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b-hebrew - Re[2]: Nomadic Scribes?

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  • From: Peter_Kirk AT SIL.ORG
  • To: mc2499 AT mclink.it, b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re[2]: Nomadic Scribes?
  • Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1999 13:04 -0500 (EST)


Why are we necessarily talking about nomadic scribes using clay
tablets, or even wax tablets? This discussion started with Israelites
in Egypt and carrying records with them to Canaan. In Egypt writing
was normally on papyrus, from c.3000 BC (??). Papyrus scrolls are not
so heavy that nomads could not carry them - perhaps together with
their portable sanctuary. At a later stage e.g. during the monarchy
papyrus could have been imported from Egypt. (IVP "New Bible
Dictionary" s.v. Papyri speaks of records of import of papyrus to
Byblos c.1090 BC). Papyrus would not survive for millennia in the
relatively damp soil of Canaan - and that is perhaps why we have very
few written records from pre-exilic Israel. ("New Bible Dictionary"
mentions a 7th-8th century BC Hebrew papyrus fragment from Wadi
Murabbaat - is that dating accepted?)

Peter Kirk




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