an officer among the Jews whose business was to write; of which there were three kinds: the first and principal of which were the scribes of the law, whose office was to write and interpret scripture; these were in great credit and esteem among the Jews, and had even the precedence of the priests and sacrificers, and their decisions were received with almost the same respect as the law of God itself; the second kind, properly called scribes of the people, were a sort of magistrates: and the third were public notaries, or secretaries of the council; which were the least considerable.

The scribes, among the Romans, wrote out decrees, or acts, and made out authentic copies of them.