All the Biblical Hebrew You Learned in Yeshiva is Wrong

Ok, fine. Maybe just three words.

Ian M. Young, writing in Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 48, Fasc. 2. (Apr., 1998), pp. 239-253, examines the evidence for literacy in ancient Israel. I'll save his conclusions for another time*, but here are three interesting linguistic points that Young makes:

1. The Biblical verb "to write" (ktb) can also bear the sense of "to have someone write for one". It therefore follows that not all who are said in the Bible to write (or are commanded to write) are themselves literate.

2. The Biblical verb "to read" (qra) can also mean "to have something read to one". Similar conclusion as in point #1.

3. The word na'ar describes someone of high-born status and can at times mean "scribe".

*Brief plot spoiler: Ancient Israel was far from being a literate group, but were pretty darn good compared to other groups from the time.