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Roman Law & Order: Judean Fraud Unit
Biblical Archaeology Review ^ | January 31, 2025 | Nathan Steinmeyer

Posted on 04/15/2026 5:29:34 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

The papyrus, which contains 133 lines of preserved text, is the longest Greek papyrus ever uncovered in the Judean Desert, although for decades it had been misclassified as a Nabatean text and practically lost in the archives of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)...

Upon translation, the team that Cotton Paltiel put together realized the papyrus preserves an incredible snapshot into the Roman legal system and life between two Jewish revolts against the Romans: the Diaspora Revolt (c. 115–117 CE) and the Bar-Kokhba Revolt (c. 132–136 CE). The papyrus, which pertains to a legal case brought before a Roman court, contains the prosecutor's trial notes and a rapidly drafted transcript of the judicial hearing itself.

The case consists of charges of corrupt dealings against two Jewish men, Gadalias and Saulos. Gadalias had a criminal history involving violence, extortion, counterfeiting, and inciting rebellion. Saulos, his collaborator, orchestrated the fictitious sale and manumission of slaves without paying the requisite Roman taxes. To conceal their activities, the defendants forged documents... It is unclear what the purpose of freeing the slaves was or exactly who the slaves were, but it could have involved human trafficking or possibly reflected the biblical duty to redeem enslaved Jews. As pointed out by Ecker, "freeing slaves does not appear to be a profitable business model."

(Excerpt) Read more at biblicalarchaeology.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; judaism; judea; manumission; papyrus; romanempire; slavery

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Subtitle: Papyrus details spectacular criminal case in Roman Judea

LAW AND ORDER: The Greek papyrus discovered in the Judean Desert.
Courtesy Shai Halevi, IAA.
Courtesy Shai Halevi, IAA.

1 posted on 04/15/2026 5:29:34 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

2 posted on 04/15/2026 5:30:25 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

“freeing slaves does not appear to be a profitable business model.”

That was all explained. Smack dab in the middle of the document, with plenty of detail.


3 posted on 04/15/2026 5:35:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: SunkenCiv

It’s signed, The Judean Peoples Front.


4 posted on 04/15/2026 5:45:47 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: SunkenCiv

Signed, Abrahamo Lincolni

(if you get the reference)


5 posted on 04/15/2026 5:47:15 PM PDT by No.6
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To: dfwgator

Splitter !!


6 posted on 04/15/2026 5:52:04 PM PDT by ExcursionGuy84 (Http://www.madeinusaforever.com/)
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To: dfwgator

I came here for this comment.


7 posted on 04/15/2026 5:57:08 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est in )
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To: FreedomPoster

Huh. I always thought you were more aligned with the Peoples Front of Judea.


8 posted on 04/15/2026 6:00:12 PM PDT by Lazamataz (The quickest and easiest way to untold riches is to be elected to national office.)
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To: No.6

Babylon 5.


9 posted on 04/15/2026 6:20:28 PM PDT by AceMineral (One day men will beg for chains.)
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To: dfwgator

No! It’s the People’s Front of Judea!


10 posted on 04/15/2026 6:35:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: BenLurkin

πŸ˜πŸ“œ


11 posted on 04/15/2026 6:35:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

What does Loretta think of this?

πŸ€”


12 posted on 04/15/2026 7:56:10 PM PDT by Salamander ( Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRDa)
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To: ExcursionGuy84

πŸ˜„


13 posted on 04/15/2026 7:56:49 PM PDT by Salamander ( Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRDa)
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To: dfwgator

Dang! Just could not get into the thread quickly enough!


14 posted on 04/15/2026 8:45:21 PM PDT by rlmorel (Factio Communistica Sinensis Delenda Est)
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To: SunkenCiv

Long before the Holocaust the Romans did what they could to wipe out the Jewish people. It took 2000 years but they came back!


15 posted on 04/15/2026 8:57:36 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: Nateman
The Romans leveled Jerusalem and renamed it. But up to 10% of the Empire was Jewish (depending on the era) and they wound up having to spread out after the Roman War (a.k.a. the Jewish War).

16 posted on 04/15/2026 9:01:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: Salamander

πŸ˜•


17 posted on 04/15/2026 9:04:29 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

What the heck?

Cleese’s detailed rip on β€œ transgender β€œ crap is brilliant

πŸ˜†


18 posted on 04/15/2026 10:05:09 PM PDT by Salamander ( Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRDa)
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To: SunkenCiv

Splitter!


19 posted on 04/16/2026 3:41:13 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: No.6

β€œ Signed, Abrahamo Lincolni (if you get the reference)”

Nope. Didn’t get it. Too subtle for me.

Signed, Alexandria Ocasia Cortecia


20 posted on 04/16/2026 3:45:26 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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