“A distinctive legal practice in Israel around 600 B.C. was the use of doubled, sealed, and witnessed documents. These documents had two parts: one was left open for ready access while the other was sealed up for later consultation by the parties. … Witnesses were necessary, and their numbers could vary. … When and by whom could these seals be opened? It appears that only a judge or another authorized official could break the seals and open the document. … Similarly, Nephi envisioned the final Nephite record as having two parts, one sealed and the other not sealed (2 Nephi 27:8, 15)” (Welch, “Doubled, Sealed, and Witnessed Documents”).