g

Egyptian Papyrus

Papyrus was manufactured as early as the first Egyptian dynasty, 3100 BC – and used by the Egyptians for 4,000 until the 9th-11th centuries BC. Papyrus first entered the West through Syria, then to the Greeks, who appreciated the material to write on. However, the majority of ancient papyri only survived in Egypt, thanks to the dry climate.

Biblical writings were originally on papyrus. Imprints of papyri fibers found support the scholarly claim that the "books" mentioned in the Bible (Jer 36; 15,16; Ezek 2,8-3,3) were written on papyrus. And in the Byzantine period, papyrus was manufactured in Palestine.

Ancient Egyptians used to wrap their mummies in papyrus for preservation. They also wrote prayers on papyrus and kept it under mummy's heads as a pillow, because they believed this helped the sole reincarnate. The papyrus plant itself being sacred, due to its pyramidal shape representing immortality and eternity.

The papyrus-manufacturing process has not changed in thousands of years. Papyrus "paper" is made by tearing off the skin of the papyrus reed, abundant along the banks of the River Nile. These strips are first beaten and dried in the sun. Then laid lengthwise and crosswise for strength, with the aid of glue made from plants. Finally, the papyrus is stretched and smoothed ready for use. For practical purposes, papyrus sheets were limited to a maximum of 47 cm long and 22 cm wide. The total length of the papyrus scroll, consisting of 20 "pages", amounted to some 4.5 meters.

Egyptians wrote on papyrus using a "kalamos", a reef cut to about 15cm, with the end chewed to form a brush-like edge.  Several pens were used, depending on the width of the script and its color. The ancient Egyptians used several colors (with organic and mineral bases), because writing hieroglyphs was closely connected to drawing.  Later the number of colors was reduced to black and red.

Originally the author wrote on one side of the papyrus only while standing, or in a kneeling posture, without the aid of a desk. Until the second millennium BC, when some Egyptian writers began to use desks. Usually the artist worked with a team. Aiding writing in multiple languages, from dictation, or to train apprentices.

The dependence on a single raw material, a plant that grew mainly in Egypt, determined the borders of its manufacture and had a significant effect on its cost when exported from its place of origin. The Egyptian embargo on exporting papyrus at the end of the 7th century AD led the way to parchment, and later on to paper. Paper was invented in China in the second century BC, but reached western Asia only after the Muslim conquest of Turkistan in 751. After the secrets of its manufacture were disclosed, paper gradually replaced papyrus. Being more economical to make, as well as smoother. In Egypt, papyrus continued till the end of the 11th century. Nowadays it's only manufactured as a tourist attraction.