Josephus' Papyrus

Origin
Josephus lived in first century Jerusalem, then located in Roman Judaea, as a scholar and historian. His family was directly related to the Hasmonean dynasty (of the Maccabees fame) and Josephus tried his hand at negotiating with the Roman Empire for more liberties. When Josephus returned home, he found himself in the midst of an outright war between Roman and Jewish forces. He led resistance campaigns until commander Vespasian cornered his forces into a cave near the town Yodfat. Rather then surrender, they drew lots by a pattern of three to decide who would commit suicide; Josephus found himself alive and surrendered as a prisoner.

It was during this confinement he experienced an epiphany and claimed the religious prophecies that began the conflict foretold that Vespasian would become the next Emperor. When his prediction became true, Vespasian regarded Josephus as a prophet and kept him as a translator until granting his freedom. Josephus meanwhile engrained himself into Roman society, becoming a citizen, and even adopting the Emperor’s family name of Flavius. He served as an advisor and confidant to Vespasian’s son Titus at the Siege of Jerusalem, where the city and holy temple where razed to the ground.

As firstly an academic, Josephus wrote large amounts of manuscripts on the Jewish people and their history. He recorded the lives of revered saints and kings outside of their Biblical narratives and provided context for the later discovered Dead Sea Scrolls. Of particular interest to him was the depiction of the early centuries of Judaism leading up to the First Jewish-Roman War. Written he was a captive seeing all the holy treasures spirited away under a Roman banner, “The Jewish War” concludes that the Jews followed a defeated God and radical aristocrats, which required the Romans to resolve. His next work, Jewish Antiquities, followed the customs, history and ceremonies important to the Jewish culture in deep explanation. It remains unclear whether they were intended for a Jewish or Roman audience to read, given its over explanative wording.

Effects
Placing next to a document will create exact copies from the papyrus, right down to the aging and damage. It can also reconstitute entire texts from shreds and even generate multiple versions if the document has gone through significant rewrites. After repetitive usage, the activator will feel the gnawing urge to convert to the teachings of the person they normally consider their rival, enemy, even oppressor. They will succeed at convincing others to accept them as a member, no matter the trials they will have to endure or friends they will have to betray.