Hello Ciao~
The earliest writing surfaces were stone, brick, and clay tablets; a
chisel was used to carve out inscriptions. These were affordable and
available to anyone who knew how to write--but they chipped and broke.
Other surfaces were also used throughout Biblical times: ivory and
bone, leaves, bark, wood, metal, linen, etc. Most of these things were
readily available and not expensive.
Parchment (or velum) was made from the skin of cattle, goats, sheep,
deer...and sometimes whatever animal happened to be available (like
donkeys and dogs). As early as 3000 B.C., it was the favored material.
Later, papyrus was preferred, and it wasn't until the fourth century
A.D. that parchment became preferred for books. To make parchment,
animal skins were wetted, stretched on a frame, and repeatedly scraped
with a rounded knife and rubbed smooth with pumice stone. Traditional
parchment is not at all like the paper that today we call parchment.
Traditional animal-skin parchment is generally believed to have been
introduced in Asia Minor circa the 2nd century B.C. as a substitute
for papyrus. (At that time, Ptolemaeus of Egypt was purposefully
withholding papyrus from foreigners.)
For a brief history of parchment and it's making, visit:
http://www.cbbag.ca/Vellum.html
The Greco-Roman world favored papyrus, however; the Phoenicians used
Egyptian papyrus, also. It was easy to obtain, relatively inexpensive,
and durable (although it becomes brittle with age). Papyrus was (and
is) made from the Cyberus Papyrus plant, which grows along the Nile.
To make papyrus, the ancients took off the outer bark, and pounded the
plant to remove it's natural water. Then it was immersed in water for
several days. The papyrus was then cut to the desired length and
overlapped on a piece of cloth, then pressed for several days.
For a photograph-aided look at the making of papyrus, visit this site:
http://www.egyptianshop.co.uk/shop/pages/pap_make.htm'
Here's another account of papyrus making:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/close/gi45/egypt/papyrus.htm
Incidentally, our word "paper" stems from the original "papyrus."
For writing on parchment and papyrus, a brush-like tool or a metal
pen-like tool was used. Bone implements and reeds sharpened at one end
were used like pens. The ink was black, usually made of soot mixed
with gum of balsam and oil. It was erasable on parchment, if using a
damp sponge.
For a website on writing in Biblical times, see:
http://www.sundayschoolresources.com/writing.htm
Keywords Used:
Papyrus How Made
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Papyrus+how+made
Parchment How Made
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=parchment+how+made&btnG=Google+Search
Biblical Writing Tools
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Biblical+writing+tools
Hope this helps,
kriswrite |
