Vellum

Vellum is a material used for writing, like paper. It was made from animal skins, usually from cattle, sheep, goats, and antelope. The hair was scraped off of the skins, then they were washed, smoothed, and dressed with chalk. Vellum was used until the late Middle Ages until paper was introduced into Europe from China via Arab traders. Vellum lasted longer than papyrus and was tougher, but the edges sometimes became torn and tattered. Much of the Bible has been written on vellum.  The two oldest parchment manuscripts are the Codex Vaticanus (from Egypt) and the Codex Sinaiticus.