ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the attestations and uses of writing during the Iron Age in the southern Levant, especially in the territories of Israel and Judah. It first addresses the question of writing during the Iron Age I, often regarded as a “Dark Age” in the region, then deals with the origins and uses of the Old Hebrew script in the Iron Age II. Finally, this chapter discusses the extent of literacy in the populations of Israel and Judah, as well as current knowledge about scribes in those kingdoms.
