Jesus' Reading List?!

This first Monday at 7 of the spring, we will lay down some foundations about Jesus, the Gospels, and Galileean/Judaean society.

It is important to remember that no more than 10% of people in the ancient world could read - many fewer could write - and the number of readers was probably closer to 5%. For many folks, reading and especially writing were considered magical. Yet, Luke specifically says that Jesus read in a synagogue in Nazareth. We also have John's story about Jesus writing in the dust as he waits for a blameless person to cast the first stone. There are also plenty of references to Jesus teaching and quoting the Law (which, yes, he may have learned by ear and not by sight).

It is also worth saying up front that whenever anyone in the Bible speaks of scripture, they're talking about Hebrew scripture (duh!). Thanks to the scrolls found by the Dead Sea, we know that Hebrew scripture was pretty well established even before Jesus time preaching and teaching.

Yet, we also know that many, many other books were read and cited as authoritative: magical books about journeys into the heavens, frightening books about the end of the world, and reflective books about how to live 'the good life.'

In preparation for our first discussion, rather than reading anything in particular, I'd like you to think about the Gospels in general and reflect on a few questions/thoughts (including what I've already mentioned above).

- Why would it matter what books (or, more accurately, scrolls) Jesus, his followers, his opponents, and those around him might have been familiar with?

- Writing was not only a bit magical, but it was also a very important 'new' technology. How might that help us re-think the idea of books/scrolls in Jesus' environment?

- Can you think of any other Gospel stories where Jesus reads or writes?

- Our best source of information on Jesus' worldview is by looking at the Biblical books he quotes and how he uses them to make points. I will post a list of these places later, hopefully this afternoon. What book or books do you think Jesus would cite most often?

So, there's not much to do to prepare for this first discussion, but I hope you'll take some time - even while you're doing other things - to think about these questions. And - for now, at least - don't worry about being able to quote from the Bible on these questions. Use your memory and see what you recall.

I hope to see you Monday, February 2nd, at 7 at the House!