child his guilt, and the need of justification, but rather because Leviticus contained

those ordinances which it behoved a Jew to know as early as possible. The history of

Israel would probably have been long before imparted orally, as it was continually

repeated on all festive occasions, as well as in the synagogue.

It has been stated in a former chapter that writing was not so common an

accomplishment as reading. Undoubtedly, the Israelites were familiar with it from the

very earliest period of their history, whether or not they had generally acquired the art in

Egypt. We read of the graving of words on the gems of the high-priest's breastplate, of

the record of the various genealogies of the tribes, etc; while such passages as

Deuteronomy 6:9, 11:20, 24:1, 3, imply that the art was not confined to the priesthood

(Num 5:23), but was known to the people generally. Then we are told of copies of the

law (Deu 17:18, 28:58, etc.), while in Joshua 10:13 we have a reference to a work called

"the book of Jasher." In Joshua 18:9 we find mention of a description of Palestine "in a

book," and in 24:26 of what Joshua "wrote in the book of the la w of God." From Judges

8:14 (margin) it would appear that in the time of Gideon the art of writing was very

generally known. After that, instances occur so frequently and applied to so many

relationships, that the reader of the Old Testament can have no difficulty in tracing the

progress of the art. This is not the place to follow the subject farther, nor to describe the

various materials employed at that time, nor the mode of lettering. At a much later period

the common mention of "scribes" indicates the popular need of such a class. We can

readily understand that the Oriental mind would delight in writing enigmatically, that is,

conveying by certain expressions a meaning to the initiated which the ordinary reader

would miss, or which, at any rate, would leave the explanation to the exercise of

ingenuity. Partially in the same class we might reckon the custom of designating a word

by its initial letter. All theses were very early in practice, and the subject has points of

considerable interest. Another matter deserves more serious attention. It will scarcely be

credited how general the falsification of signatures and documents had become.

Josephus mentions it (Ant. xvi, 317-319); and we know that St. Paul was obliged to warn

the Thessalonians against it (2 Thess 2:2), and at last to adopt the device of signing

every letter which came from himself. There are scarcely any ancient Rabbinical

documents which have not been interpolated by later writers, or, as we might

euphemistically call it, been recast and re -edited. In general, it is not difficult to discover

such additions; although the vigilance and acuteness of the critical scholar are specially

required in this direction to guard against rash and unwarrantable inferences. But

without entering on such points, it may interest the reader to know what writing

materials were employed in New Testament times. In Egypt red ink seems to have been

used; but assuredly the ink mentioned in the New Testament was black, as even the

term indicates ("melan," 2 Cor 3:3; 2 John 12; 3 John 13). Josephus speaks of writing in

gold letters (Ant. xii, 324-329); and in the Mishnah (Meg. ii. 2) we read of mixed colours,

of red, of sympathetic ink, and of certain chemical compositions. Reed quills are

mentioned in 3 John 13. The best of these came from Egypt; and the use of a penknife

would of course be indispensable. Paper (from the Egyptian "papyrus") is mentioned in

2 John 12; parchment in 2 Timothy 4:13. Of this there were three kinds, according as the

skin was used either whole, or else split up into an outer and an inner skin. The latter

was used for the Mesusah. Shorter memoranda were made on tablets, which in the

Mishnah (Shab. xii. 4) bear the same names as in Luke 1:63.

Before passing to an account of elementary schools, it may be well, once and for all, to

say that the Rabbis did not approve of the same amount of instruction being given to

girls as to boys. More particularly they disapproved of their engaging in legal studies --

partly because they considered woman's mission and duties as lying in other directions,

partly because the subjects were necessarily not always suitable for the other sex, partly

because of the familiar intercourse between the sexes to which such occupations would

have necessarily led, and finally --shall we say it?--because the Rabbis regarded

woman's mind as not adapted for such investigations. The unkindest thing, perhaps,

which they said on this score was, "Women are of a light mind"; though in its oft

repetition the saying almost reads like a semi -jocula r way of cutting short a subject on