Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PARCHMENT

A writing material produced from the skins of domestic animals such as sheep and cattle. The origin of the word is attributed to the city of Pergamum. According to Pliny the Elder (Nat. hist. 12.21), parchment came into existence through the rivalry between the libraries of Ptolemy V Theos Epiphanes of Egypt (205-182 b.c.) and Eumenes II of Pergamum (197-159); an embargo on the export of papyrus caused the invention and manufacturing of parchment in Pergamum.

Vellum, which is generally of superior quality, was produced from goats, calves, lambs, and sometimes antelopes. Pigs produced inferior parchment and were usually avoided. The skins were washed and the hair scraped off, rubbed with pumice to make them smooth, and finally chalked.

The older papyrus scroll was inconvenient to use, as two hands had to be employed to roll and unroll the scroll simultaneously. In addition, parchment could be written on both sides, whereas papyrus could not. From the 4th century a.d. onward, demand for the Christian Scriptures in their entirety made the parchment codex (a book with leaves) preferable over the papyrus roll.

James V. Smith

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PARCHMENT

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)