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Let us consider some of the writing practices of the Israelites, in which we are greatly interested.

In Exodus 39:30 we read “And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS OF THE LORD.” And in Jeremiah 17:1, “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; it is graven upon the tablet of their heart.” The late J. M. Sjodahl remarks after a discussion of these two passages: “that proves beyond a question that the Israelites were familiar with engraved tablets, for otherwise the words of the prophet would have been intelligible to them.”

Recently a letter in Hebrew written on a copper or bronze plate has been found in Palestine.

In the Smith and Goodspeed translation of Isaiah 8:1-2 Isaiah telling of the instructions the Lord gave him says:

“Then said the Lord to me, Take a great tablet, and write upon it in easily legible characters, Speeding to the spoil, hastening to the prey. And get me reliable witnesses to attest the writing, Uriah the Priest, and Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah.” Adam Clarke in his Commentary remarks on this section: “I have a metal-line mirror found in Herculaneum which is not above three inches square. The prophet is commanded to take a mirror, or brazen polished tablet, not like these little hand mirrors, but a large one; large enough for him to engrave upon it in deep and lasting characters . . . with a workman’s graving tool, the prophecy he was to deliver.”

The Book of Maccabees 8:22 in the Apocrypha states:

“And this is a copy of the writing which they (the Roman Senate) wrote back again on tablets of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that it might be with them for a memorial of peace and confederacy.” In chapter 14:16-18 it is recorded that the Spartans wrote to Simon on tablets of brass to renew the friendship which they had had with Judas and Jonathan his brethren.

Form Josephus compared with Pliny, Richard Watson tells us “The Hebrews went to far to write their sacred books in gold.” According to John Kitto lead plates were also used.

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