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Bible Dictionaries
Book
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or The form of ancient books was a long roll with a roller at each end. These rollers were held one in each hand and the book was unrolled from off the one on to the other as the book was read; and this had to be reversed before the book could be read again. They were made of skins, and the writing was usually on one side only; to be written on both sideswould show a full record, as in Ezekiel 2:9,10; Revelation 5:1 . The form of a roll explains how a book could have several seals, a portion being rolled up and a seal attached; then another portion rolled up and another seal, like the seven-sealed book of Revelation.
By the ancient nations records were made on cylinders or slabs of stone, or on clay, which was then baked or sun-dried. Many such tablets have been found in the excavations made at Nineveh, Babylon and other places. When Ezra was at work on the city and temple of Jerusalem his opponents wrote to the king of Persia asking that 'the book of the records' might be searched for corroboration of their assertion that Jerusalem had been rebellious. Ezra 4:15 . The 'book of the records' was doubtless a collection of stone or clay tablets. In some cases these have been found in such numbers as to form quite a library.
The word BOOK is used symbolically for what a book might contain, as prophecy or predictions. Ezekiel and John were told to eat the books presented to them. Ezekiel 2:8,9; Ezekiel 3:1-3; Revelation 10:9 : cf. Jeremiah 15:16 . It is also symbolical of the records that are with man usually written in a book. Psalm 56:8; Daniel 7:10; Malachi 3:16; Revelation 20:12 .
Various books are mentioned in scripture which are not now extant.
1. The wars of the Lord. Numbers 21:14 . The quotation is poetry, so that the book may have been a collection of odes by Moses on the wars of Jehovah.
2. Book of Jasher, Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18 . These quotations also are poetry.
3. Book of Samuel, concerning 'the manner of the kingdom,' 1 Samuel 10:25; which was laid up before the Lord.
4. The Acts of Solomon, 1Kings 11:41: probably the public records of the kingdom.
5. Books of Nathan, Gad, Ahijah, and Iddo, concerning the acts of David, and of Solomon, which were doubtless the public records of the nation, with which are associated prophecies of Ahijah and the visions of Iddo. 1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 9:29 .
6. Book of Shemaiah the prophet. 2 Chronicles 12:15 .
7. Book of Jehu. 2 Chronicles 20:34 . These various references show that when the historical parts of the O.T. were written, further information respecting the kingdom was obtainable from the books referred to, if such had been needed; but which was not required for the inspired volume of God.
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'Book'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/b/book.html. 1897.
