Sulfur was known and used in ancient times, with discovery dating back to around 2000 BC. It was used by ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and mentioned in the Bible. Its elemental nature was scientifically established much later: Antoine Lavoisier recognized sulfur as an element in 1777, and French chemists Joseph Gay-Lussac and Louis Thenard confirmed this in 1809. Before that, it was often considered a compound rather than an element.