The papyrus dates back thousands of years to Roman-controlled Judaea (Image: Israel Antiquities Authority)
A new papyrus dating back over 1,880 years is giving archaeologists new insight into the Roman world’s legal system.
Academics from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Vienna and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have uncovered insights into Roman legal proceedings.
The research team revealed how the imperial state dealt with financial crimes – specifically tax fraud involving slaves – in Judaea and Arabia.
It is the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean desert, with over 130 lines of text. It went unnoticed for decades until is was rediscovered in 2014 by Professor Hannah Cotton Paltiel, after whom the papyrus has now been named.
“I volunteered to organize documentary papyri in the Antiquities Authority’s scrolls laboratory, and when I saw it, marked ‘Nabataean,’ I exclaimed, ‘It’s Greek to me!'” recalled the professor.
The papyrus was found in the Judean desert (Image: Getty)
Her papyrus is a prosecutors’ notes for a trial before Roman officials on the eve of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 CE), including a drafted transcript of the judicial hearing.
“This papyrus is extraordinary because it provides direct insight into trial preparations in this part of the Roman Empire,” said Dr. Dolganov. Dr. Ecker added: “This is the best-documented Roman court case from Judaea apart from the trial of Jesus.”
The papyrus details a case involving forgery, tax evasion, and the fraudulent sale and release of slaves in provinces roughly corresponding to modern-day and Jordan.
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One defendant was Gadalias – the son of a notary and possibly a Roman citizen, he had a criminal history involving violence, extortion, counterfeiting, and inciting rebellion.
Saulos, his collaborator, organised the fictitious sale and release of slaves without paying the required taxes. To conceal their activities, the defendants forged documents.
The papyrus offers new insights into Roman law in the Greek-speaking eastern empire, referencing the governor of Judaea’s assize tour and compulsory jury service. It also showcases the state’s ability to uphold law even in remote regions.