Roll (Scroll)
The Scroll in the Ancient World
The scroll was the primary format for written documents throughout the biblical period, having been used in Egypt for over two thousand years before the earliest biblical texts were composed. A scroll consisted of sheets of papyrus or prepared animal skins sewn or glued together to form a continuous strip, which was then rolled around one or two wooden rods. Papyrus scrolls were made from the pith of the papyrus plant grown along the Nile, while leather and later parchment scrolls were prepared from the skins of sheep, goats, or calves. Writing was typically done on one side only, in columns, though Ezekiel's visionary scroll was written "on both sides" (Ezekiel 2:10), indicating the fullness of God's message.
The Scroll of the Law
The most sacred scroll in Israel was the scroll of the Law, containing the covenant instructions given through Moses. Moses was commanded to write the Law and entrust it to the priests: "Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 31:26). One of the most dramatic moments in Israel's history occurred when the scroll of the Law was rediscovered in the temple during King Josiah's reign. When it was read aloud, Josiah tore his robes in grief, recognizing how far the nation had strayed from God's commands (2 Kings 22:8-13). This discovery prompted a sweeping national reformation. The public reading of Scripture from scrolls became central to Jewish worship, a practice Jesus participated in when He read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21).
Jeremiah and the Burned Scroll
The most detailed account of a scroll's creation in the Bible is found in Jeremiah 36. God commanded Jeremiah to write all his prophecies on a scroll, and the prophet dictated them to his scribe Baruch. The scroll was read publicly in the temple and then brought to King Jehoiakim, who sat by a fire in his winter apartment. As each section was read, the king cut it off with a scribe's knife and threw it into the fire until the entire scroll was burned (Jeremiah 36:21-23). This act of contempt for God's word did not destroy the message — God commanded Jeremiah to dictate the prophecies again on a new scroll, this time with additional words of judgment against the king (Jeremiah 36:28, 32). The episode powerfully illustrates that God's word cannot be silenced by human opposition.
Scrolls in Prophetic Vision
Scrolls feature prominently in prophetic visions. Ezekiel was shown a scroll written on both sides with words of "lament and mourning and woe" and was commanded to eat it. Remarkably, he found it tasted "as sweet as honey" (Ezekiel 2:9-3:3), symbolizing that God's word — even words of judgment — is ultimately good. Zechariah saw a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide, representing a curse going out over the whole land against thieves and those who swear falsely (Zechariah 5:1-4). Isaiah used the imagery of a scroll being rolled up to describe the dissolution of the heavens at the day of judgment: "All the starry host will fall... the heavens rolled up like a scroll" (Isaiah 34:4), an image echoed in Revelation 6:14.
The Sealed Scroll of Revelation
The scroll reaches its climactic significance in Revelation 5, where John sees a scroll in the right hand of God, sealed with seven seals. No one in heaven or on earth is found worthy to open it, and John weeps. Then the Lamb who was slain — Jesus Christ — takes the scroll and begins to open its seals, triggering the events of the end times (Revelation 5:1-9; 6:1). This scroll represents God's sovereign plan for the consummation of history, and only Christ has the authority to unfold it. John himself was later told to eat a small scroll, which was sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach (Revelation 10:9-10), echoing Ezekiel's experience and symbolizing the bittersweet nature of prophetic proclamation.
Biblical Context
Scrolls appear throughout Scripture: in the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 31:24-26), the historical books (2 Kings 22:8-13), the prophets (Isaiah 8:1; 34:4; Jeremiah 36; Ezekiel 2:9-3:3; Zechariah 5:1-4), the Gospels (Luke 4:17-20), and Revelation (5:1-9; 6:14; 10:9-10). They serve as vehicles for recording God's Law, prophetic messages, and the divine plan for history.
Theological Significance
The scroll represents the written word of God and His sovereign authority over history. The burning of Jeremiah's scroll demonstrates that human attempts to destroy God's word are futile. The eating of scrolls by Ezekiel and John symbolizes the internalization of divine revelation — God's word must not merely be read but absorbed into one's very being. The sealed scroll of Revelation, opened only by the Lamb, teaches that God's purposes for history are known and controlled by Christ alone. The transition from scroll to codex (book) in early Christianity paralleled the transition from old covenant to new.
Historical Background
Archaeological discoveries have yielded numerous ancient scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered beginning in 1947, include the oldest known manuscripts of biblical books, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD. The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran is over 24 feet long. Egyptian papyrus scrolls have been found dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. The transition from scroll to codex (bound book) began in the 1st century AD, and Christians were among the earliest widespread adopters of the codex format. Ancient scribal practices included using reed pens, carbon-based ink, and pumice for erasures, all documented in both archaeological finds and biblical references.