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The term “scribe” was used in ancient times to refer to copyists who were responsible for reproducing important manuscripts. In Persia these scribes were held in great esteem, as they were generally of the most knowledgeable men in the community and played an important role in preserving the Torah and other important works.
Later, the term took on a wholly different meaning, referring to those whose mission was the correct interpretation and dissemination of Jewish law. Ezra is the first known member of this new group.
Ezra did little writing in the classic sense of a scribe. He did author the book of Ezra and also parts of Chronicles (Bava Basra 15a). However, he was known more for canonizing Tanach than adding to it. His primary focus was on recommitting the Jewish people to a life of strict adherence to the Torah and its commandments. “For Ezra had prepared his heart to explain the law of the Lord to do it and to teach Israel laws and judgments”(Ezra 9:3).
For all of the scribes who followed Ezra, during the years of the Great Assembly and beyond, the goal was very much the same. No longer was writing the focus. From this point onward, the objective became expounding what was already put into writing, and perpetuating the Oral Law.
It is well documented that during the First Temple period the Jewish people wrote using Hebrew characters that closely resembled the Phoenician script of the day. Many coins, earthenware fragments, and other archaeological finds, display this form of writing.
The Talmud refers to the ancient script as k’sav ivri, or Hebrew script. Yet, as noted earlier, this was not the original script employed by Moshe when he recorded the Torah on Mount Sinai. The Torah was written using k’sav ashurit,or Ashurith script, which features the square-shaped letters utilized today.
The ability to read Ashurith script was maintained by priests, scribes, and select scholars. This is why King Yoshiyahu needed a priest to read the original Torah of Moshe to him when it was found in the Temple (II Kings 22:8-11). This also explains why only Daniel and no other Jewish adviser could read the “handwriting on the wall” in Belshazzar’s court (Daniel 5).
Ezra reintroduced the Ashurith script when he realized the extent to which the people had forgotten it. Still, he shared the original concern that people would utilize the holy characters for improper purposes. He therefore chose to translate the Torah into Aramaic, which would allow people to familiarize themselves with the primary lettering without using it in their daily writing.
The people, however, were not prepared to modify the language of their holiest text. Therefore, they reintroduced the Ashurith script with Hebrew words in the Torah but continued to conduct their business in Aramaic, keeping Hebrew writing out of the daily routine.
Fortunately, Ezra was assisted in his efforts. Nechemiah ben Chakaliah, a righteous diplomat and statesman who had served as the royal butler or “cupbearer” in the Persian court, arrived with the title of Judean governor thirteen years after Ezra’s return, in the year 335 BCE. He provided a political and material balance to Ezra’s spiritual focus.
Nechemiah’s first charge was to rebuild the city walls and provide protection for its inhabitants. The rebuilt walls raised the spirit and morale of the city’s inhabitants. However, Jerusalem was still underpopulated. Nechemiah viewed a vibrant capital, home to 10 percent of the total Jewish population, as essential for the growth and rejuvenation of the entire community. He thus recruited volunteers to help settle the city. When insufficient numbers heeded his call, he drew lots to determine who would live within its walls.
