Hello Kevin,

KG>Frankly, I'd never given the subject much thought
KG>prior to you making it an issue.  That's how little
KG>it concerns me.  You could probably find a lot of
KG>material on the web.  A quick search turned up a
KG>work titled:

KG>"Jewish Scripture and the Literacy of Jesus"
KG>by Craig Evans

KG>http://www.craigaevans.com/evans.pdf


KG>It's 14 full pages of text.  Here are a few sentences.
KG>Feel free to pursue a more complete answer.

Everybody likes to speculate.  Evans is no different in that regard.
However, where is the evidence that Jesus could read and write?  None
is found in the gospel accounts.  None is found anywhere in the books
of the Bible.  Was he familiar with scripture?  Of course.  He was
Jewish.  His mother was Jewish.  His step-father was Jewish.  His
relatives were Jewish.  His friends were Jewish.  Even his enemies
were Jewish.  Certainly his mother told him bedtime stories when he
was a child.  Stories such as Noah and the ark, Johah and the whale,
etc.  And in the Palestine of his time, what else was there to do
with one's time except talk about religion?  Aside from politics,
and the want to get rid of them hated Roman soldiers...

KG>> Indications of Jesus' literacy may also be seen in
KG>> his familiarity with and usage of Scripture.

KG>> According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus quotes
KG>> or alludes to 23 of the 36 books of the Hebrew Bible
KG>> (counting the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles
KG>> as three books, not six).  Jesus alludes to or quotes
KG>> all five books of Moses, the three Major Prophets
KG>> (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel), eight of the twelve
KG>> Minor Prophets, and five of the "writings."

KG>> In other words, Jesus quotes or alludes to all of the
KG>> books of the Law, most of the Prophets, and some of
KG>> the Writings.

KG>> According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus quotes or
KG>> alludes to Deuteronomy some 15 or 16 times,
KG>> Isaiah some 40 times, and the Psalms some 13 times.

KG>> These appear to be his favorite books, though Daniel
KG>> and Zechariah seem to have been favorites also.

KG>> Superficially, then, the "canon" of Jesus is pretty
KG>> much what it was for most religiously observant Jews
KG>> of his time, including - and especially - the producers
KG>> of the scrolls at Qumran.  Moreover, there is evidence
KG>> that villages and synagogues in the time of Jesus
KG>> did in fact possess biblical scrolls...

KG>> Finally, the frequency and poignancy of Jesus'
KG>> employment of Aramaic tradition in his allusions and
KG>> interpretations of Scripture are suggestive of literacy,
KG>> regular participation in the synagogue (where the
KG>> Aramaic paraphrase, or Targum, developed)  and
KG>> acquaintance with rabbinic and scribal education itself.

KG>Jesus reportedly asked others if they had read Scripture
KG>and then He quoted or alluded to it.  It suggests literacy.

If Jesus could read and write, why did he have to ask others
if they had read scripture?  Did he need others to quote scripture
for him?  Seems like it.  But hey.  Speculation is fun.  Some
folks actually believe Jesus spoke fluent Greek.  Doesn't mean
he did.

Again, where is the proof/evidence?  Jesus did not write any
of the gospel accounts, or any other books of the NT.  And he
most certainly did not write any books of the OT.  Being familiar
with Jewish scripture and being able to read and write are not
the same thing.  Every obervant Jew was familiar with scripture,
especially in regards to the Law (Mosaic Law, or the Law of
Moses).  Does that mean that every Jew could read and write?
Most were poor, illiterate, and uneducated.  Including Jesus.
And public schooling was not available in Palestine.

KG>See:

KG>Mark 2:25
KG>Matthew 12:3-5
KG>Matthew 19:4
KG>Matthew 21:16
KG>Mark 12:10
KG>Mark 12:26
KG>Luke 10:26

So what?  Aside from one instance where Jesus doodles in the sand,
where is evidence that Jesus could read and write?  Doodling pictures
in the sand is hardly what anybody would consider reading and writing.

KG>Evans writes:

KG>>  ... Jesus' rhetorical and pointed "have you
KG>>  not read?" seems to be distinctive of his style
KG>>  and surely would have little argumentative
KG>>  force if he himself could not read.

KG>Lee, to conclude my thoughts on this subject...
KG>I hope you found some of this of interest.
KG>However, I'm not seeking a long, drawn-out
KG>discussion of these topics.

Interesting, yes.  Conclusive evidence that Jesus could read
and write?  Hardly.

--Lee


 * SLMR 2.1a * "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

--- Maximus 3.01