BIBLICAL LIBRARIES
contained not only business records but also various works of a more or less literary character. These mentioned include, as has been noted, letters, prophecies, prayers, and even poems and wisdom literature. The words of the Kings of Israel contained prayers, visions and other matter not usually counted archival. The acts (words) of Solomon also contained literary or quasi-literary material. According to Josephus the archives of Tyre contained similar material and this was true also of the Amarna archives (c. 1380 B.C. and those at Boghaz Keuei, as well as of the Palace archives of Nineveh, and the great temple archives of Nippur and Abu Habba (Sippara). So too in Egypt the palace archives of King Neferikere contained medical works and those of Rameses III at least magical works, while the Temple archives in the time of Thutmose III contained military annals and these of Denderah certainly many works
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