written on stone

[jsimms615]

I was talking to someone on another forum and the question has come up about why Moses wrote on stone in Exodus 34? Did they not have parchment or any kind of paper back then? When did it start that people started using paper or parchment?
Also, we are discussing what exactly was written on the second set of tablets since Moses broke the first set. I know it says that the second set would be like the first, but the 10 commandments are already mentioned several chapters earlier.

 

[tansy]

Well, I'm not sure when paper or parchment started to be used, but suspect in any case that it would have been expensive.
I do know that in ancient days, people wrote on clay tablets and I believe they still find some today. I think that some people say that the stone tablets were actually clay tablets, which would also, I suppose, explain why Moses was able to break them.

 

[BeforeTheFoundation]

Any form of paper would have been extraordinarily expensive. Even official documents were written on stone or sometimes bits of broken pottery.

 

[JustOne]

I was talking to someone on another forum and the question has come up about why Moses wrote on stone in Exodus 34? Did they not have parchment or any kind of paper back then? When did it start that people started using paper or parchment?
Also, we are discussing what exactly was written on the second set of tablets since Moses broke the first set. I know it says that the second set would be like the first, but the 10 commandments are already mentioned several chapters earlier.

My personal view is that it is allegorical of Jeremiah 31. G.d writes on our hearts the difference between right and wrong. Certainly man's heart has proved to be stone rather than paper, no?

 

[St_Worm2]

I was talking to someone on another forum and the question has come up about why Moses wrote on stone in Exodus 34? Did they not have parchment or any kind of paper back then? When did it start that people started using paper or parchment?
Also, we are discussing what exactly was written on the second set of tablets since Moses broke the first set. I know it says that the second set would be like the first, but the 10 commandments are already mentioned several chapters earlier.

Hi Jsimms, Moses was born in 1526 BC. The oldest known papyrus document in existence belonged to the Egyptian King Assa and is said to have been written in approximately 2600 BC, so they certainly had (or at least knew of) paper "back then". As far as what was written on the newer set of stone tablets and Who actually wrote on them, here's a little bit from the Bible that might help:

When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. Exodus 31:18​

Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. Exodus 32:15-16​

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. Exodus 34:1


​

As to why the Lord chose to write the Decalogue on stone tablets rather than on some form of parchment, I can't say, but something 'written in stone' certainly speaks to the value/importance and permanency of that which was written, yes!


Yours and His,
David

 

[Mister_Al]

I believe that the reason God wrote His Commandments in stone was to show that Moses didn't write them. If Moses had shown up with writings on paper the people could have easily thought that Moses had written them. But by them being written in stone that in itself should be proof that Moses would be telling the truith by saying they were written by God.

Blessings,
Alan

 

[Cribstyl]

Hi Jsimms, Moses was born in 1526 BC. The oldest known papyrus document in existence belonged to the Egyptian King Assa and is said to have been written in approximately 2600 BC, so they certainly had (or at least knew of) paper "back then". As far as what was written on the newer set of stone tablets and Who actually wrote on them, here's a little bit from the Bible that might help:

When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. Exodus 31:18​

Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. Exodus 32:15-16​

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. Exodus 34:1


​

As to why the Lord chose to write the Decalogue on stone tablets rather than on some form of parchment, I can't say, but something 'written in stone' certainly speaks to the value/importance and permanency of that which was written, yes!


Yours and His,
David

Well presented David