Bible Dictionaries
Ink

Holman Bible Dictionary

Writing fluid. Ink for writing on papyrus (a plant product) was made of soot or lampblack mixed with gum arabic (Jeremiah 36:18; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 2 John 1:12; 3 John 1:13 ). Red ink was made by replacing lampblack with red iron oxide. Because such ink did not stick well to parchment (a leather product), another ink was made from nut galls mixed with iron sulphate.