Ancient Roman wax tablets

Elspeth is working on a painting of Pilate's wife. Within the composition, the wife of Pilate will be depicted writing the hasty warning she "sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him" (Matthew 27:19).

In Roman times, it was typical to write messages on wax tablets using a stylus. In preparation for the painting, we have built and decorated a wax tablet of our own, pictured here. We inscribed the wax with a Latin translation of her words (translation courtesy of T.K. Edlund, Professor of East European Local and Family History, Brigham Young University) :

"nihil tibi et iusto illi multa enim passa sum hodie per visum propter eum"

Tags: Upon Awakening, 2010, Costume and props, Tools supplies and operations