Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman
Could Jesus Read and Write?
Nov 7, 2023
The podcast explores whether Jesus could read and write based on historical plausibility and the limited evidence in the New Testament. It analyzes ancient literacy rates, the role of writing in Judaism, and the challenges of determining Jesus' literacy as a rural Galilean. The podcast also touches on the authorship of the New Testament Gospels and introduces a new course launch and 'Outsmart Bart' segment discussing early Christian texts and Jesus' literacy in relation to the development of Christianity.
39:16
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Quick takeaways
- In the ancient world, literacy was limited to a small percentage of the population, with only about 3% or 1% of people being able to read.
- There is limited evidence regarding Jesus' literacy, and even if he could read, it does not necessarily mean he could write in the ancient world of the New Testament.
Deep dives
Literacy in the ancient world
In the ancient world, literacy was limited to a small percentage of the population. Most people could not read or write, and schools were often only accessible to the wealthy or slaves who were educated to assist the elite. The industrial revolution brought about mass literacy in more modern times, as governments recognized the benefits of an educated populace. However, in the ancient Jewish and Greek societies of the New Testament, literacy was still uncommon with only about 3% or 1% of the population being able to read.
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