Scribes Appointed by David

Josephus

Jewish Antiquities 7.363–364

93–94

David, desiring to appoint his son king over all the people, called together their rulers in Jerusalem, along with the priests and Levites. Having first counted the Levites, he found them to be thirty-eight thousand, from thirty years old to fifty, out of whom he appointed twenty-four thousand as superintendents over the building of the Temple; and out of the same, six thousand to be judges of the people and scribes, four thousand as gatekeepers of the house of God, and as many for singers, to sing to the instruments that David had prepared, as we have said already.

Translated by William Whiston, adapted by Aaron Samuels.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

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David was the exceptional biblical king who worked with—rather than competing for power with—the Levites. Josephus here describes David appointing Levites to be superintendents in the Temple and then also as judges and scribes, gatekeepers to the Temple, and singers. Wisdom, nobility, and intellect are qualities often attributed to both judges and scribes.

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Creator Bio

Josephus

37–100

Flavius Josephus was born into a prominent Jewish priestly family and served as a general stationed in the Galilee during the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE). He was captured by the Romans and eventually integrated into the Flavian imperial aristocracy, who commissioned him to compose chronicles of the Jewish–Roman war and the history of the Jews. Josephus’ works, all written in Greek, include The Jewish War, Jewish Antiquities, Against Apion, and his autobiography, Life of Josephus. These writings provide important insights into the Judaisms of the Second Temple period and include one of the few surviving accounts of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

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