They would also rub out the ink and reuse the paper. The term for this is Palimpsest: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik

They would also rub out the ink and reuse the paper. The term for this is Palimpsest: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest I came across this practice when reading the Chapter of Fathers in the Mishna: "Elisha ben Abuyah said: He who learns when a child, to what is he compared? To ink written upon a new writing sheet. And he who learns when an old man, to what is he compared? To ink written on palimpsest. Rabbi Yose ben Judah a man of Kfar Ha-babli said: He who learns from the young, to what is he compared? To one who eats unripe grapes, and drinks wine from his vat; And he who learns from the old, to what is he compared? To one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine. Rabbi [Yehuda] said: don’t look at the container but at that which is in it: there is a new container full of old wine, and an old [container] in which there is not even new [wine]."