A newly deciphered papyrus from the Judean Desert tells a dramatic story of forgery and fraud in the early second century, between the years 129 and 132 CE. The 133 lines of Greek text contain notes and transcripts from the Roman trial of two Jewish men, Gadalias and Saulos, who are accused of engaging in corrupt dealings involving the fraudulent sale and manumission of slaves, as well as forging business documents to conceal their activities. The text also details the criminal histories of the two men, allegedly including violence, extortion, counterfeiting, and inciting rebellion; it even suggests that the men […]
