When they said and proved that both the paper and the pens they used for writing had already given out: Paper was made of papyrus, a reedy water plant. The stems of papyrus were cut, pressed, and processed in such a way as to produce a flexible writing surface much like paper. Technically “paper” is anachronistic, but it would be overly technical to insist on anything else. The Greek word translated paper can also mean “paper factory,” a place where papyrus was processed and made into writing material. Either way, the meaning is that the material had given out, that is, there was no more of it. Pens were reeds cut in such a way that they could be dipped in ink and used for writing. A possible model for this verse is “when they proved to him that they had no more paper and no more pens.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.