Page:Biblical Libraries (Richardson).djvu/141

 from the beginning of his high priesthood (I Macc. 16, 24).

Whether these words of Samuel were equivalent to the technical register or book of the words of days or not, such registers were undoubtedly kept from the time of David on, and there is nothing so illuminating as to the actual library conditions of the times as the so-called chronicals, histories, or acts—the registers, journals or archives of the time. The roll-register seems to be called in full the "Book of the words of days" or with explanatory fulness "Book of the records of the words of days" but this appears to be an evolution from "words of days" or even "words" and these forms as well as the abbreviations Book of days and Book are used of the same technical work, which is the engrossing in chronological book form of any series of individual documents all the documents of a record office, general or local, kept either