Illiterate men.

[FallentoReason]

Not all were. John was not, it's been said he live a very long life in Ephesus. His gospel was constructed in 3 phases over that time span. (completed around 90 AD just before his death)

So he didn't die when he was boiled in oil? I'm only asking because I discussed this with a Christian friend and he was convinced that he died a martyr as opposed to a natural death which is what I used to think.

Matthew is said by the church to have been written by the Apostle of the same name around 50 AD. But the earliest quote of said book can only be traced back to 115 AD. So the age of the book has recently been contested when compared to it's earlier pedigree.

Is the authorship verifiable somehow within scripture, or is it through Church tradition that you know this i.e. just accept it was Matthew because the top of the page has his name?

No, Jesus was not left at the temple to be taught for three days. He Taught for three days at the temple. He was asked "why did you not follow us out of the city?" He said "Because I was going about my Father's business."
At that young Age Christ had already exceeded the teachers of His day.

Ah I see. Hmm I still find it somewhat far fetched. I mean if you look at all the fundamental scientific discoveries they were done by PhD students in their early 20's (all except Planck I think). So it's believable that you can be brilliant in your early life, but I don't know about a theological genious around the age of 12-14...

Still the vast majority of Jews can't read the Torah in Hebrew. That is why there are classes prior to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The reason Jews chant the Torah is the same reason why most people can sing many songs, it makes it easier to remember and there really is no reading required.

Pretty sure that poems originated from (or were at least heavily used by) messengers back in the day running from city to city. It would make it extremely easier for them to remember the message if they rhymed the words.