# How did Jesus read the Bible?



## JennyG (Dec 12, 2010)

This was suggested by Austin's "how do you read the Bible" poll.
We know Jesus didn't use any kind of modern-style portion-per-day scheme.
I began wondering....do we know anything at all about how, in practical terms, he would have acquired his familiarity with Scripture?


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## jambo (Dec 12, 2010)

He was familiar with the scripture because as part of the Trinity he inspired it!

In terms of the human Jesus reading it, it would be a bit like Jesus picking up the scroll in the synagogue and reading it from a scroll. Although the bible is silent on this specific matter but I would imagine that Joseph as head of the household would have taught and explained the OT to this wife and family when Jesus was growing up. Which makes an interesting thought of Joseph teaching his son Jesus the OT and Jesus respectful and what must have been instructive replies in family discussions.


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## JennyG (Dec 12, 2010)

I suppose actually I'm not only thinking of Jesus himself. Could people own their own copies? and if not, how did they get a close knowledge of scripture?
Is it all down to the legendary capacity of the pre-book-owning ancients to remember verbatim what they heard?
(as with the Greek epic poets' oral tradition)


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## LeeJUk (Dec 12, 2010)

Well most scholars tell us that someone of Jesus social class would not of had the ability to read nor access to the O.T. 

To this I would reply God tends to make exceptions for his Son. I think he very well may have been provided with an O.T. by providence.

Other than that, synagogue attendance, temple attendance and perhaps religious discussion with Rabbi's and such would have contributed.


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## au5t1n (Dec 12, 2010)

It occurs to me that the New Testament mentions "the scribes" a lot. I don't know what the Greek word for that is, but if it means roughly the same thing as the English translation, then there may have been a lot of scroll-copying going on.


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## Elimelek (Dec 13, 2010)

It is estimated that 5-10 % of people in the ancient world was literate. Reading was a public activity, and was done at city gates where notices was served or at "community halls." In Luke 4:16-21, Luke tells us that Jesus used to go to the synagogue to read the Scriptures (or Scrolls). He read it aloud, as almost no one could read without reciting it. Silent reading was something that came later.

Jesus knew the traditions of the Jewish religion very well, a lot of what he does or say reacts on things that we find in the Mishnah (the so believed oral law of Moses). He would probably also have know the whole Old Testament by heart, at least large parts of it, as memorisation was the way of the ancient person.

So, yes Jesus did read the Bible, but not physically everyday. Did he recite it everyday... if He was a Jew, probably yes.

Kind regards


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## Jack K (Dec 13, 2010)

The Bible gives us one (and only one) brief account of Jesus as a child. In that account, he shows a remarkably strong and unusual interest in biblical teaching: "After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Luke 2:46-47). If we presume this account to be insight into the character and interests of Jesus as a child, we would say he was far more interested in the Scriptures than was the average Jewish boy at the time, and there were likely several other occasions as a child and as a young man that he surprised those around him by going out of his way to be exposed to biblical teaching. Nazareth had a synagogue equipped with biblical scrolls. I imagine he found a way to spend considerable time there, either reading on his own or listening to those who did.


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