Solomon perfumed with musk the letter he sent to Bilqis, Queen of Sheba, who herself could both read and write.[50] Mani inscribed characters on white satin in such a way that if a single thread was drawn out the writing became invisible.[51] On gold and silver writing among the Syrians see Zahn, _Tatian, Forschungen_, 108, n. 1; also R. Wessely, _Iconographie_ (_Wiener Studien_, xii. 2, 259-279). The earliest mention of this kind of writing that I know is in the Epistle of Aristeas,[52] σὺν ... ταῖς διαφόροις διφθέραις, ἐν αἷς [ἦν] ἡ νομοθεσία γεγραμμένη χρυσογραφίᾳ τοῖς Ἰουδαϊκοῖς γράμμασι, θαυμασίως εἰργασμένου τοῦ ὑμένος καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἄλληλα συμβολῆς ἀνεπαισθήτου κατεσκευασμένης. In Alexander’s copy of the Pentateuch the name of God was written in gold letters.[53] On the fineness of the parchment and the beauty of the writing see Chrysostom, _Hom. 32 in Joannem_: σπουδῆς περὶ τὴν τῶν ὑμένων λεπτότητα καὶ τὸ τῶν γραμμάτων κάλλος. Ephraem Syrus commended this Christian munificence, as is pointed out in the _Histor. Polit. Blätter_, 84, 2, 104. Gold writing is also mentioned in the Targum on Ps. xlv. 10. The passage in the Epistle of Theonas to Lucian referring to the use of purple-dyed parchment is thought by Batiffol to be derived from that in Jerome’s Commentary on Job, and he founds on this an argument against the genuineness of the Epistle.[54] In the Martyrium of Qardagh the Persian, particular mention is made of the remarkable beauty and whiteness of the parchment (σωμάτιον) on which he wrote his epistles.[55] For the preparation of his Bible, Origen procured the services not only of rapid writers (ταχυγράφοι) but also of girls who could write beautifully (καλλιγράφοι). Cassiodorus pleads—qui emendare praesumitis, ut superadjectas literas ita pulcherrimas facere studeatis, ut potius ab _Antiquariis_ scriptae fuisse judicentur.[56] We also find him making proposals for expensive bindings in the _De Inst._, c. 30, a passage which, according to Springer,[57] has been overlooked in the literature on illustrated bindings in modern histories of art.