date syrup

Ingredients

sesame oil, date syrup, ghee

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The mixture consists of (date) syrup, ghee, and pressed (sesame) oil intended for 'soaking' styli in a kettle (p. 18). Experimental tests involved periodically dipping the stylus in this viscose mixture while writing (p. 22).

Evidence

"This fascinating passage suggests that styli used to write cuneiform on wax boards were occasionally soaked in a special mixture before writing... reference to (date) syrup, ghee, and pressed (sesame) oil is found in fragmentary context following the mention of 'seventy-two writing-boards'."

Remarks

This mixture serves as a release agent to prevent the stylus from sticking to the wax surface and damaging the shape of the wedges, particularly during cold conditions or when using bone or metal styli (p. 22). The date syrup and ghee are added to give the mixture the necessary viscosity to flow properly (p. 23). If the liquid contains a high quantity of date syrup, it can also act as a coloring agent for the wedges, similar to Greco-Roman litterae rubricatae (p. 22).