EPISTLE. Epistles are probably as old as the art of writing. Verbal messages seem to have been the usual way of communication between persons at a distance from one another in the primitive conditions of society, but there is no proof that there was no other way. In the Ho meric poems, though messages are usual, letters are not unknown, as we see from the story of Bet lerophon. In the Bible, the first mention is in the time of David, who gave Uriah a letter to Joab (2 Sam. xi. 14, 15). This seems to have been done as the only way of concealing the king's wicked design. It must have been sealed, like the letters which Jezebel wrote in Ahab's name, and sealed with his seal,' to plot the death of Naboth the Jezreelite (i Kings xxi. S-ro). The contents of these letters are simply royal commands, and nothing is said of salutation or even address. It is to be noticed that the answer of Joab was by a messenger (ver. 18-25) ; and that no mention is made of a written reply to Jezebel's letter ; we only read that the news of the death of Naboth was sent' to her (ver. 14). In neither case was secrecy still necessary. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to authorities, respecting Ahab's children, the form of which, or of the one tran scribed, is the first instance in the Bible of anything like a formula. It begins, Now as soon as this letter cometh to you,' but ends without any like phrase. It was apparently replied to by a message, and Jehu wrote another letter, which, as given, has not the same peculiarity as the first. That Jehu, who, though perhaps well born, was a rough soldier, should have written, and there is no ground for sup posing that he used a scribe, but, from the extremely characteristic style, rather evidence against such an idea, indicates that letter-writing was then common (2 Kings x. 1-7). In this case secrecy may have been thought desirable, but the importance of the matter would have been a sufficient reason for writing. The letter which the king of Syria, Ben hadad, sent by Naaman to Jehoram king of Israel, though to a sovereign with whom the writer was at peace, is in the same peremptory style, with no salutation, from which we may conjecture that only the principal contents are given in this and like instances (2 Kings v. 5, 6). The writing' (:171;p) to Jehoram king of Judah, from Elijah, must have been a written prophecy rather than a letter (2 Chron. xxi. 12-15) ; though it must be observed that such prophecies when addressed to persons are of an epistolary character. Heze kiah, when he summoned the whole nation to keep the passover, sent letters, from the king and his princes,' as had been determined at a council held at Jerusalem by the king, the princes, and all the congregation. The contents of these letters
are given, or the substance. The form is that of an exhortation, without, however, address. The character is that of a religious proclamation (2 Chron. xxx. 1-9). The letter or letters of Sen nacherib to Hezekiah seem to have been written instructions to his messengers, which were given to Ifezekiah to shew him that they had their master's authority. It is to be observed that the messengers were commanded, Thus shall ye speak to Heze kiah,' and that Hezekiah received the letter' from them. What he received was probably a roll of papyrus, as that which Jehoiakim burnt seems to have been ( Jer. xxxvi. 23), for when he took it to the temple he spread it before the LORD' (2 Kings xix. 9-14 ; Is. xxxvii. 9-14 ; comp. 2 Chron. xxxii. 17). It does not appear to have been usual for the prophets to write letters. Generally they seem, when they did not go themselves to those whom they would address, either to have sent a messenger, or to have publicly proclaimed what they were commissioned to say, knowing that the report of it would be carried to those whom it specially concerned. When Nebuchadnezzar had carried captive some of the people of Judah, we read how Jeremiah addressed them by a letter, which is a written exhortation and prophecy (xxix. 1-23). It can scarcely be said that here we per ceive a positive distinction between the later pro phets and the earlier, for Elijah sent a letter or writing' to Jehoram king of Judah, as already noticed. The distance of Babylon from Jerusa lem, and of Jerusalem from the kingdom which was the scene of Elijah's ministry, seems to afford the true explanation. That letters were not un common between the captives at Babylon and those who remained at Jerusalem before it was de stroyed, appears probable, from the mention of letters to Zephaniah the priest and to others from a false prophet Shemaiah, at Babylon, in contra diction of Jeremiah's letter (24-29). Jeremiah was commanded to send to the captives a condemna tion of this man (3o-32), and it is therefore pro bable that at least three letters passed on this occasion. Though with the little evidence we have we cannot speak positively, it seems as if the cus tom of letter-writing had become more common by degrees, although there is no ground for infer ring any change in its character. Still we find nothing of an address or signature. The letter seems to be always a document, generally a mes sage written for greater security or to have full authority, and was probably rolled, tied up, and sealed with the writer's seal.