PAPYRUS HISTORY
LEARN ABOUT PAPYRUS
Papyrus played a significant role in the daily life, culture, and religion of ancient Egypt, and it was highly valued by pharaohs and ordinary people alike.
PAPYRUS HISTORY⸻
Most of the Bible was first written on papyrus paper. Egyptian papyrus was the standard paper throughout the Mediterranean region long before Moses wrote Genesis (around 1500 B.C.) until long after the Apostle John wrote Revelation (around A.D. 95). The writers of the Bible wrote on papyrus paper. Papyrus paper is still made using the same 5000 year old method.
The prophet Isaiah describes a vision of a reed shaking in the wind, which is interpreted as a metaphor for the fragility of human life in Isaiah 36:6. This reed is likely a reference to the papyrus plant, which was commonly used for writing and other purposes in ancient times.
The Greek word "papyros," from which the word "paper" is derived, refers to the papyrus plant.
‘The Greek word biblion (book) was first the name of the papyrus plant, second the name of the papyrus scroll, third the name of a codex. Finally, the Greek plural, biblia, was used by Latin-speaking Christians as a singular to designate the collection of the books that comprise the Old and New Testaments, our Bible.’
David Ewert, From Ancient Tablets to Modern Translations, Zondervan, 1983, page 21.
