Matthew White, a self-described atrocitologist who keeps a database with the estimated death tolls of history’s major wars, massacres, and genocides, counts about 1.2 million deaths from mass killing that are specifically enumerated in the Bible. (He excludes the half million casualties in the war between Judah and Israel described in 2 Chronicles 13 because he considers Steven Pinker
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Matthew White, a self-described atrocitologist who keeps a database with the estimated death tolls of history’s major wars, massacres, and genocides, counts about 1.2 million deaths from mass killing that are specifically enumerated in the Bible. (He excludes the half million casualties in the war between Judah and Israel described in 2 Chronicles 13 because he considers it a civil war.) With a few exceptions, these battles were waged between ancient societies that had a written history. They describe battles that took place between ancient peoples whose records were kept on stone tablets or carved into cave walls. To Matthew White, these events fall into two general time periods: Before the invention of writing and After writing became common.

In other words, before writing was widespread they were recorded on stone tablets or carved into cave walls. After writing became widespread they were recorded on paper or parchment.

Source: The Better Angels Of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

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