Be my guest.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/54448381/19/Wr...entury-BCE
The discussion about literacy in the 10th and 9th centuries is on page 161 and will give precious little comfort to bible thumpers.
There is no simple answer to your question. The one thing we can state is that there is no evidence of any biblical writing in Hebrew prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls which date from the mid 2d century BC at the earliest. The earliest written version of the Torah is the Septuagint which was written in Greek and seems to date from the early 3d century BC. You can make of that what you like.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/54448381/19/Wr...entury-BCE
The discussion about literacy in the 10th and 9th centuries is on page 161 and will give precious little comfort to bible thumpers.
There is no simple answer to your question. The one thing we can state is that there is no evidence of any biblical writing in Hebrew prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls which date from the mid 2d century BC at the earliest. The earliest written version of the Torah is the Septuagint which was written in Greek and seems to date from the early 3d century BC. You can make of that what you like.
