The father was a fisherman and educated his sons in fishing. Have you been to Temple? How much reading is done? How much listening? How much praying? The Jewish oral tradition is amongst the best in history. Except for the priestly class, only the upper class could claim any considerable level of literacy.
I would ask anyone more knowledgeable than I about this era to chip in, if you would.
Where that 97% figure comes from I've no idea but consider some ancient libraries like the one found at Ugarit in Syria. It dates from around the 1300-1400 b.c. or the vast library of Ashurbanipal of the 7th. cen. b.c. This collection of tablets numbered 20 to 30 thousand and covered everything from the most sacred to the most mundane of commercial notes and recipes. Clearly many people were scratching bills and notes of all kinds on shards and clay tablets routinely.
97% of primitive societies' population were existence agrarians or artisans. They had no time or money to be educated.
The motivation to read God's word for ones self is and was a powerful motivation to learn to read.
The leap to literacy was spurred on by Gutenberg's press, sure.
“97% of primitive societies’ population were existence agrarians or artisans. They had no time or money to be educated.”
But you have many examples before you that contradict the above. Do you see them and say “no, it can't be because I've always thought this or that”?
That would be a rather crude and obvious chauvinism unworthy of you. And this:
“The leap to literacy was spurred on by Gutenberg's press, sure.”
must surely be an attempt at sarcastic humor so I'll say no more for now.
“The leap to literacy was spurred on by Gutenberg's press, sure.”