It took a decade to translate the document found in 2014, and it turned out to be key to understanding how justice was administered in ancient Rome in the 2nd century AD
Today we know that the 1900-year-old papyrus found in 2014 is a record of a trial for corruption.
In 2014, the world witnessed an unprecedented discovery of a 1900-year-old papyrus in Jerusalem. And today it can be said that it would change the history of Roman law forever. That year, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Hannah Cotton Paltiel, unearthed a 1900-year-old papyrus, written in Greek.
It is the longest document in Greek ever found. Its translation and reconstruction took 10 years of work. And today we know what it said.
What did the 1900-year-old papyrus found in Jerusalem say?
Recently, a team of experts from Israel and Austria, managed to decipher part of this text, which turned out to be the record of a trial in ancient Rome in the second century AD, shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus.
A find key to understanding how trials were conducted at that time, something we only know from books and films…
The papyrus contained notes by the prosecutors and the complete transcript of a court hearing in which two men,Saulos and Gadalias, were accused of serious crimes:
- Tax fraud
- Forgery of documents
- Fraudulent sale of freed slaves from the province of Judea
Why this papyrus could change the history of Roman law
“It is the best documented case of proceedings in a Roman court in Iudaea, apart from the trial of Jesus of Nazareth,” said experts in the journal Tyche, which includes 133 lines of prosecution notes and details of the trial.
“Under Roman law, forgery and tax fraud carried severe penalties including forced labor and even the death penalty,” explained Anna Dolganov of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and part of the project.
The Bar Kokhba revolt, named in the papyrus, which marks the context of social tension at the time (Photo: Wikipedia)
In addition, Tineius Rufus, governor of Judea during the Bar Kokhba revolt, is mentioned, suggesting a tense political and social context: “It is not known whether these men had anything to do with the rebellion, but it suggests that the atmosphere was charged. And freeing enslaved people does not seem to be a profitable business model,” the experts said.
This new discovery not only sheds light on how justice was administered at a crucial moment in ancient history, but also provides insight into the legal and social practices of the time and how acts of corruption were dealt with.
If there is any doubt, this 1900-year-old papyrus could have profound implications for our understanding of the history of Roman law.
