Derbe and Lystra hardly qualify for territories of the Diaspora. More likely as not....Timothy's mother had married a Greek man....and he simply took her back to Galatia to live.
Israel has been dispersed [II Kings 17:6] (721 B.C.) to Assyria and there is no Biblical mention of their return. According to Josephus [Antiquities Book XI, Chapter V, Paragraph 2]....millions were still living beyond the Euphrates during the first century. From there they pretty well migrated throughout the world. The Jews had been dispersed as well (595 B.C.) to Babylon and many had returned with Ezra and Nehemiah 70 years later [II Kings 25][Ezra and Nehemiah]. Chances are, Timothy's mother was a descendant of those who returned from Babylon, simply married a Greek man, and he took her back to Galatia to live.
Had Timothy’s parents been religious, they would have taken the trouble to at least circumcise him. No Hebrew scripture there.
We know Timothy's mother was religious because scripture tells us that: [Acts 16:1] Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek.
What scripture leaves us hanging with is.....what about Timothy's father? Was he the kind of guy that would allow his son to study anything religious......or was he an atheist.....was he an agnostic? We don't know. It is quite possible that Timothy took all his religious instruction through his mother....and maybe not until he was of age. If so, he probably studied Hebrew because that's what she was!
Happy Independence day to you.....my good FRiend!
I agree it is all conjecture; still, the Septuagint was written for the needs of Jews outside of Palestine.
Further, if we are to get all literal here, St.Paul says “all Scripture” known to Timothy “since infancy”, so even if Timothy’s primary source was the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, including the deteurocanonical books are in that broad scope. It is hard to imagine Timothy, with interest in religion, never opening the Septuagint, written in his everyday language.
Have a blessed Independence Day, friend.