SCRIBES, or SOPHERIM wail/Acmes, Scribe), the doctors of the law and interpreters of the Scriptures in, before, and after the time of Christ.
1. Name and its signigication.—In the earlier records of the O. T. the name Sopher (10, ticiple of "ItO, to write, to count) is given to officers of state whose functions were to write the king's letters, draw up his decrees (2 Kings xii. 10 ; 2 Chron. xxiv. 1), and to number and write down the military forces, as well as the prisoners (Judg. v. ; 2 Kings xxv. 19 ; Is. xxxiii. 18 ; Jer. 25). As learning was intimately connected with the art of writing, and as these two accomplishments were always associated together in ancient days, these Scribes occupied a distinguished position. Hence they are mentioned side by side with the high-priest and the captain of the host (2 Kings xii. to ; Chron. xxiv. t) ; and hence too the term Sapher OtD) became in the post-exile period the honour able appellation of one who copied, the law for him self or others, one skilled in the divine law, an interpreter of the Scriptures (Jer. viii. 8 ; Ezra vii. 6, 12; Nell. viii. t, al.) In their anxiety to preserve the text of Holy Writ, as well as to point out the import of its injunctions, these Scribes counted every letter and classified every precept of the law.
To indicate this the Talmud, in accordance with its general practice always to deduce from the name the various actions of the man, derives the appella tion Sopher from IV:), to count, maintaining that this name was given to those who counted the letters of the law (Kideiztshin, 3o a), as well as from MD, to number, to arrange, to classify, sub mitting that the name was also given to them be cause they classified the precepts of Scripture (yerzzsalem Shekalim, v. 1).
2. Orggin and development.—In describing the rise and progress of the ancient doctors and inter preters of the Scriptures we shall have to distinguish five different periods, viz.-4 The period of the So pherim, or the Scribes in the strict sense of the word ; ii. The period of the Tanaim iii. The Amoraint ; iv. The Saboraim ; and v. The period of the Gaoninz. It is only by separating these dif ferent epochs that the work and influence of the doctors of the law can be duly understood.