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 of a non-registerial character. The temples of early Greece also contained literary works (Rouse) and secular laws as well as temple archives proper. One temple library (Pap. Amh. n. 10) contained the Hektor of Astydamas (Otto 1:338; 2:234).

In short the Palace collections of Israel were no exception to the general rule of antiquity in containing besides palace archives proper, more or less of religious archives and literary works, while the Temple collections contained more or less political records and literary works.

The whole situation, bringing out the triple character of the record system of the time, may be illustrated from the four following cases, which taken together with the Persian situation mentioned above (cf. also chapter on Persian period) surround, geographically and chronologically the period and scene of classic Judaism: (i) The system of the Maccabees