What percentage of the population could read when the bible was assembled?

Question

Hardly anyone could read. They just had to take someones word for it. The opportunity for re-writing, and modernizing the bible was not missed, by the 'trusted ones' who could read and write.
How many versions of the bible are there?
Who edited these versions?
People are sheep, just following the shepherd to the slaughter.
Baaaaa!

Hey, if you guys can preach, so can I.

Answer 1

Good points. The bible has been translated, re-translated, edited, and re-writtten to satisfy the both dogma and the power base as well as the interpretation of the translator innumerous times over the millenia.

Answer 2

Not true--many people could read in the ancient Western world of the Roman Empire at the time of the creation/editing of the bible, both old and new testaments.

The bible was originally structured as a result of the Council of Nicaea, organized by Emperor Constantine to redefine Christianity into a state religion for the Roman Empire.

After the Council, Constantine used his newly organized 'faith' as a cudgel to whip dissidents into line. All religions, including all non-conforming versions of Christianity, were ruthlessly put down. Their leaders and priests were killed, the practitioners were killed or converted to the official Roman Catholicism, and their books, writings, icons, buildings, and all other evidence was summarily obliterated.

The result of all this?

The Empire slid into ruin, and the Dark Ages began.

Answer 3

You are right that illiteracy was very high between 300-400AD when the bible was "assembled". In fact, it was also high in 30 AD. This is just one more fact to prove that Jesus didn't come here to make a book, he founded a church. It is this church that has continued unchanging in its teaching for almost 2000 years.

However:
The fact there are many translations to the bible in no way diminishes its authenticity, though. If I was to write a book in English on sub-atomic particles and it was translated to many different languages, would that make my book any less accurate? In every instance of the translation there would be someone who could say that some sentence should not have been translated that way, so they could make their own translation.

NOTE TO NORA22000:

Did you even READ your wikipedia link? First Council of Nicaea had nothing to do with the canon of Scripture. The topics of discussion were Arianism, celebration of Passover (Easter), Miletian schism, validity of baptism by heretics, lapsed Christians. Please get your facts straight before posting.

Answer 4

The first schools were born from what is written in Scripture. Education was a staple in those days. But, yes... a lot of it was word of mouth... No different than today... that we take someone's word for it, still trying to decipher whether God or Darwin is right......

Yet, if you were to divide by the sexes which had the ability to learn greater, let it be known to you that women were not allowed to learn the Scriptures. It was up to men to learn the Scriptures and teach it to their wives. Education was not for women in the Scriptures.


Your sister,
Ginger

Answer 5

at present, interior the U. S., the illiteracy fee is 7%. whilst the Judea-Christian/Islamic Texts have been written, a time which spans hundreds of years and coated a great proportion of Civilized historic past, the precise 10% controlled the ninety% ignorant Serfs, a.ok.a. Peasants, that have been illiterate. not each and every of nobility grow to be literate... the wealthy had to hire tutors for their offspring at great cost to coach them to make certain and write... people who might not examine and perfect stored a pupil on paintings tension to make certain and write for them OR they might hire a pupil at want from the industry. The Cult Leaders/priests of maximum cultures have been the countless in basic terms those that have been sure to be literate... that's why a great variety of historic past and preparation grow to be controlled by religion. The Greek lifestyle and the Roman lifestyle have been 2 of the few durable cultures the place literacy wasn't uncommon. Slaves and Peasants would not be literate yet interior the cities, it would not be uncommon for each wealthy companion and young ones to have a minimum of one individual who might desire to examine and write. After Rome grow to be introduced down by Christianity, the worldwide fell in to chaos and the iron fisted administration of cults. those non secular institutions did their maximum suitable to maintain the plenty illiterate so they may be the source of preparation, training, and judgement. Kingdoms have been destroyed by the church in the event that they did not bow to "God" and the con artists which stated they spoke for "Him". in basic terms interior the previous few hundred years has literacy grow to be elementary among the elementary human beings.

Answer 6

Did you live back then? Then you don't know the percentage of people who could read.

People like you are the uneducated people who think by posting something like this have completely unraveled the Christian faith, when all you do is make me laugh because of your lack of education.

Answer 7

are you sure they could not read or write?
it was common practice for members of the synagogue to stand up and read the scripture in the synagogue

Answer 8

Maybe a cow did pee on a rock, and we sprang up.
But wait, where did the cow and the rock come from.
We are the only planet in all of these solar systems, that has life.
Just like those trusted dudes said, man.

Answer 9

Hahahahaha PERFECT. History proves your point. If christians don't believe history, they don't believe their own bible.

Answer 10

Did you ask a question or are you preaching an answer?