CHAPTER III.

FIRST WRITING-FIRST WRITING-MATERIALS.

T will be interesting now to examine into the origin and

IT

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the progress of the art of writing; which, next to speaking, influences the world. The writings of Moses are by far the most ancient of which we have any knowledge. In the book of Job, supposed to have been written by Moses, we read of Job's exclaiming : “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were imprinted in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" Job evidently had some idea of writing, although the word "written" might be rendered drawn, and the word "book" may signify any memorial in writing. Excepting this, no reference is made to writing prior to the time of Moses. We notice that the transfers of property before his day, instead of being made by written deeds placed on town records, were made by verbal acknowledgment before witnesses; as in the case of the purchase of the field and cave of Machpelah by Abraham; and we also find, that when Abraham sent to his relatives for a wife for his son, he did not write. Some think that the first writing was the Ten Commandments, written on stone by the finger of God. We know, however, that the earliest writing in the world was given by inspiration of Him who “giveth knowledge to man ;" and also, that it was in the Hebrew letter and language.

From the Hebrew alphabet came the Phoenician; from that the Greek; the Greek letters being evidently the Phoenician

'Job xix. 23, 24.

2 Gen. xxiii. 17.

turned from right to left; thence came the Roman; and from them, the letters now in use among civilized nations.

When the Jews under Joshua, with the writings of Moses in their hands, were driving out the Phoenician tribes, some of these sought refuge in distant colonies. It was at this time that Cadmus, a Phoenician, miscalled the "father of letters," introduced the use of them, under new forms, into Greece. Giving the Grecians an alphabet, he not only laid the foundation of that literature which is the admiration of scholars to this day, but he also furnished a written language which will be always memorable; as that in which the New Testament was originally written.

The peaceful reign of Solomon, and his reputed wisdom, drew persons from all parts of the world to learn of him. The knowledge of letters, and some ideas of the true God, were thus extended to other countries.1

The use of signs would naturally be adopted by barbarous nations, from seeing letters which they could not understand used by the more civilized; and also from traditional ideas of writing, which their fathers might have lost in wandering from the light of truth into the darkness and degradation of heathenism.

The ancient Hebrew characters differed somewhat from those now used in writing that language. Time also introduced changes in the ancient Greek letters. These changes would naturally occur before printing was known, as men never speak or write exactly alike. The first writings were from right to left. The Hebrew is yet written in that way.

'1 Kings iv, 34.

The Greeks, deriving letters from the Phoenicians, also originally wrote like them from right to left. The change appears to have been brought about by making alternate lines follow each other: the first line from right to left, and the second from left to right, and so on. This they called writing as oxen plow. The laws of Solon were written in

this way.

The old Hebrew characters were written in this manner :1

BESTIGHETEN
NWIP MIJO

The old Phoenician, according to Scaliger, were written

thus:

WYLYMGHEYATIN
NWAYMIO35

And the Greek, according to the most ancient specimen, were written thus:

T29704MJH/HFA18

These were probably the first letters of the Greek alphabet, which were originally sixteen only. The following, which are found in the ancient Sigean inscription, were afterward added:

FIDYO+
σε θυσχ

Job speaks of writing on stone. That material God used when writing the Ten Commandments. Brass, lead, and

'Shuckford's Connection of Sacred and Profane History.

other metals in time came into use; then ivory and wood; and afterward, the wooden tablet was spread over with wax, which by being exposed to heat could be used again and again. The prepared skins of animals were used at an early period; and the word skins was used by the Ionians to denote books, long after they obtained a better material. Instead of making bound volumes, they first wrote their successive pages, if we may so call them, on one long scroll; which was unrolled as read.

The better material discovered was papyrus, a part of an Egyptian water plant, which the Greeks called byblus. We take our word bible from the Greek biblos, which they used to signify book, after adopting the byblus plant for bookmaking.

The Papyrus plant threw up stalks from eight to sixteen feet high, and from two to four inches thick, with foliage at the top. The pith of the stalk was cut in very thin slices, which were laid side by side, slightly overlapping each other; these were moistened with gum-water, and another layer of strips was laid across them. Both layers were then pressed, dried, and polished. From the papyrus comes our word paper.

In the third century before Christ, it happened that dif ferences having arisen between the king of Pergamos and the king of Egypt, the latter cut off the supply of papyrus from Pergamos. This brought out the invention of what was called pergamena, and is now known as parchment. Paul desires Timothy to bring him the books which he left at Troas, "but especially the parchments." Parchment was an invention made known to men when the word of God was about to be scattered throughout the world by the translation called the Septuagint, and under the Gospel dispensation; and when a more durable material was needed to preserve that word during the dark ages.

12 Tim. iv. 13.

We are reminded from the familiar expression of the leaves of books, that our ancestors wrote on leaves. Before the introduction of papyrus, the ancient Romans used the inner bark of trees; so that liber, bark, became the Latin word for book; and thence comes our word library, meaning a collection of books. Our Saxon forefathers wrote on the bark of the bocco, their name for beech-tree; and from that we have our word book.

Pencils or brushes were made from the branches forming the crown of the Papyrus plant, by sharpening them. The Romans called the sharp-pointed instrument with which they wrote on tablets, etc., a stylus. Julius Cæsar was using one of them when he was attacked by his assassins, and trying to defend himself with it, wounded one of his assailants badly. The word translated pen, Psalm xlv. 1, probably meant a reed, which is the rendering in the Greek and Latin versions. Our word pen is derived from the Latin penna, a feather. The root of the Hebrew word translated ink, Jer. xxxvi. 18, makes it appear that it was a black fluid that was then used. In the days of the Apostles ink was common.

Remembering that writing originally came to us by inspiration, and probably by direct revelation from God, how careful we should be to use it for His glory. If words spoken never die, but are brought up again at the judgment of the last day, how much more shall words written!