Sure, my point is how could people understand the Bible before the advent of the printing press?
A lot of people just assume that the Bible in written form has always been around for anyone to read.
Well, the issue ocurred before written or non-written scripture.
Jesus was specifically asked why he talked in parables/allegories. He recounted that the reason He spoke in parables (and, by extension, why the Bible in general is written in parables) is to prevent certain people from understanding it.