There are estimates that the level of literacy among the citizenry during the New Testament period was about ten percent. Even though most people were illiterate, they were not stupid. There was a long tradition of oral learning and memorization, producing many competent intellectuals and scholars of the Law. Presumably, many scribes memorized large portions of the Torah and, at least some could read and write.
Raised in the royal Egyptian household, Moses (ca. 1200 BC/BCE)would have been literate, having received a royal education.
Ezra (5th century BC/BCE) and his helpers taught the Torah to the Jewish population (Ezra 7:25) The Torah was taught: Deuteronomy 31:12-13, 2 Chronicles 17:7-9, Nehemiah 8:7-8.
In the Pharisaic tradition, men, including Jesus, a carpenter, would stand and read the scriptures in the synagogue. John 7:15. “Never studied” meant that he had no formal training. (Other references to Jesus’ literacy: Luke 4:16-30, John 8:6..)
The sign on Jesus’s cross assumed that the people who saw the crucifixion would be able to read it. It was written in three languages to make sure that everyone could read it. (Mark 15:26, Matthew 27:37, Luke 23:37, John 19:20)
The Jewish historian, Josephus (37 - ?100 AD/CE), spoke about Jewish literacy, “… we pride ourselves on the education of our children … (the Law) orders that (children) shall be taught to read …” (Against Apion 1:12.60 and 2.25.204)
On the question of female literacy in the biblical period, remember that this was a completely male-dominated society. This is one reason that women were so drawn to the teachings of Jesus: He insisted on treating them as persons. The early Christians continued this: Paul said there is no Jew nor Greek, no male nor female, no slave nor free.
One estimate has it that “for every five or six men who could read and write, there was one woman who was fully literate.” (David M. Scholer, “Writing and Literature: Greco-Roman”,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, page 1283. Quoted in JETS 50/4 (December 2007) 747–59, WOMEN’S EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SPEECH IN ANTIQUITY, by craig keener*
When I was at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Greek scholar and professor, Pastor Frank Stagg, was speaking on the subject of women’s education in biblical times. While acknowledging that most women of the time were intentionally kept illiterate, Dr. Stagg was sure that many wealthy women were privately educated. He even discussed the possibility that the reason that the author of the book of Hebrews is not named is that the book was written by a woman.
Other interesting links.
“On Ancient Literacy Levels”
Jewish scripture and the literacy of Jesus, Craig A. Evans
Josephus
Were there any female writers in the Bible?
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