It makes sense that when we think of epic journeys and tales of biblical proportions, we think of just that – the Bible. So it’s no small wonder the modern passport, and the right of safe passage through another’s foreign lands, traces its roots back to this same text.

History’s earliest mention of something like a passport is featured in the Bible’s Book of Nehemiah. The Persian king Artaxerxes, who Nehemiah worked for as a royal cup-bearer, sent letters to leaders of lands beyond the Euphrates River requesting Nehemiah’s safe passage to Judah, where he was called to rebuild the city’s walls.

England’s King Henry V issued “safe conduct” documents, an ancestor to what we today consider the true passport. Around 1540, the granting of travelling papers was left to the Privy Council, and the word “passport” was beginning to be widely used. Even up through the 19^th century, passports were not generally absolute requirements of international travel. Only after World War I did it become a requirement.

Modern-day passports began to circulate in the 20^th century. The first contemporary passport, the result of the British Nationality and Status Aliens Act of 1914, was a single page of paper, folded into eight, held together with a simple cardboard cover. Valid for two years, it featured a photograph, signature, a personal description of the holder (details such as “complexion” and “shape of face” were included, i.e. an entry could have read; “Mouth: small. Nose: large. Forehead: Wide.”). Passport standardization came about in 1980, under the support of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The next wave of passport development involves authenticity and security measures like including biometric data.  Malaysia’s newest passports will feature embedded microchips and fingerprints. There still remain some passports that limit travel: for examples, passports from Israel aren’t accepted by 25 countries, including North Korea and Cuba.