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Boyd’s Bible Dictionary
:
(from Pergamum). Skin of
sheep
or goats prepared for
writing
on (
2 Tim. 4:13
13
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13)
).
Concise Bible Dictionary
:
A thin skin prepared for receiving
writing
. It is much more durable than papyrus. The great majority of the early copies of the scriptures that are extant are on parchment and have thus been preserved to us (
2 Tim. 4:13
13
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13)
).
Download (1.9 MB)
The Great Isaiah Scroll (1Qlsa)—(Late 1St century BC—early 1St century AD)
Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:
Number:
3200
(
find all occurrences in KJV Bible
)
Greek:
μεμβράνα
Transliteration:
membrana
Phonic:
mem-bran’-ah
Meaning:
of Latin origin ("membrane"); a (written) sheep-skin
KJV Usage:
parchment
From
Manners and Customs of the Bible
:
Isaiah 34:4
4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34:4)
. All the host of
heaven
shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.
Parchment
books were rolled around a stick or cylinder, and, if very long, around two cylinders, from the two extremities. There is in the public library at Cambridge, England, an ancient manuscript
roll
of the
Pentateuch
. It is made of goats’ skins dyed red, and
measures
forty-eight feet in length by about twenty-two inches in breadth. As the
book
of Leviticus and a part of Deuteronomy are wanting, it is calculated that the original length could not have been far from ninety feet. It consists of thirty-
seven
different skins, and contains one hundred and seventeen different columns of
writing
. These columns correspond to the pages of our books, are each about four inches wide, and contain from forty to fifty lines apiece. This manuscript is undoubtedly very ancient, though its date cannot now be ascertained. It was obtained by the Dr.. Buchanan from the
black
Jews in Malabar.
The celebrated
Samaritan Pentateuch
is the oldest manuscript of which we have any
knowledge
. It consists of twenty-one skins of unequal size, most of which contain
six
, but some only five, columns. The columns are thirteen inches deep and seven and a half wide. Each contains from seventy to seventy-two lines, and the entire roll has one hundred and
ten
columns.
Ancient rolls were
sometimes
encased in a cover, which was more or less ornamented, and on which the title was sometimes written. This case corresponded to the envelopes in which their letters were
put
. See note on
Nehemiah 6:5
5
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; (Nehemiah 6:5)
(#381). Some commentators think that this outside cover, with ifs title, is what is referred to in
Psalm 40:7
7
Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, (Psalm 40:7)
: “In the volume of the book it is written of me.” Others suppose that reference is made in that text to a small strip of parchment which was attached to each roll, and contained the title, so that the
nature
of the contents could be ascertained without the trouble of unrolling.
When the manuscript was used the reader unrolled it until he found the place, and when he had finished reading he rolled it up again. This is what is meant by opening and closing the book in
Luke 4:17,20
17
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, (Luke 4:17)
20
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (Luke 4:20)
.
This style of book is often referred to in the
Bible
. See
Ezra 6:1-2
1
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2
And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: (Ezra 6:1‑2)
;
Jeremiah 36:2,23,29
2
Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. (Jeremiah 36:2)
23
And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. (Jeremiah 36:23)
29
And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? (Jeremiah 36:29)
;
Ezekiel 2:9; 3:1-2
9
And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; (Ezekiel 2:9)
1
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. (Ezekiel 3:1‑2)
;
Zechariah 5:1-2
1
Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
2
And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. (Zechariah 5:1‑2)
;
2 Tim. 4:13
13
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13)
and probably
Revelation 5:1
1
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (Revelation 5:1)
, though some commentators think that a book of leaves is there meant.
Related Books and Articles:
511. Parchment Rolls
From:
Manners and Customs of the Bible
By:
James M. Freeman
Call: 1-630-543-1441
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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