These Levite (2 Chr 34:13) Jews had made Scripture copywriting their profession. They were supposed to pay so much attention to every tittle and every jot of the Hebrew words of the Scripture that they followed the practice of destroying the manuscript if there was even a minor mistake or a correction in the copy when compared to the original. They are also believed to take a bath and cleanse themselves bodily every time they encountered the name of God “YHWH” before writing them in the copy as they revered the Name as holy and awesome. While this was a tradition, not everyone held to it but rather compromised (Jer 8:8).

A huge number of Scribes at the time of Jesus were lawyers and professors of law (who colluded with the chief priests to frame a case against Jesus to murder Him). A lot of them were Pharisees (with whom they are found mentioned in the Gospels more often). However, the Scribes strictly tried to confine themselves to the written law than oral traditions. (The incident involving the adulterous woman caught red-handed (John 8:3) is evidence of this). They loved vanity – being recognized, saluted, and honored in public. Pride of life! And the seed of the Serpent!