Vellum
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. The two oldest parchment manuscripts are the Codex Vaticanus (from Egypt) and the Codex Sinaiticus.

Venial Sin
     In Catholicism, a sin but not as bad as mortal Sin. It lessens the grace of God within a person's soul.

Vicarious Atonement
     The theory of the atonement which states that Christ's death was "legal."  It satisfied the legal justice of God.  Jesus bore the penalty of sin when he died on the cross.  His death was a substitution for the believers.  In other words, he substituted himself for them upon the cross.  Jesus hung in our place as He bore our sin in his body on the cross.  See 1 Pet. 2:24.