I recently read a book indicating that people in first-century Nazareth were very poor and illiterate. The writer claimed that Jesus too was illiterate. How can this be true? — A.M.
The Jews placed a high premium on literacy, and in fact were probably the most literate segment of society in the Roman world. Q&A 223 addresses your underlying question in detail, and includes a recommendation for an easy-to-read book by British scholar Alan Millard (1937-2024).
Further, literacy was essential for all rabbis. Consider the Lord's early message in Nazareth: And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written…. (Luke 4:16-17)
