Writing

Probably began in Bible lands about 3500 BC. Early writing involved simple pictures or lines that later developed into other symbols that were more like an alphabet.

Paper didn’t exist in Bible times. Many people used chisels on stones for permanent records. When Moses was given the Ten Commandments from God, they were written on stone tablets. Sometimes people covered stones with plaster and then wrote in the plaster while it was still soft.

Many other common items were used for writing. Engraving on gold is mentioned in Exodus 28:36. Wood was sometimes coated with wax or clay and then used as a writing tablet. This is probably the kind of tablet Zechariah used when he was unable to speak. Broken pieces of pottery also were used. People could write on them with ink and then wash the writing off and use the pieces again.

Papyrus, a plant growing in water and swampy places, was used often for important letters or documents. The insides of the papyrus stalks were cut into thin strips, glued on top of each other crisscross, and then left under something heavy to make them stick together. When the sheets were dry, they were polished with stone and glued together to form long strips—

scrolls—for writing. The scroll that King Jehoiakim burned was made of papyrus.

Parchment was an expensive writing material made from the skins of sheep or goats. It was made by removing the hair from the skins, soaking them in lime, and then stretching them on frames. The skins were finally rubbed smooth with chalk or pumice stone. Parchment lasted much longer than papyrus. For this reason, scribes often used parchment in making copies of Old Testament writings.