In Jesus' time, what was the percentage of known population knew how to read and write?

Question

In Jesus' time, what was the percentage of known population knew how to read and write?

Answer 1

i would say it was extreemely low, as was the average intelligence qouta.

Answer 2

Wild guess here. 3%?

ACID - In this case intelligence had nothing to do with literacy.  If you were never taught to read you would not be able to do so.  Would not make you any less intelligent.

Answer 3

Good question.  3% is probably in the right neighborhood.  Besides  rabbis and royalty, there were professional scribes.  But the vast majority of people had very little or no formal education.  Even the professional scribes often had what we would consider pretty low level reading and writing skills.

Answer 4

Only rabbis and royalty, most likely.