1
Early Writing
T
he aged hands of the old merchant gripped the coarse stalk of
the reed in one hand, while he securely held the soft clay
pouch with the other. With slow, careful strokes he pressed
the wedge-shaped end of the reed into the clay.
One mark, then two, then more–each one carefully positioned to
create a symbol that would forever tell a story. Symbol followed
symbol. Soon, when the clay hardened there would be a lasting record
of the transaction that had taken place.
Like the first tentative steps of a small child, the simple strokes
that marked the birth of writing set the stage for an incredible journey that
only the Creator of all life could fully comprehend.
There, in the sun-baked lands of Mesopotamia, Almighty God quietly
laid the foundation for the “second great gift” that He would lovingly
deliver to His greatest creation–the Written Word of God, our Holy Bible.
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Lesson 1
Lesson Overview
Focus:
A historic look at how writing began and its importance in God’s plan to provide the Written
Word
Key Points and Terms:
Sumerians introduced writing about 3100 BC.
Use of bullae (plural of bulla) led to the development of writing.
Early writing was shaped characters, called cuneiforms, and pictures, like hieroglyphics.
Stone or clay was the earliest surface used for writing.
Papyrus was created using reeds from the marshes of the Nile River.
Papyrus strips were combined to create scrolls.
Parchment, made from animal skins, replaced papyrus as the primary writing surface.
Vellum, from calves’ skins, is the finest grade of parchment.
Early ink was made from charcoal and vegetable gum.
Early pens were made from feathers or from reeds.
Instruction Points and Activities:
Bible Drill
Instruction: Concept of “Forging” the Sword
Class Activity 1: “Forging” the Sword
Instruction: Overview of Lesson Material
Instruction: The Development of Writing
Class Activity 2: Making Bullae
Instruction: Cuneiform-Style Writing
Class Activity 3: Cuneiform Writing
Instruction: Early Writing Materials
Class Activity 4: Use of Early Writing Tools
Memory Verse:
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
Supplemental Pages:
L1 T1 ~3100 BC Sumerians Developed Writing
L1 T2 ~3000 BC Papyrus Developed in Egypt
L1 T8 ~200 BC Use of Parchment Began
S 1.1 Sword Template
Three Handout Activity Sheets
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Forging the Sword
Early Writing
Historical Background
Origins of Writing
The first milestone on the road to the Written Word of God can be traced to the Near East,
more than 5000 years ago. About 3100 BC, the Sumerians, a tribe that had settled in the area
between the Tigress and Euphrates Rivers nearly 400 years earlier, introduced both writing and
metallurgy to Mesopotamia. The Sumerians were a civilization of western Asian origin that
existed during the Bronze Age. Ur, the city of Abram, who was the father of Israel, was a
Sumerian city in what is now Iraq.
The earliest efforts in writing were made by carefully pressing marks into soft clay.
Generally, those marks were wedged-shaped because of the slanted points of the sticks or stiff
reeds that were used to create them. Modern scholars, studying the wedge-shaped characters,
called it cuneiform because the Latin cuneus means wedge.
To document business transactions, Sumerian merchants began molding small clay tokens
to represent their merchandise. Wedge-shaped markings, made from cut-off reeds, were
pressed into the tokens to indicate how many of each item was traded. Once the deal was
completed the whole collection of the tokens was sealed into a small, hollow clay pouch called
a bulla (bullae, if plural) to record the sale. As time went on, the merchants began to mark the
outside of the bullae, so they would not have to break the pouch to know its contents. In time
they realized the pouch was not even needed at all; only a flat clay record of the sale was
required. This essentially began the process that we now refer to as writing.
The Sumerian language and others like it form a pictograph style of writing, where simple
pictures, or marks, stand for words or sounds. The Sumerian alphabet used as many as 2000
different characters, so learning the written word was a great challenge. Other Near Eastern
peoples also began writing using similar pictographic characters to create their own written
languages. One of most familiar examples is the Egyptian hieroglyphics, developed only about a
hundred years after the Sumerian language system. Hieroglyphics is Greek for “sacred
carvings.”
Earliest Writing Surfaces
Clay or mud and stone were the earliest writing surfaces. Archaeologists have uncovered
many examples of early writing on cave walls, stone monuments, and scattered pottery pieces.
Any type of information could be recorded on slabs of clay. Once baked, these documents,
generally about 8” x 12,”could easily be stored and preserved. Libraries, or archives, have been
discovered in many of the ancient cities, especially those that once served as the capital or a
center of commerce. In the Royal Archives at Mari thousands of cuneiform texts on clay tablets
© 2012 Autumn Light Publications
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Lesson 1
Historical Background
have given the modern world much information about the history, environment, and culture of
the Fertile Crescent.
Two notable discoveries of importance to Bible scholars are the Moabite Stone and the
Siloam Inscription. The Moabite Stone was a black basalt stone, about the size of a tombstone,
inscribed in ancient Hebrew text. The stone gave an account of the victory of the Israelites over
King Mesha of Moab as described in II Kings 3. Erected around 850 BC, this stone is probably
the oldest piece of Hebrew history ever discovered. The Siloam Inscription, found on the walls
of a tunnel adjoining the Pool of Siloam dates to around 700 BC. King Hezekiah had the tunnel
built to protect Jerusalem’s water supply from the Assyrian army. The text on the walls of the
tunnel provides detailed information about this engineering masterpiece.
Creation of Papyrus
About 3000 BC the Egyptians developed a writing surface that was much more manageable
than stone or clay. Papyrus was created from the papyrus plants in the marshy delta of the Nile
River. It was sturdy, as evidenced by the many thousands of examples that have survived to the
present age, but it does not last well outside of the dry climate of the place of its origin. Even
so, papyrus remained the predominant writing surface used for several thousand years.
Producing a sheet of creamy, white papyrus was a lengthy, detailed process. First, the
green, outer covering of the reed was cut away and the pithy center was cut into 12” to 18”
sections. Each section was sliced into many thin strips. The thin strips were moistened to
produce a gummy substance and were laid side by side, vertically, on a flat surface. A second
layer of the pith strips was placed on top of the first, horizontally, and the two layers were
pounded so the fibers of the plant would break down the layers would begin to bond together.
Sometimes, a type of glue would be used, as well, to assure a firm bonding. To finish the
papyrus, a heavy weight was placed on the bonded strips, and the sheet was left to dry in the
sun. Once sufficiently dried, the sheets would be gently rubbed with a pumice-type stone to
sand away rough places, leaving a smooth, clean writing surface.
Papyrus was manufactured as rolls up to a hundred feet long. Buyers would then determine
whether to cut off small portions for letters and other short documents or to cut longer lengths
and add rollers on either end to create a scroll. For longer documents the rollers would
generally be secured to the left and right edges of a large scroll and the text would be written in
columns. Short documents were written either vertically or horizontally on the papyrus as a
single column. Production of papyrus was expensive, so it was frequently written on both sides,
though for more important uses, like recording the Scriptures, only one side was used.
Ancient Greeks called the long rolls of papyrus “biblia,” after the Phoenician seaport of
Biblos that exported the new product. From this word comes the current name for the
treasured words that so often were recorded on them–Bible.
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Forging the Sword
Early Writing
Historical Background
Replacement for Papyrus
More than two and a half millennium later, a practical substitute for papyrus was finally
developed. To be more accurate, writing on a crude parchment-like surface began much earlier.
As early as 2300-2500 BC, pieces of leather were used as a writing surface, but lettering could
not be placed on both sides and it was coarse and awkward to use. The new product, made by a
refinement of the leather-making process, was more flexible and easier to use.
According to ancient writers, the King of Egypt, around the second century BC, refused to
export papyrus to Pergamum, a Greek city on the west coast of what is now Turkey, because he
feared that the library at Pergamum would rise to rival the great library at Alexandria.
Therefore, Eumenes II, who ruled at the time, began to look for alternative writing materials.
The new surface was called parchment for the Greek city where it was first manufactured.
To make parchment, animal skins had to be soaked in lime and water for up to two weeks
before the hair could be removed; and then the skins were stretched on wooden frames. Once
totally dry, the skins were scrapped to make them very thin. Then they were buffed with
pumice to create a clean, white surface.
Using animal skins instead of plants made parchment as thin as papyrus, but as durable as
tanned leather. It was a little heavier than papyrus, but, unlike papyrus, it was not affected by
damp climates and therefore could survive even beyond the arid conditions of Egypt and the
surrounding lands. Parchment remained the primary choice for writing material until the late
Middle Ages, when it was replaced by a product that more closely resembles the paper that is
still in use today.
Any animal’s skin could be used to produce parchment; but calf’s skins produced the
highest grade parchment, called vellum.
The cost to produce parchment, which exceeded that of making papyrus, and the greater
weight to books using parchment pages may account for the slow progress of the new writing
medium. Developed around the second century BC, parchment was not prominently used until
the second century AD. A couple more centuries passed before the use of parchment began to
surpass the use of papyrus, but between the 4th and the 15th centuries, it was the primary
choice as a writing surface.
Replacement of Parchment
Traditionally, paper, originally made from rag pulp, is traced back to the Chinese around
105 AD. The process eventually made its way to India and finally to Spain, around the 12 th
century. It did not come into common use until around the 15th century. Rag pulp continued to
be used until it was replaced by wood pulp in the late 1800’s.
© 2012 Autumn Light Publications
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Lesson 1
Historical Background
Early Ink and Writing Implements
The earliest instruments for writing were sharp stones used to chisel into stone or sticks
used to write in soft clay before it was fired. For papyrus and parchment, a pen was needed.
Initial writing implements included reed pens, made from the stem of a coarse grass, or
quills, from the feathers of large birds. Any large bird feather could be made into a quill, but
those from geese or swans were the best. The tips of either the reed or the feather were cut
diagonally to form a flexible point at the end. This edge, or nib, would have to be re-cut
frequently. Thus for a single document, many pens would be required.
Early black ink was made by mixing charcoal or soot with vegetable gum and water. Later,
metal-gall ink was used; it was made by mixing iron sulfate and tannic acid, taken from the
cocoons for the larva of gall wasps.
The ink used for the early printing press was another type, altogether; it was more like an
oil-based paint than ink. Colored inks were made by adding various metals or chemicals to the
vegetable gum. Colored inks were used to decorate the pages of ancient manuscripts.
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Forging the Sword
Early Writing
Lesson Plans
Bible Drill
Ruth, Hosea, Micah, Matthew, James, Philippians, Eph. 6:17, Is. 40:8
Instruction: The Concept of “Forging” a Sword
Though the art of sword making has changed over the millennia, the basic principles have not.
Typically the blade was forged from two layers of iron or steel that became one. The core was
made first. A block of metal about the size of a brick was heated in the forge until it softened.
At that time the softened metal was removed from the forge and placed on an anvil. The
blacksmith hammered it until it became slightly elongated, at which time the metal would be
folded and the hammering would continue. The process of heating, hammering, folding, and
hammering again would be repeated many times to drive out impurities in the metal. In the
final hammering, the core would be molded into a long, thin wedge. Then, the core would be
set aside while the blacksmith worked on the second layer of the sword, referred to as the
jacket.
The process for producing the jacket would begin just like creation of the core. The metal, with
higher carbon content, would be fired, hammered, and folded in the same manner as before,
but many, many more times. After the final hammering the jacket would be a little larger than
the core.
In the final stage of the sword making, the jacket would be wrapped around the core. Extreme
care was taken to assure that no gaps existed between the layers and that no dirt was trapped
there. Again, the firing and hammering process was repeated many times, until a sword of the
desired length was created.
Once the sword was forged, the early blacksmith would then turn it over to other artisans who
would add polish and design to the blade.
Drawing from the image of the blacksmith forging a sword of steel, you can introduce the
theme of Forging the Sword through a simple class activity that illustrates the two parts of the
Bible being “forged” into the Sword of the Word.
Class Activity 1: “Forging” a Sword
Before class
Prepare a model of a furnace or a campfire to be set it in a far corner of the room. Also, prepare
a cardboard cutout of a short sword for each student. A template for the sword is provided in
Supplement 1.1: Sword Template on the CD ROM.
Purchase a roll of aluminum foil to be used to cover the swords.
© 2012 Autumn Light Publications
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Lesson 1
Lesson Plans
During class
Place the furnace or campfire in an area removed from where the students will be working on
their swords.
Briefly explain the process of creating a sword, as described above.
Give each student a cardboard cutout of a sword and a piece of aluminum foil large enough to
cover the cutout. As their swords are covered, send the students over to the
“furnace/campfire” to hold their swords in the “fire” for a few seconds. When the students
return, give each one a second sheet of aluminum foil and tell them to again cover their sword
and take it to be placed in the fire.
Once the students have returned, explain that Forging the Sword is the story of the “forging” of
a different kind of sword. Read Ephesians 6:17. Explain that the Sword of the Spirit is the Bible
and, like a metal sword, the Bible was forged in two parts by God Himself.
Instruction: Overview of Lesson Material
Explain to the students that Forging the Sword is essentially a course about the history of the
development of the Bible. As such, it will require learning certain facts—names, places, dates,
events. They will be introduced to people who meticulously labored to preserve the Bible and
people who died for the right to read it. They will meet merchants and monks, scribes and
smugglers, traitors and treasure hunters—all used by God to bring the Bible into our hands.
Also explain that in Forging the Sword the students will do special activities that will help them
to experience all the different stages in the story of the Bible in some small way.
Instruction: The Development of Writing
Reminder to instructors, regarding all classroom lectures: Using the background information
given in this lesson or additional research that you may choose to do on your own, take a few
minutes to provide basic details regarding this portion of the lesson. The depth of this
instruction should be determined by the length of the full class time, the age of the students,
and whether this class primarily a church/youth organization setting or an academic setting.
During your lecture times you can always add more information, but be certain to discuss the
key words and the key points of the lesson, as those are the facts that will be used in repeated
review activities.
TEACHER ILLUSTRATION
Before class, purchase clay for the Teacher Illustration and for one of the Class
Activities. During class, make a bulla by taking a ball of clay and forming it into a
pocket that can be closed around several tokens. Make a couple of small tokens like
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Forging the Sword
Early Writing
Lesson Plans
a small ball to represent a cow, a tiny cube to represent a sheep, etc. Create several
small tokens that you can place inside your bulla as you talk about the process.
Explain how Sumerian merchants came to use bullae (plural of bulla) to identify
their transactions. As you discuss, use a model of a bulla that you have created, to
show how the merchants first used small tokens that were placed in a clay pouch,
then began making marks on the pouch, and eventually used only the marks on flat
surfaces to record the transactions.
Class Activity 2: Making Bullae
Before class
Purchase enough clay for each student to have a ball about the size of a handball.
During class
Give each student a ball of clay. Ask students to create several small tokens and a bulla that will
hold them.
Instruction: Cuneiform-Style Writing
Talk briefly about cuneiform writing and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Be sure to point out that
cuneiform writing took its name from the Latin word meaning wedge, the shape made by the
slanted ends of the reeds that were used for writing on the soft clay. Introduce Timeline Card L1
T1: ~3100 BC - Sumerians Developed Writing.
Class Activity 3: Cuneiform Writing
During class
Explain that cuneiform writing is similar to simple substitution ciphers that we frequently refer
to as codes. Print the letters of the alphabet on the blackboard or whiteboard and drawing a
simple shape beside each.
Give the students blank paper and pencils and ask them to write their names on the paper
using the code you have written.
POSSIBLE HOMEWORK:
Ask students to create a simple substitution cipher by printing the letters of the
alphabet on a sheet of paper and drawing a simple shape beside each. Ask them to
write the memory verse, Isaiah 40:8, using their code.
Tell students about the early writing surfaces, like stone or clay, and then discuss how papyrus
was developed.
© 2012 Autumn Light Publications
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Lesson 1
Lesson Plans
Instruction: Early Writing Materials
TEACHER ILLUSTRATION
Before class, prepare eight 2”x 8”strips of paper. Be sure to have a glue stick and two
sheets of wax paper (each about ten inches long) ready for the demonstration. During
class, use strips of paper to illustrate how the pithy strips of the papyrus plants were
placed vertically side by side, with a second layer of strips placed horizontally over the
first. Lay four strips side by side on one sheet of wax paper and lay the other four
horizontally across the first layer. Use a glue stick to apply glue to the top of the bottom
layer and the bottom of the top layer. The adhesive on your strips mimics the pithy
substance of the papyrus plants or the extra glue-like substance that may have been
applied. Once the strips are placed, lay a piece of wax paper over the strips and then
place a large book on the wax paper. (The wax paper will prevent any glue residue from
getting on the book or the table.) Press to join the two layers of paper strips. After a
moment, set the book aside and take off the wax paper. Show the students the new
piece of “paper.”
Introduce Timeline Card L1 T2: ~3000 BC - Papyrus Developed in Egypt. Explain that papyrus
remained the primary writing surface for about a thousand years. Then explain how sheets
were combined to create scrolls and that the earliest copies of the Bible were written on them.
In fact, the term Bible comes from “biblia,” which is the word ancient Greeks called the long
rolls of papyrus.
Introduce Timeline Card L1 T8: ~200 BC - Use of Parchment Began. Explain how parchment
became a substitute for papyrus. Describe the difference between the two substances and
briefly explain how parchment is made. Also, point out the difference between parchment and
vellum, making sure that they understand that vellum is still parchment, just a finer grade.
TEACHER ILLUSTRATION
Before class, burn some matches or gather some remains of burned wood from a
fireplace. During class, show the students how the charcoal, mixed with a little
vegetable oil, produces a substance that can be used like ink. You can also illustrate
colored ink by crushing berries. Let students use toothpicks to try to write a few
letters with your ink.
Discuss some of the early writing implements—the reed pens and the quill pens. Also talk a
little about how ink was made.
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Forging the Sword
Early Writing
Lesson Plans
Class Activity 4: Use of Early Writing Tools
Note: This is the primary activity designed for this lesson because it provides practice in using
the pen and ink that will be used on the scrolls that are created in Lesson 3. Therefore, if time is
limited and activities must be eliminated, this one should not be cut out.
Before class
Purchase enough Speedball® pens and nibs for each student to have one. Also, purchase
several small bottles of black India ink.
During class
Explain that Speedball® pens, used in calligraphy writing, produce a close approximation to the
early writing done with reed pens or quills and India ink can be a representation of early ink.
Therefore, these implements will be used in a later lesson to create a scroll.
Give each student a pen and arrange the area so two or three students can easily share one
bottle of ink. Ask the students to practice forming neat, stylized letters using the flat nibs of the
Speedball® pens.
SPECIAL NOTE TO TEACHER: Study the Speedball® directions to learn how to show the
students the proper way to hold the pens and create the letters. Realistically, most of
the students will find a way to make the letters that is comfortable for them, but a few
will genuinely appreciate instruction in the proper way .
© 2012 Autumn Light Publications
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