Education in Israel during the Time of Jesus

Education in Israel during the Time of Jesus

During the first century, a very complex and rigorous education system had been set up in Israel and especially in Galilee. The people of Galilee were the most religious Jews in the world during the time of Jesus. This may seem in direct contrast to the common view held by many Christians in which the Galileans are viewed as being simple, uneducated peasants from an isolated region of the world. This perspective is probably due to the comments which appear to belittle the people from this region. In the Book of Acts, during Shavuot (aka, the Feast of Weeks), the people seem amazed that the Galileans were capable of speaking in other languages. This is a bias held by those of Judea and other countries against the people of Galilee due to the strong and passionate religious commitments of the Galileans.

Galilee had a lot of interaction with the world because it was on a major trade route. Jerusalem was rather isolated because it lays in a mountainous region.

The Galilean people were more educated in the Bible and its application than most Jews. More famous Jewish teachers came from Galilee than from anywhere else in the world. They were known for their great reverence for Scripture and the passionate desire to be faithful to it. This translated into vibrant religious communities. They were devoted to their families and their country. Their synagogues were places were discussions and debate about the Torah were held. They resisted the pagan influences of Hellenism far more than their Judean counterparts. When the revolt against the Romans occurred from 66-74 Ad, it began among the Galileans.

Galilee in Scripture
Galilee is mentioned in Scripture and is downplayed as a place where no one of high religious intellect would arise from. Because Jesus grew up in Galilee, he is cast aside by Judean religious leadership.

37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

40 Some of the people therefore, after they heard these words, were saying, “This truly is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” But others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not coming from Galilee, is He? 42 Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So a dissension occurred in the crowd because of Him. 44 And some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46 The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken in this way!” 47 The Pharisees then replied to them, “You have not been led astray too, have you? 48 Not one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 But this crowd that does not know the Law is accursed!” 50 Nicodemus (the one who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them, 51 “Our Law does not judge the person unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee as well, are you? Examine the Scriptures, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” (John 7:37-52)

We do not know if the comment made in John 7:52 stating no prophet arises out of Galilee is specific to the Messiah or if it meant in general no prophet has ever arisen out of Galilee. If the comment is made regarding Jesus, it is true, there is no Scripture stating Messiah will come from Galilee. He is prophesied to come from Bethlehem. If the remark is meant as a general comment, then the Pharisees are in error. Both Nahum and Jonah came from Galilee.

The Education System Expectations in Galilee
At five years old, children starting learning Scripture. At ten years old, children started learning the oral Torah and interpretations. At 13 years old, they were expected to fulfill the Torah. (This means the child should have the proper understanding of the Torah commandments and be able to do complete them.) At 15, the student was expected to understand the Talmud which is the Rabbinic interpretations of the Torah. At 18, the person was expected to marry. At 20 years old, the person was expected to pursue a vocation. At 30 years old, if the student became advanced in his learning, he could achieve authority stars which meant he could teach others. Please note, for a student to achieve authority status, he must have been an exceptional student. Very few students ever achieved authority status and took on students.
It is interesting to compare Jesus' life to this description. Though little is stated about his childhood we know that he "grew in wisdom" as a boy (Luke 2:52) and that he reached the "fulfilling of the commandments" indicated by ones first Passover at age twelve (Luke 2:41). He then learned a trade (Matt. 13:55, Mark 6:3) and spent time with John the Baptist (Luke 3:21; John 3:22-26) and began his ministry at -about thirty- (Luke 3:23). This parallels the Mishnah description quite closely. It certainly demands a closer look at the education process in Galilee.

What Does it Mean to Be a Disciple?

 The Apostle Paul
We gain a little bit of insight into what is was like to be a disciple (talmidim) from the Apostle Paul. He was from Tarsus, a city which is today in present day south central Turkey. Paul studied under the teacher Gamaliel. Gamaliel was the grandson of the famous Hillel the Elder. Gamaliel taught in Jerusalem. In order for Paul to be a student of Gamaliel, he had to leave his family behind and live in Jerusalem. The distance between Jerusalem and Tarsus is approximately 440 miles. Driving in today’s vehicles, it would take about 8 hours. If you did this route walking, going 20 miles a day, it would take 22 days.

Needless to say, Paul was familiar with what it meant to be a disciple. He would have left his land, his birthplace and his father’s house to come to Jerusalem to learn at the feet of Gamaliel.

The disciple selection process
To be a disciple of a teacher, a student would have to apply for the position. The student would have to show a willingness to learn, dedication and intelligence. Many times there were tests and challenges to overcome to determine if a student would be selected by a teacher for discipleship. Even if a student was not allowed to be a disciple, often, the person would be near the teacher to glean teachings and perhaps prove his worth to become a disciple.

Some teachers had a large cohort of disciples; some had a small number. The usual number of disciples for a teacher to have is 12. So, Jesus walking around with 12 disciples, plus there were often other people around who wanted to be a disciple, but were never picked, was common.

We see Jesus has the 12 inner circle disciples, but there are also a large number of other people who are considered part of Jesus’ teaching ministries.

1Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. (Luke 10:1)


Jesus Selects His disciples
Usually, a person came to a teacher and asked to be discipled by the teacher. The teacher would make the decision if the person will be accepted as a student.

With Jesus, we see the exact opposite. Jesus hand picks His disciples and tells them to “Follow Me”.

The calling of Simon and Andrew
16As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. (Mark 1:16-20)

The calling of Levi (Matthew)
14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. (Mark 2:14)


It may seem strange to us to have a complete stranger approach you, say follow me, and the person obeys. Being selected by a rabbi to be a disciple was a big deal. Even today, it is very hard for a teacher to accept a person to be his student. There still exists today in the Jewish community rabbis and talmidim. This is a very special and intimate relationship. It is highly sought after. The expectations are high, and a student can be dropped for any reason.


Talmud-Rabbi relationship
The talmid studies not only to learn what their teachers knows but studies to become the type of man the teacher is. The Hebrew root from which the word talmid comes from is the word limmud which means instructed.

To be a disciple does not mean one shows up for class, takes a few tests and then gets a certificate saying he passed the course. No, to be a disciple means you are EXACTLY like your teacher. It means if the teacher uses a knife and fork to eat a piece of pizza, the disciple also uses a knife and fork to eat a pizza of pizza. In everything the teacher does, so does the student. The student-teacher relationship is very intimate.

Most rabbis and their students live together, eat together and sleep together. To learn everything about your teacher, the student needs access to everything the teacher does. Unlike our school systems in which being a teacher is a 9 to 5 job, being a rabbi with talmidim means the rabbi is working 24/7. Every moment is a teaching moment. Every moment the teacher is being observed. And so it was with Jesus and His disciples. Wherever Jesus went, His disciples went.

There are a few times Jesus leaves His disciples for time alone.

45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)

Matthew Chapter 4 (Part Four)

Verse 18: Verse 18 speaks of when Jesus began His ministry in earnest. He did so by choosing some disciples. We are told that he walked along the Sea of Tiberias (or Sea of Galilee depending on your translation). It was called Tiberias because Tiberias was the name of the large city which was located near the lake’s southwestern shore. Some translations also call it the Sea of Kinneret. This is based on the Hebrew word kinnar, which means harp. The lake was harp shaped.

Jesus spotted a couple fishermen who were brothers. He offered to make them fishers of men. One was called Andrew and the other Simon Peter. In Hebrew, Simon Peter is Shimon Kefa. This is translated in other parts of the Bible as Cephas. We are told these two brother did not hesitate. They left their nets and followed Jesus.

An interesting feature about disciples and their masters in the first century was that it was frequently the disciples who chose their teachers. There were many teachers to choose from if a Jewish man wanted to become a disciple. Some of the most elite teachers were highly sought after and the teacher choose his students. We are told the Apostle Paul studied under a scholar named Gameliel. Gameliel had many students and had the ability to choose who he wanted to teach.

Jesus selected his disciples. There were the inner 12 Jesus choose; however, we read there were many others who followed Him. These other men would have been tougher from a distance. They would not have had the intimate relationship with Jesus which the inner 12 had. Moreover, the inner 12 disciples did everything with Jesus. There are many stories in which just the 12 disciples were present. Often times, it was further reduced to just 2 or 3 disciples.

Before we talk about some other men who Jesus rerouted, notice that the candidates are not recorded as asking “why” they should follow Him. The wording makes it seem as if there was an immediate acceptance. They just stood up and left with Him. In fact, it seems that Jesus’ offer was not an invitation but a command. The question which should be asked is: why would these men obey and follow Him?

In Judaism, there is a kind of Jewish man who is called a tzaddik. Literally, it means a “righteous man”. It is someone who was holy and who was able to rise above sin. When we read the Book of Job, Job is considered a tzaddik. He is tempted many times to sin against God, but he does not. His ability to resist sin and to stay faithful to God despite incredible challenges leads many Jewish scholars to call Job a tzaddik.

Some of the tzaddik had the ability to heal sicknesses, cure disabilities and fix other bodily maladies.

In Jewish literature from around 70 A.D., there were several tzaddik noted in literature. Two of these men were from the Galilee. These men were divinely gifted and were thought to be closer to God than the average person.

Recall in Jesus’ day, the bleed of the Jews was that the era of the prophets such as those seen in the Old Testament, was over. Prophets were the miracle workers of bygone days. However, these holy men called tzaddikim were able to perform miracles and seemed to have a more intimate relationship with God.

Scribes, who were the main authorities of the Synagogue system (they were the elites of the Pharisees), were highly referred. There was a tension and competition between the scribes and the tzaddikim. The people sought out a tzaddik for healing, something a scribe could not do. This created a natural conflict between the scribes and tzaddikim.

Many of the tzaddikim practiced poverty. This was in sharp contrast to the Sadducees and scribes who tried to obtain as much wealth as possible. The common Jew, who was generally not affluent, felt more of a connection to the holy men, who often had few possessions. It was also common for the tzaddikim to perform their miracles in private in order not to glorify themselves.

All the characteristics of a tzaddik ring true to the description we have about Jesus. He was not a man of wealth. He did lots of miracles, many of which were done privately, or in front of a small crowd. We read of Jesus healing the sick, excising demons and spending time with the general public. It is His miracles which often attracted people to Him. He gained a huge following and also drew the attention of many religious authorities.

Now back to the question which was asked earlier: why would these fishermen and other disciples who did not have any prior contact with Jesus just jump up and follow Jesus when they were commanded to do so? It was most likely because they recognized Jesus to be a highly learned teacher and a righteous man, a holy man. The men probably had heard of Jesus because we are told in Luke’s gospel that after Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He returned to the Galilee and began teaching in synagogues. His reputation spread before He started appointing disciples. It would be an honor to be Jesus’ disciple. It would allow these men to increase their knowledge of Scripture and gain a higher status among religious Jews.

After choosing Andrew and Peter, Jesus found another pair of fishermen brothers and choose them. So the first four disciples were fishermen. Many scholars have gone on to spiritualize the meaning of having the first four disciples as being fishermen. However, I want to remind you, Jesus was living in Capernaum. This was a seaside town. Fishing was one of the main, if not the main, industries for the residents of Capernaum. We also read that Jesus was walking along the seashore. So he was bound to run into some fishermen.

Fishermen, despite what you have heard, were not uneducated and illiterate. Fishing was not an occupation of last resort. Rather, fishing was what we might call today a blue collar job. These were vernally happy family men making a simple but sufficient living. They could read and write. They probably spoke at least two languages—Hebrew and Aramaic. Some may also have had knowledge of Greek. Capernaum was an important city on the Via Maris trade route. So these men would have had interactions with people from all around the Greek empire and potentially the world.

Fishermen shared their catch with their family and also sold the rest at market. They attended synagogue, made the journey three times a year for the biblical feasts and had a good knowledge of Scripture.

The second pair of breathing that Jesus commanded to become His disciples were James and John, son of Zebedee. Just as Andrew and Peter immediately left their nets and boats, so did James and John. It is hard to know if these men gave up everything and walked away, or if there was more to the story. Did these men have families? Did they have a way to provide for their families while they went to spend their days with Jesus? I do not have the answers to these questions, but it is something to think about.

Over the next several years, these men would operate almost exclusively within the Holy Land, they would not have been listened to or respected if they had made their wives and children homeless beggars in order to follow Jesus. So the statement that these men left their nets and boats is most likely an abbreviated statement about their instant connection with Jesus and their immediate obedience to obey His command to follow Him. Nonetheless, this would have had serious consequences and would have put a great strain on their families.

Verse 23: In verse 23, it states that Jesus went around speaking in synagogues. This is where people worshiped, learned, fellow-shipped and gathered information. Jesus also went about healing people form disease.

Verse 25: In verse 25, we are told that people were coming from places like the Galilee, the Ten Towns (also known as the Decapolis), Jerusalem, the province of Judean to the south and even areas to the east of the Jordan River. It is interesting to note that Galilee and Judea are mentioned, but Samaria (which lays between them) is not in the list. Also, the prominent sites of Sidon and Tyre are not mentioned. Why is this omission made? These areas were mostly gentiles and people who were mixed blood. The gentiles would not have understood the meaning behind Jesus’ teachings and His miracles. The multitudes who came to be helped and to hear Jesus were almost exclusively Jews.

Matthew Chapter 4 (Part Three)

Verse 11: Next we are told that angels ministered to Jesus. This text is rather mysterious. How did the angels minister to Him? Did they bring Him comfort? Did they bring Him food? Did they congratulate Him? Why did angels need to minister to Him? Why couldn’t humans do so?

I do not have any answers to these questions, but one thing is clear. Although Jesus is God, He still has a human aspect to Him. He needed to be ministered to. God has no needs. Yet, we are told here, Jesus has needs. This emphasizes to us Jesus’ humanity. The temptations He just experienced affected Him the same way it would affect us.

We are not told how long it was between each of the three temptations. Did they occur one after another? Or was there time between each trial. After a person has not eaten for forty days, a few meals is not going to bring a person back to good health. Perhaps this is why the angels were needed. They had to get Jesus back His physical strength. I cannot imagine the stress Jesus must have been under and the physical exhaustion which accompanied it. He knew the weight of the world, and the eternal fate of humanity rest upon His shoulders. The devil tried to take advantage of this fact.

Verse 12: Verse 12 changes topics. We learn that John the Baptist has been arrested but we are not given any details about it. Later in chapter 14, Matthew will address this in more clarity as a kind of flashback. Nonetheless, John’s arrest occurred while Jesus was in Judea. This became a signal that He needed to leave and go back home to the Galilee.

Verse 13: Verse 13 states that Jesus went back to His hometown of Nazareth, but then He moved to Capernaum. Matthew says that the reason for making this one was in order to fulfill a prophecy of Isaiah. In other words, some of the things Jesus did, He did purposely to fulfill Messianic prophecies concerning His coming.

Capernaum is an English translation of the Hebrew K’far Nahum, which means the village of Nahum. The village was located on the Sea of Galilee. A good part of its economy depended on fishing. The village was near the border of the tribal territories of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Verse 14: Next Matthew quotes a section of prophecy which Jesus says He is fulfilling by moving to Capernaum. The prophecy comes from Isaiah 8 and 9. Let’s read Isaiah 8:1-9:6.

The mention of Ashur at the beginning is speaking of the Assyrian kingdom which Isaiah says will conquer the ten northern tribes of Israel and carry them off. History shows us that there were scattered all over Asia and North Africa. This exile from their land is judgment upon Israel by God for their idolatry and unfaithfulness. And at the same time, while the Lord has prepared and drawn in gentile nations to be the earthly sword of God’s judgment, He is going to shatter the gentile nations for being so hard on Israel.

The people of Israel are oblivious to their own rebellion and idolatry. Even though God has sent prophets including Isaiah to warn them, they are clueless about the coming consequences. The 12 tribes are doing what is right in each man’s own eyes. The ten northern tribes have been bowing down to other gods along with insincerely worshiping God. The two tribes which form the southern kingdom are being drawn slowly into the same destructive behavior.

Finally the breaking point is reached. What Isaiah describes next is the Israelites reaching out frantically in all directions for solutions to their growing frustrations, misfortunes and overwhelming problems. They try pressuring their prophets into contacting the dead for answers. They sacrifice to other gods hoping for favor. They quit consulting God’s word for direction and look to others or to themselves. There is only one word to describe the condition of Israel at this time: confusion.

Starting in Isaiah 8:11, the prophet says that God told him that even though these are Isaiah’s own people, he is not to join them in this nonsense. Don’t listen to the conspiracy theories and do not buy in. Don’t dread what the people dread. Don’t fear what the leaders fear. In other words, do not listen to all the noise of a disjointed society and become as anxious as they are.

In Isaiah 8:23 time passes. God’s people wait for their deliverance. They wait. More time passes. They hoped that what Isaiah told them was going to happen might play out in months or maybe in a few years. Instead, 700 years go by before their hope returns.

All these areas around the Galilee which Isaiah describe are home to the people he says have been walking “in great darkness” but now these same people have seen a “great light”. In Hebrew the word “darkness” used in Isaiah’s prophecy is choshek. This is not a work which means darkness such as nighttime or a darkened room. Rather choshek is used to describe obscurity, oppression and deception. So the great darkness is a great spiritual darkness or evil which is shared by Israelites and gentiles alike.

The great light which Isaiah prophesies about is in the original Hebrew owr. It is a type of light that is not the kind which comes from the sun or from a light bulb. Instead, owr means enlightenment, truth or revelation. Matthew takes the term “great light” in Isaiah’s prophecy to mean the Messiah.

Verse 17: In verse 17, we have Jesus using the same words which John the Baptist used as he called people to his baptism: turn from your sins to God, and the kingdom of Heaven is near. He used the same words as John because that is exactly what His purpose was for His coming.

Matthew Chapter 4 (Part Two)

 Verse 5: Next in verse five, the Adversary takes Jesus to Jerusalem and the Temple. Note: it was God who took Jesus to the desert for testing, just as it was God who took the Israelite to the desert for testing. This time, it is the Devil who takes Jesus to the holy city, Jerusalem for testing. He takes Him to the pinnacle of the Temple. Once again, he tries to sow seeds of doubt.

He says, “IF you are the Son of God then jump.” Will Jesus have the faith to do this? Will He jump and trust that His Father will catch Him? Wouldn’t the Father spare Jesus’ life IF He was actually the Son of God?

Satan goes so far as to quote Scripture to Jesus in order to convince Him to take the leap: “For he will order his angels to care for you and guard you whoever you go. They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12)

This is legitimate Scripture Satan is using. Even the context for it (which is about God caring for His own) seems correct. Jesus’ response is more than appropriate. It is a cation to us. Many of us are very good at remembering Scripture passages/ Ad sometimes when we encounter a difficult or stressful situation or a tough decision, we can find ourselves hearing one those Bible passages telling us to do something frightening. But then we have to remember a principle which Jesus teaches us right here:

“Do not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” (Deuteronomy 6:16)

At Massah, the Israelites complained that there was no water for them to drink. Despite God providing for them over and over again, the Israelites had short memories. When things got tough, they whined and complained. Jesus rebukes this test of Satan by recalling the Massah incident during Israel’s exodus from Egypt. This is once again providing a connection between Jesus and Moses.

Verse 8: In verse eight, again the Devil leads Jesus to a high place. This time, it is even higher than the pinnacle on the Temple. It is to a mountain top in order to gain a wide vantage point so that Satan can dramatically make his offer. Notice how we go from a low place, the desert to a high place, the pinnacle of the Temple tot he highest place, a mountain top. This coincides with the ascending temptations.

The Devil offers Jesus the world which he lays out before Him. He makes it clear that he has the ability to give Jesus all the world’s kingdoms for Him to rule over. But what is the price? It is to bow down and worship Satan.

The point is not hard to see. It is Satan’s attempt to replace God. The world belongs to God because He is the Creator of it. It is His and His alone to rule over, or to assign the rule to another.

The Devil’s offer of Jesus worshiping him in exchange for world rule uses the same word in Greek that the Magi used when worshiping Jesus: proskuneo. It is better translated as homage. That is, just as the Magi paid homage to Jesus (who the Magi saw as king), so is the Devil telling Jesus to pay homage to the Devil, with he Devil seeing himself as the ruler (king) of the world. Satan is proposing a role reversal since we know form other Bible passages that God has designated Jesus to be the ruler of the world, with Satan bowing down to Him.

Verse 10: Jesus rebukes the Evil One with Scripture:
“You are to fear the LORD your God, serve Him and swear by His name.” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

Verse 11: The next words are “Then the Adversary left Him alone.” At that moment, the Devil’s hopes were crushed. The testing was over. There was nothing left to test. He had failed to shake the faith of our Messiah.

One of the early church fathers Chrysotom noticed the that the three temptations start with food. The first Adam was tempted by food in the Garden of Eden. Food is a powerful need in humans. It is therefore a powerful force in swaying humans.

Adam and Eve were given one rule: do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And unfortunately, they broke that rule. The breaking of the rule is known in various church doctrines as the Fall of Man, the Fall from Grace and a few other titles. So the first law ever given to mankind involved food. And breaking the law which involved food completely redirected the destiny of all humanity Centuries later, at Mount Sinai, God would give Israel a more extensive set of laws regarding diet—laws which have come to be popularly known as Kosher food laws.

Nearly all of the earliest church fathers noticed this connection between Adam and Jesus, and many of them recognized the matter of food as the object of temptation they both faces. In Adam’s case, he had an abundance of food in the garden of Eden. And still, when the devil tempted him with the one food which was off limits, Adam succumbed to it. In Jesus’ case, the temptation in the wilderness came when Jesus had no food. He was starving. The devil told Him to turn stones into food to satisfy His hunger pains (which apparently Jesus could do as He did not dispute this with the devil). Jesus resisted the temptation.

The second temptation of Jesus involved the devil taking Him up to the highest point of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus was told to jump off of it. The devil taunted that “IF” He was truly God’s son, He Father would send angels to catch Him. The devil was trying to sow seeds of doubt into Jesus by employing the word “IF”. Jesus overcome this temptation also. He quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 that men should not put God on trial by doing such a foolish thing as jumping off a high place and expecting God to catch him.

The third temptation Jesus faces is when the devil offers Jesus rulership over the entire planet in exchange for bowing down to him. Jesus’ response to him was “away with you Satan”. When the devil cannot tempt Jesus, he leaves Him alone.