Literacy in the time of Jesus

[I, Brian]

Here's a partiularly interesting articles, that directly addresses a key question I've searched about for some time.

Literacy in the time of Jesus

It challenges the idea that only high governmental employees would have acess to the skills of reading or writing, with a good examination of various find features - not least the now almost infamous ossaries.

Anyway, in case of any interest to anyone else here. :0

[Dave the Web]

That link is interesting and does work! I believe the question elsewhere has been raised as to why Jesus did not pen his words himself. In the light of such articles it focusses the question stronger. It especially highlights more the question of why we have no trace of Jesus in contemporary writings. I fear the politics may have rewritten the history for us.

[I, Brian]

Certainly it's been raised - and precisely for those points.

However, the whole literacy issue affects most religious founders. It's a strange - almost disturbing - habit.

[benOddo]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Certainly it's been raised - and precisely for those points.

However, the whole literacy issue affects most religious founders. It's a strange - almost disturbing - habit.

Brian,

The link would not work for me, but in any case. (no pun intended)

In this computer age, is it any wonder that longhand penmenship is a lost art. Have you seen a prescription written by a doctor lately? Or a term paper by a student in longhand.?

How many scholars today, know (speak and write) Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic. Other than French or Spanish? Or the fact English, is more common today than eighthundred years ago.

To say a picture is worth, a thousand words, might mean more to an ancient, than today would be wrong. The aleph-(ox) to the Alpha and Omega. Jesus Our Lord, is the First and Last, the Beginning and End, the Word.

[bananabrain]

i don't know about "in the time" of jesus, but 1CE judea would have had a comparatively high literacy rate if the writing down of the oral law had become necessary!

b'shalom

bananabrain

[bob x]

I don't know any specific data (and the link wouldn't work for me), but my impression is that Judea would have had a higher literacy rate among the common people than most places, due to the emphasis on textual traditions.