Forty Centuries of Ink / Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.

by David Nunes Carvalho

Antimony and galls were used by the Egyptian ladies to tint their eyes and lashes and (who knows) to write with.

Many of the dyes employed as ink were those occurring naturally as animal and vegetable products, or which could be produced therefrom by comparatively simple means, otherwise we would not be confronted with the fact that no specimens of ink writing of natural origin remain to us.

The very few specimens of ink writing which have outlasted decay and disintegration through so many ages, are found to be closely allied to materials like bitumen, lampblack obtained from the smoke of oil- torches or resins; or gold, silver, cinnabar and minium.

Josephus asserts that the books of the ancient Hebrews were written in gold and silver.

"Sicca dewat" (A silver ink standeth), as the ancient
Arabic proverb runs.

Rosselini asserts:

"the monumental hireoglyphics of the Egyptians were almost invariably painted with the liveliest tints; and when similar hireoglyphics were executed on a reduced scale, and in a more cursive form upon papyri or scrolls made from the leaves of the papyrus the pages were written with both black and colored inks."

The early mode of ink writing in biblical times mentioned in Numbers v. 23, where It is said "the priest shall write the curses in a book, and blot them out with the bitter water," was with a kind of ink prepared for the purpose, without any salts of iron or other material which could make a permanent dye; these maledictions were then washed into the water, which the woman was obliged to drink, so that she drank the very words of the execration. The ink still used in the East is almost all of this kind; a wet sponge will obliterate the finest of their writings.

In the book of Jeremiah, chap. xxxvi. verse 18, it says: "Then Baruch answered, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote THEM with ink in the book," and in Ezek. ix. 2, 3, 11, "Ink horn" is referred to.

Six hundred years later in the New Testament is another mention of ink "having many things to write unto you. I would not write with paper and Ink," &c.; second epistle. of John, 12, and again in his third epistle, 13, "I had many things to write, but I will not with pen and Ink write unto thee."