“Secrets of an Ancient Trial: What a 1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Reveals About Justice in the Roman Empire”
Imagine stumbling upon a 1,900-year-old scroll that not only steals the limelight as the longest Greek papyrus ever discovered in the Judean Desert, but also reveals juicy prosecutor’s notes from a criminal trial! Well, that’s precisely what happened when Professor Hannah Cotton Paltiel from Hebrew University uncovered what was wrongly categorized as Nabataean scribbles in the archives of the Israel Antiquities Authority. With a keen eye, she realized this ancient manuscript was cloaked in Greek, igniting an academic race to decipher this captivating relic. What unfolds is an enthralling peek into Roman judicial proceedings, featuring defendants caught in a web of fraud during a time rife with rebellion and unrest. Intrigued? You should be! This scroll not only sheds light on ancient legal dynamics but also poses fascinating insights into two Jewish men, Gadalias and Saulos, and their tumultuous trial amidst a backdrop of revolt. So, what did these guys really get themselves into? And could they have been embroiled in the legendary Bar Kokhba revolt? Click here to unravel this historical enigma and get a dose of legal drama that would make any courtroom show jealous! LEARN MORE.
The 133-line scroll — the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean Desert — was recently translated and contains prosecutors’ notes about a criminal trial before Roman officials.
Shai Halevi, Courtesy of the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, Israel Antiquities AuthorityAt 133 lines, the scroll is the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean Desert, though several large chunks are missing.
While looking through the archives at the Israel Antiquities Authority, an ancient scroll caught the eye of Professor Hannah Cotton Paltiel of Hebrew University. The scroll had been classified as Nabataean, an ancient Arabic dialect, but as Cotton Paltiel studied it, she realized that it was actually written in Greek — and the race began to decipher what the 1,900-year-old papyrus said.
After studying the scroll, a team of academics was able to determine that the 133-line document contained notes about a criminal trial that took place around 131 C.E. The scroll is not only the longest Greek papyrus found in the Judean desert, but it also contains details about the best-documented trial from Roman times — aside from that of Jesus Christ.
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