Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

April 24, 2025

The Scribes of Ancient Israel

The people who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, and how they understood their jobs.

The Hebrew Bible makes several references to scribes; indeed, the book of Chronicles mentions whole clans of them. In the New Testament, scribes come up even more frequently, and appear to have been a distinct group with a particular outlook. But who were these scribes, how did they learn their craft, and what exactly did it entail? Were they mere copier and calligraphers, or something more? Emanuel Tov, a leading expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls, explains in conversation with David Capes. (Audio, 20 minutes.)

SaveGift