The papyrus in concern was found in the 1950s in among the caverns of Nahal Hever in the Judean Desert.

Misclassified as Nabatean, the file stayed undetected till its rediscovery in 2014 by Hebrew University’s Professor Hannah Cotton Paltiel.

Now called Papyrus Cotton, the papyrus is more than 133 lines long, that makes it the longest Greek file ever to be discovered in the Judean Desert.

Teacher Cotton Paltiel and her associates from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Vienna and Hebrew University figured out that the file represents district attorneys’ notes for a trial before Roman authorities on the eve of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-136 CE), consisting of a quickly prepared records of the judicial hearing itself.

The language is lively and direct, with one district attorney encouraging another on the strength of numerous pieces of proof and planning to expect objections.

“This papyrus is amazing due to the fact that it supplies direct insight into trial preparations in this part of the Roman Empire,” stated Dr. Anna Dolganov from the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

“This is the best-documented Roman lawsuit from Judea apart from the trial of Jesus,” included Hebrew University’s Dr. Avner Ecker.

The papyrus information a case including forgery, tax evasion, and the deceptive sale and manumission of servants in the Roman provinces of Judea and Arabia, approximately representing contemporary Israel and Jordan.

The primary accuseds, Gadalias and Saulos, stand implicated of corrupt negotiations.

Gadalias, the boy of a notary and potentially a Roman resident, had a criminal history including violence, extortion, counterfeiting, and prompting disobedience.

Saulos, his partner, managed the fictitious sale and manumission of servants without paying the requisite Roman taxes.

To hide their activities, the offenders created files.

“Forgery and tax scams brought extreme charges under Roman law, consisting of tough labor and even capital penalty,” Dr. Dolganov stated.

This criminal case unfolded in between 2 significant Jewish uprisings versus Roman guideline: the Jewish Diaspora Revolt (115-117 CE) and the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-136 CE).

Significantly, the text links Gadalias and Saulos in defiant activities throughout Emperor Hadrian’s check out to the area (129/130 CE) and names Tineius Rufus, the guv of Judea when the Bar Kokhba Revolt started.

In the wake of previous discontent, Roman authorities most likely saw the offenders with suspicion, linking their criminal offenses to more comprehensive conspiracies versus the empire.

“Whether they were certainly associated with disobedience stays an open concern, however the insinuation talks to the charged environment of the time,” Dr. Dolganov stated.

“The nature of the criminal offense raises concerns, as releasing servants does not seem a lucrative organization design,” Dr. Ecker stated.

“The enslaved people’ origins stay uncertain, however the case might have included illegal human trafficking or the Jewish Biblical task to redeem enslaved Jews.”

The papyrus provides brand-new insights into Roman law in the Greek-speaking eastern empire, referencing the guv of Judea’s assize trip and obligatory jury service.

“This file reveals that core Roman organizations recorded in Egypt were likewise carried out throughout the empire,” Professor Mitthof stated.

“The papyrus likewise showcases the Roman state’s capability to control personal deals even in remote areas.”

“Likely stemming from a hideout collapse the Judean Desert throughout the Bar Kokhba Revolt, its cautious conservation stays a secret, and the trial’s result might have been disrupted by the disobedience.”

The group’s paper was released in the journal Tyche

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Anna Dolganov et al2025. Forgery and Fiscal Fraud in Iudaea and Arabia on the Eve of the Bar Kokhba Revolt: Memorandum and Minutes of a Trial before a Roman Official (P.Cotton). Tyche 38; doi: 10.25365/ tyche-2023-38-5