The 1900 -year -old papyrus reveals the case about Roman tax fraud and forgery

In 2014, one of the researchers realized that the longest Greek papyrus in the desert of Judaism was not what was apparent. The newly translated passing reveals unusual details of a judicial hearing that includes two men accused of crimes, including the rebellion on a huge rebellion.

The researchers in Austria and Israel translated the longest Greek papyrus present in the desert of Judaism. Hannah Koton Baltel was discovered from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which was previously discovered, and then almost forgotten.. Now, Paltiel and its colleagues translated the text, and revealed that the notes of the prosecutors of an ancient Roman trial from the early second century. ARTIFACT provides a unique view of the issue that dealt with tax fraud, forgery, fraudulent sale and the liberation of worshipers during a period of tension in the Romanian province of Judea.

“I volunteered to organize the documentary in the laboratory of the Israel Antiquities Authority Laboratory, and when I saw it, he said,” Nabataean “,” I shouted, “It is Greek for me!” statement. the Plants It was an ancient people who lived in the north of the Arabian Peninsula and the southern Levant early 312 BC. The researchers called the “P. Cotton” in recognition of its re -discovery.

“This is the best case from the Romanian Court from Iudaea, regardless of the trial of Jesus,” said Aveler Iker, an co -author of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Iudaea is another spelling of Juda.

As is detailed on January 20 Ticket Posted in the magazine TishiThe papyrus includes more than 133 lines of the text, and includes the notes of the prosecutors of trial before Roman officials in addition to a copy of the judicial session of this. Notes include comments from one of the public prosecutors to another about specific evidence of evidence and how to expect refute. Although the identities of the prosecutors are unknown, researchers indicate that they were employees of the Roman Financial Administration.

“This papyrus is unusual because it provides a direct look at experimental preparations in this part of the Roman Empire,” said Anna Dolganov of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, which participated in the study.

The main defendants were two men called Solius and Gadalias, both of whom are accused of corruption. Solos was accused of coordinating fake sale and freeing slave people without paying the necessary taxes. His collaboratory, Gadalias, was the son of the notary with a history of violence, forgery, extortion, and incitement to rebellion (it seems like a friendly chapter). They both were accused of falsifying documents.

Dolganov explained that “tax fraud and fraud have taken severe penalties under Roman law, including hard work or even the death penalty.”

Solos and Jadialias were also accused of rebel activities during the visit of Emperor Hadrian, which occurred around the year 129 AD. Interestingly, the judicial session was held on the day before the role of the bar (132 to 136 AD), a Jewish rebellion against the Roman rule in Judea. In fact, the text is mentioned by Tineius Ruffus, which governs the Jews at the beginning of the Kokhba righteous rebellion. The Jewish people have already rebelled against the Roman Empire from 115 to 117 AD (Jewish Diaspora Revolution).

“If they are already involved in the rebellion, it is still an open issue, but the hint speaks to the charged atmosphere at that time,” said Dolganov. Iker added that the liberation of slave people “does not seem to be a profitable business model.” It is not clear who are worshipers.

Although we may never know the final fate of SAULOS and Gadalias, P. Cotton Papyrus offers a rare overview of the legal procedures of the Greek -speaking Roman East. It also picks up a tense period between rebellious disorders and the permanent bad position towards taxes, Common human frustration for thousands of years.