What is the oldest known scroll in history?
The oldest known scroll is the Diary of Merer, dated to around 2568 BCE during the reign of the Pharaoh Khufu. It was written on papyrus in ancient Egypt.
Questions about History of scrolls
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did the codex replace the scroll as the dominant writing format?
The codex replaced the scroll because it solved at least seven practical problems: it used both sides of the page, was lighter and less bulky, easier to copy and reproduce, easier to read, easier to index and annotate, better protected by its covers, and its ink lasted longer. By the fifth century CE, the codex outnumbered the scroll ten to one in Egypt.
When did Britain stop printing laws on vellum scrolls?
The official copy of British legislation was printed on vellum in roll format and stored in the Palace of Westminster until 2017, when archival paper replaced vellum.
What role did Christianity play in the history of scrolls?
Christianity was an early adopter of the codex over the scroll. Many early Christians came from trade backgrounds where codex-style notebooks were already familiar, and the ability to mass-reproduce gospels in codex form was highly valued. This accelerated the scroll's decline in European use.
Are scrolls still used today in any religious traditions?
Torah scrolls are still used in Jewish religious observance today with almost insignificant changes despite thousands of years of practice. Scrolls are also produced for some other ceremonial and religious purposes.
How does the word scroll relate to modern technology?
The verb "to scroll" describes how text moves across computer displays, film credits, and touchscreen interfaces, appearing at one edge and disappearing at the other, as if text were being unrolled from one side of a scroll and rolled up at the other.