Scroll Book

egyptian papyrus showing god osiris , weighing of heart.

scrolls can made papyrus, thick paper-like material made weaving stems of papyrus plant, pounding woven sheet hammer-like tool until flattened. papyrus used writing in ancient egypt, perhaps first dynasty, although first evidence account books of king nefertiti kakai of fifth dynasty (about 2400 bc). papyrus sheets glued form scroll. tree bark such lime , other materials used.

according herodotus (history 5:58), phoenicians brought writing , papyrus greece around 10th or 9th century bc. greek word papyrus writing material (biblion) , book (biblos) come phoenician port town byblos, through papyrus exported greece. greek derive word tome (greek: τόμος), meant slice or piece , there began denote roll of papyrus . tomus used latins same meaning volumen (see below explanation isidore of seville).

whether made papyrus, parchment, or paper, scrolls dominant form of book in hellenistic, roman, chinese, hebrew, , macedonian cultures. more modern codex book format form took on roman world late antiquity, scroll format persisted longer in asia.