Adam and I often discuss this very topic. Today it came up as Mandy and I were translating Lachish 3. For those not in the know, Lachish was a city in ancient Israel which was sacked by the Babylonians. The ostraca from Lachish date to circa 590BCE, according to Gibson. Lachish 3 is a letter from Hoshiyahu to his governor/lord/commander Yaush.

So, how does Lachish 3 have anything to do with literacy in ancient Israel? Well, as Mandy and I were working on way through the Lachish ostraca this morning we came upon it and began translating much like we normally would. When we worked our way to lines 7-10 though, we were just amazed. Here are the relevant lines, with Gogel’s transcription and our own (very rough) translation:

7 ˓bd[k] . dwh . m˒z . šlḥk . ˒l . ˓bd
8 k . wky . ˒mr . ˒dny . l˒ . yd˓th .
9 qr˒ . spr . ḥyhwh . ˒m . nsh . ˒
10 yš . lqr˒ . ly . spr . lnṣḥ . wgm .

7. the heart (from line six) your servant is sick from when you sent (the letter) to your servant
8. and because my lord said “you do not know
9. to read a letter.” As YHVH lives, no one has ever tried
10. to read to me a letter

So, we have dear old Hoshiyahu here, and apparently Yaush had recently sent him a letter in which the later told the former “you do not know to read a letter.” Our friend Hoshiyahu is quite distraught at this accusation, and immediately sets out to correct it. Specifically he explains in lines 9-10 that he does not need someone to read letters to him. Gogel’s translation leaves less to the imagination than mine, specifying “you do not know HOW to read a letter.” Gibson has it as a question, “Cant you read a letter?” which makes it somewhat more insulting.

There are, of course, several ways to interpret these lines. It may not be that Yaush literally thinks Hoshiyahu can’t read, but rather that he simply believes Hoshiyahu hasn’t been reading his correspondence. Regardless, Hoshiyahu’s response implies that he takes his ability to read as a serious matter. This is what brings me back around to the topic of the present post.

I’m not particularly an expert on the literacy of ancient Israel, though my interest in the Wisdom Literature, and specifically my interest in the historical and religious contexts that occasioned the writing of said literature, also perks my interest in literacy in the ANE. Based on Lachish 3, one might note the following things about literacy in the ANE:

1. It was not universal–this probably goes without saying since literacy is not universal in modern day America, but still.
2. Hoshiyahu, at least, considers reading to be an important thing. He is quick to defend his ability to do such.
3. Some people (perhaps some people among Hoshiyahu’s acquaintances, or at least among his own class?) do not read their letters for themselves, but rather have them read to them

I’m not sure that any of the above three are particularly unique. But they do confirm that literacy was not ubiquitous in ancient Israel. Further, the letter appears to make clear that at least some individuals considered the ability to read to be an important thing, at least important enough to correct someone with the wrong impression. Finally, the letter also implied that some people who had cause to receive letters could not read them, but rather had them read. It is this group that Hoshiyahu does not want to be confused with.