ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 7

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 7 is a very old paper that was discovered in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus. It is a very special type of paper called a "papyrus." Papyrus was made by ancient Egyptians by taking a tall plant that grew by the Nile river, and cutting it into thin strips. The strips were then laid on top of each other, wetted down, and pressed together until they stuck. This created a kind of paper that was used for writing.

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 7 has some writing on it that is in Greek. Greek is a language that people spoke a long time ago, and it is still spoken today in some parts of Greece. The writing on the paper is actually part of a letter that was sent from one person to another person. The person who wrote the letter was named Apollonios, and he was writing to a friend named Serenus.

The letter is very old and was written around 230 AD, which is about 1,800 years ago! That's a very long time ago, even before your great-great-grandparents were alive. In the letter, Apollonios is asking Serenus for some help with a legal case that he is involved in. He is asking Serenus to give him some advice on how to win the case. Apollonios is also telling Serenus about some other things that he is doing, like selling some land.

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 7 is important because it helps us to learn about what life was like a long time ago. We can learn about the things that people did, like writing letters and buying and selling land. We can also learn about the language that people spoke, like Greek. So, even though this paper is very old and might look funny, it is actually very valuable because it can help us to understand history better.