When were the first books made?

The first books were made about 4,000 years ago by the Egyptians, who used flattened layers of papyrus (a red-like water plant) to make sheets. The ‘books’ they made were collections of rolled papyrus sheets – very different to a book of today.

In the middle of the fifth century, parchment (sheet skin) replaced papyrus. Parchment sheets were placed on top of one another and bound down one side with leather tongs.

But it was in the in the Middle Ages that books as we know them today evolved. Vellum (calf skin) was made into sheets, and each piece was folded down the middle. Four vellum sheets made eight pages and was considered a section. Unlike parchment, vellum was thick enough to be written on both sides. Finished sections were sewn together down the back fold (the spine) and covered with wooden boards front and back. The boards and spine were then covered with leather; the result was a book similar to that of today.

Fact File 

In about AD 500 monks would spend endless hours creating handwritten books decorated (illuminated) with colorful letters and images. The work was slow and painstaking, but worthwhile because it was another way to show dedication to God.

 

Picture Credit : Google