When people read the Scriptures in Bible times, they didn’t open up a book like we have today. The books of the Bible were written on scrolls. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew while the original language of the New Testament was Greek. Scrolls could be made from papyrus, parchment paper, or even animal skin! Here is what you will need to make a scroll of your own:
- parchment paper
- a cup of brewed and cooled tea
- 2 thick wooden dowel rods of equal length
- brown paint (optional)
- glue
First, paint the two wooden dowel rods with brown paint and let them dry completely.
Next, take a large sheet of parchment paper and “age” it. To do this, crumple up the parchment paper to add wrinkles, then smooth it back out into a single sheet. Use a rag dipped in the cooled tea and rub it carefully onto the parchment paper. *Caution – Don’t get the rag too wet. Just keep it damp so that the paper doesn’t get too wet and therefore, tear. The tea should give some nice dark spots and color to make your document look “ancient.” Let the paper dry completely.
Glue a dowel rod on each end of the paper and let them dry completely. You should have a couple inches of rod sticking out at the top and bottom of the paper. Once everything is dry and secure, copy your favorite Bible verse (in your best handwriting, of course) onto the paper. If you really want to get fancy, try some calligraphy lettering.
Roll up one side of the scroll towards the middle and hold. Roll up the other side toward the middle and tie with a ribbon or leather thong to secure your scroll.
This craft idea is included in Lesson 7 of the Acts, Pt. 1 book from the “Growing Up in God’s Word” Bible curriculum series.