existed in Israel and that they had extensive responsibilities in the early administration of the nation.

The third example concerns Israel’s priests. The Encyclopaedia Judaica argues that their “religious and secular functions demanded that they be literate.” For instance, Moses commanded the sons of Levi: “At the end of every seven years, . . . you will read this law in front of all Israel.” The priests became caretakers of the official copy of the Law. They authorized and supervised the writing of subsequent copies.​—Deuteronomy 17:18, 19; 31:10, 11.

Consider how the first copy of the Law was made. During the final month of his life, Moses told the Israelites: “When you will cross the Jordan into the land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must also set up for yourselves great stones and whitewash them with lime. And you must write upon them all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 27:1-4) After the destruction of Jericho and Ai, the Israelites assembled at Mount Ebal, centrally located in the Promised Land. There Joshua did indeed write upon the stones of an altar “a copy of the law of Moses.” (Joshua 8:30-32) Such inscriptions required both writers and readers. This indicates that the early Israelites had the competence and skill needed to preserve their sacred texts accurately.