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the　Hebrew　or　Samaritan　Alphabet；　2000　or　more

B。　C。；　down　to　the　writings　of　the　new　or　Western

world　of　the　Christian　era。



The　data　presented　and　the　arguments　set　forth；

deserve　profound　respect；　and　though　we　find　some

favoring　the　Egyptians；　or　the　Phoenicians；　the　Chaldeans；

the　Syrians；　the　Indians；　the　Persians　or　the

Arabians；　it　is　best　to　accept　the　concensus　of　their

opinion；　which　seems　to　divide　between　the　Phoenicians

and　the　Egyptians　as　being　the　inventors　of　the

foremost　of　all　the　arts。　〃For；　in　Phoenicia；　had

lived　Taaut　or　Thoth　the　first　Hermes；　its　inventor；

and　who　later　carried　his　art　into　Egypt　where　they

first　wrote　in　pictures；　some　2200　years　B。　C。〃



The　art　appears　to　have　been　first　exercised　in

Greece　and　the　West　about　1500　or　1800　B。　C。；　and

like　all　arts；　it　was　doubtless　slow　and　progressive。

The　Greeks　refer　the　invention　of　written　letters　to

Cadmus；　merely　because　he　introduced　them　from

Phoenicia；　then　only　sixteen　in　number。　To　these；

four　more　were　added　by　Simonides。　Evander　brought

letters　into　Latium　from　Greece；　the　Latin　letters　being

at　first　nearly　the　same　form　as　the　Greek。　The　Romans

employed　a　device　of　scattering　green　sand　upon　tables；

for　the　teaching　of　arithmetic　and　writing；　and　in　India

a　〃sand　box〃　consisting　of　a　surface　of　sand　laid　on　a

board　the　finger　being　utilized　to　trace　forms；　was　the

method　followed　by　the　natives　to　teach　their　children。

It　is　said　that　such　methods　still　obtain　even　in　this

age；　in　some　rural　districts　of　England。



After　the　invention　of　writing　well…informed　nations

and　individuals　kept　scribes　or　chroniclers　to　record　in

writing；　historical　and　other　events；　mingled　with　claims

of　antiquity　based　on　popular　legends。



These　individuals　were　not　always　held　in　the　highest

esteem。　Among　the　Hebrews　it　was　considered　an

honorable　vocation；　while　the　Greeks　for　a　long　time

treated　its　practitioners　as　outcasts。　It　was　an　accomplishment

possessed　by　the　few　even　down　to　the　fifteenth

century　of　the　Christian　era。　The　rulers　of

the　different　countries　were　deficient　in　the　art　and

depended　on　others　to　write　their　documents　and　letters

to　which　they　appended　their　monogram　or　the

sign　of　the　Cross　against　their　names　as　an　attestation。

So　late　as　A。　D。　1516　an　order　was　made　in　London　to

examine　all　persons　who　could　write　in　order　to　discover

the　authorship　of　a　seditious　document。



The　art　of　writing　is　not　mentioned　in　the　Bible

prior　to　the　time　of　Moses；　although　as　before　stated；

in　Egypt　and　the　countries　adjacent　thereto　it　was　not

only　known　but　practiced。



Its　first　mention　recorded　in　Scripture　will　be　found

in　Exodus　xvii。　v。　14；　〃And　the　Lord　said　unto

Moses；　Write　this；　for　a　memorial；　in　a　book；　and

rehearse　it　in　the　ear　of　Joshua；　for　I　will　utterly　put

out　the　remembrance　of　Amalek　from　under　heaven。〃

This　command　was　given　immediately　after　the　defeat

of　the　Amalekites　near　Horeb；　and　before　the　arrival

of　the　Israelites　at　Mount　Sinai。



It　is　observable；　that　there　is　not　the　least　hint　to

induce　us　to　believe　that　writing　was　then　newly　invented；

on　the　contrary；　we　may　conclude；　that　Moses

understood　what　was　meant　by　writing　in　a　book；

otherwise　God　would　have　instructed　him；　as　he　had

done　Noah　in　building　the　Ark；　for　he　would　not　have

been　commanded　to　write　in　a　book；　if　he　had　been

ignorant　of　the　art　of　writing；　but　Moses　expressed

no　difficulty　of　comprehension　when　he　received　this

command。　We　also　find　that　Moses　wrote　all　the

works　and　all　the　judgments　of　the　Lord；　contained

in　the　twenty…first　and　the　two　succeeding　chapters　of

the　book　of　Exodus；　before　the　two　written　tables　of

stone　were　even　so　much　as　promised。　The　delivery

of　the　tables　is　not　mentioned　till　the　eighteenth　verse

of　the　thirty…first　chapter；　after　God　had　made　an

end　of　communing　with　him　upon　the　mount；　though

the　ten　commandments　were　promulgated　immediately

after　his　third　descent。



Moses　makes　frequent　mention　of　ancient　books　of

the　Hebrews；　but　describes　none；　except　the　two　tables

on　which　God　wrote　the　ten　commandments。　These

he　tells　us；　were　of　polished　stone；　engraven　on　both

sides　and　as　Calmet　remarks：　〃it　is　probable　that

Moses　would　not　have　observed　to　us　these　two　particulars

so　often　as　he　does；　were　it　not　to　distinguish

them　from　other　books；　which　were　made　of　tables；

not　of　stone；　but　of　wood　and　curiously　engraven；　but

on　one　side　only。〃



It　cannot　be　said　that　Moses　uses　any　language

which　can　be　construed　to　mean　the　employment　of

rolls　of　papyrus；　or　barks　of　trees；　much　less　of　parchment。

We　have　therefore　reason　to　believe　that　by

the　term　book；　he　always　means　table…books；　made　of

small　thin　boards　or　plates。



The　edicts；　as　well　as　the　letters　of　kings；　were　written

upon　tablets　and　sent　to　the　various　provinces；

sealed　with　their　signets。　Scripture　plainly　alludes

to　the　custom　of　sealing　up　letters；　edicts　and　the　tablets

on　which　the　prophets　wrote　their　visions。



The　practice　of　writing　upon　rolls　made　of　the　barks

of　trees　is　very　ancient。　It　is　alluded　to　in　the　Book

of　Job：　〃Oh！　that　mine　adversary　had　written　a　book；

surely　I　would　take　it　upon　my　shoulders；　and　bind

it　as　a　crown　to　me。〃　（Old　version。）　The　new　one

runs：　〃And　that　I　had　the　indictment　which　mine

adversary　hath　written！〃　The　rolls；　or　volumes；

generally　speaking；　were　written　upon　one　side　only。

This　is　intimated　by　Ezekiel　who　observes　that　he

saw　one　of　in　extraordinary　form　written　on　both

sides：　〃And　when　I　looked；　behold；　an　Hand　was　sent

unto　me；　and　lo！　a　roll　of　a　book　was　therein；　and　he

spread　it　before　me；　and　it　was　written　within　and

without。〃



To　have　been　able　to　write　on　dry　tablets　of　wood

or　barks　of　trees　with　the　reed　or　brush；　the　then　only

ink…writing　instruments　in　vogue　would　have　necessitated

the　employment　of　lampblack　suspended　in　a

vehicle　of　thick　gum；　or　in　the　form　of　a　paint。　Both

of　these　maybe　termed　pigmentary　inks。　The　use　of

thin　inks　would　have　caused　spreading　or　blotting　and

thus　rendered　the　writing　illegible。



The　Encyclopaedia　Britannica　generalizes　its　remarks

on　this　subject：



〃The　earliest　writings　were　purely　monumental

and　accordingly　those　materials　were　chosen　which

were　supposed　to　last　the　longest。　The　same　idea

of　perpetuity　which　in　architecture　finds　its　most

striking　exposition　in　the　pyramids　was　repeated；

in　the　case　of　literary　records；　in　the　two　columns

mentioned　by　Josephus；　the　one　of　stone　and　the

other　of　brick；　on　which　the　children　of　Seth　wrote

their　inventions　and　astronomical　discoveries；　in

the　pillars　in　Crete　on　which；　according　to　Porphyry；

the　ceremonies　of　the　Corybantes　were　inscribed；

in　the　leaden　tablets　containinlu　the　works　of　Hesiod；

deposited　in　the　temple　of　the　Muses；　in　Boeotia；

in　the　ten　commandments　on　stone　delivered　by

Moses；　and　in　the　laws　of　Solon；　inscribed　on　planks

of　wood。　The　notion　of　a　literary　production　surviving

the　destruction　of　the　materials　on　which　it

was　first　writtenthe　'momentum；　aere　perennius'

of　Horace's　ambitionwas　unknown　before　the　discovery

of　substances　for　systematic　transcription。



〃Tablets　of　ivory　or　metal　were　in　common　use

among　the　Greeks　and　Romans。　When　made　of

woodsometimes　of　citron；　but　usually　of　beech　or

firtheir　inner　sides　were　coated　with　wax；　on

which　the　letters　were　traced　with　a　pointed　pen　or

stiletto　（stylus）；　one　end　of　which　was　used　for

erasure。　It　was　with　his　stylus　that　Caesar　stabbed

Casca　in　the　arm　when　attacked　by　his　murderers。

Wax　tablets　of　this　kind　continued　in　partial　use　in

Europe　during　the　middle　ages；　the　oldest　extant

specimen；　now　in　the　museum　at　Florence；　belongs

to　the　year　1301。〃



Later　the　Hebrew　Scriptures　were　written　in　ink　or

paint　upon　the　skins　of　ceremonially　clean　animals　or

even　birds。　These　were　rolled　upon　sticks　and　fastened

with　a　cord；　the　ends　of　which　were　sealed　when

security　was　an　object。　They　were　written　in　columns；

and　usually　upon　one　side；　only。　The　writing　was

from　right　to　left；　the　upper　margin　was　three　fingers

broad；　the　lower　one　four　fingers；　a　breadth　of　two

fingers　separated　the　columns。　The　columns　ran　across

the　width　of　the　sheet；　the　rolled　ends　of　which　were

held　vertically　in　the　respective　hands。　When　one

column　was　read；　another　was　exposed　to　view　by　unrolling

it　from　the　end　in　the　left　hand；　while　the

former　was　hidden　from　view　by　rolling　up　the　end

grasped　by　the　right　band。　The　pen　was　a　reed；　the

ink　black；　carried　in　a　bottle　suspended　from　the　girdle。



The　Samaritan　Pentateuch　is　very　ancient；　as　is

proved　by　the　criticisms　of　Talmudic　writers。　A　copy

of　it　was　acquired　in　1616　by　Pietro　della　Valle；　one

of　the　first　discoverers　of　the　cuneiform　inscriptions。