Big Ideas · 14 · Hoshayahu
A People of the Book replaced a People in Arms
Traditionally, only men who bore arms joined public assemblies. Biblical assemblies include men, women, and 'all who could understand.'
Understanding replaced weapons as the ticket to belong.
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This wasn't abstract equality; it was a survival strategy. A small, defeated people needed everyone involved. As journalist Abigail Pogrebin put it, when you're literate, you're in the conversation, and you realize it's been going on for generations.
Bible reference: Nehemiah 8:2
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 233–235
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