Consequences of Forgery in Ancient Rome and Its Modern Relevance

Proof from an ancient Roman scroll: As long as there have been taxes, there has been tax evasion.

When researchers studied a previously mislabeled scroll, they discovered detailed attorney notes for a case against taxpayers accused of using forged documents and sham transactions between the Roman provinces of Judaea and Arabia to escape taxes on their assets.

The assets in question were enslaved people. The potential punishments included distinctly unmodern measures.

Anna Dolganov of the Austrian Academy of Sciencescq talked with reporter Caleb Harshberger about how scholars made the discovery, details of the scheme, and what they're hoping to uncover next as they continue their research.

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