1,900-year-old Roman papyrus details elaborate tax evasion scheme, research suggests
A 1,900-year-old Roman papyrus has shed light on an elaborate tax evasion scheme that took place in ancient Rome, proving that taxes and tax evasion have been around for millennia. The papyrus, discovered in the Judean desert in the 1950s, details a complex scheme involving the bogus sale and manumission of enslaved persons.
According to Anna Dolganov, a historian and papyrologist of the Roman Empire, the document is of significant historical importance and provides insight into the legal and administrative systems of the time. The scroll accuses two men, Gadalias and Saulos, of orchestrating the scheme in a border region between two Roman provinces. The men exploited the lack of communication between the provincial administrations to evade taxes associated with the trade, sale, ownership, and manumission of slaves.
The papyrus reveals that the men used forged legal documents to make the slaves “disappear” on paper, thus avoiding the taxes imposed by the Roman authorities. The prosecutor preparing for the tax evasion trial highlights the criminal nature of the scheme, emphasizing the severe consequences of tax evasion in the Roman Empire.
Dolganov speculates on the possible motives behind the men’s actions, suggesting that they may have been trying to evade Jewish law or reward faithful household slaves with manumission. Regardless of their reasons, the men faced harsh penalties for their actions, including fines, exile, hard labor, or even execution in extreme cases.
The research on the ancient papyrus has been praised by experts for its significance in shedding light on a lesser-known time period in Roman history. Seth Bernard, a professor of ancient history at the University of Toronto, commends the scholars for their thorough analysis of the document, which provides valuable insights into the history of slavery and the political landscape of the Roman Empire.
In a world where taxes on goods and services are commonplace, the discovery of this ancient tax evasion scheme serves as a reminder that tax evasion has been a persistent issue throughout history. The elaborate nature of the scheme and the severe consequences faced by the perpetrators highlight the seriousness with which tax evasion was viewed in the Roman Empire. The papyrus serves as a testament to the widespread knowledge of Roman law and the competence of local lawyers in handling complex legal cases in the borderland provinces of the Empire.
