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Bernardo Gallegos
Page 05 - Part D
Just before their country was overrun and they
were carried captive to Babylon, in 588 B.C., the Pentateuch [5] had been
reduced to writing and made an authoritative code of laws for the people.
This served as a bond of union among them during the exile, and after
their return to Palestine, in 538 B.C., the study and observance of this
law became the most important duty of their lives. The synagogue was
established in every village for its exposition, where twice on every
Sabbath day the people were to gather to hear the law expounded. A race of
_Scribes_, or scripture scholars, also arose to teach the law, as well as
means for educating additional scribes. They were to interpret the law,
and to apply it to the daily lives of the people. As the law was a
combination of religious, ceremonial, civil, and sanitary law, these
scribes became both teachers and judges for the people. In time they
became the depositaries of all learning, superseded the priesthood, and
became the leaders (_rabbins_, whence _rabbi_) of the people. "The voice
of the rabbi is the voice of God," says the Talmud, a collection of Hebrew
customs and traditions, with comments and interpretations, written by the
rabbis after 70 B.C. By most Jews this is held to be next in sacredness to
the Old Testament (R. 27).
Realizing, after the return from captivity, that the future existence of
the Hebrew people would depend, not upon their military strength, but upon
their moral unity, and that this must be based upon the careful training
of each child in the traditions of his fathers, the leaders of the people
began the evolution of a religious school system to meet the national
need. Realizing, too, that parents could not be depended upon in all cases
to provide this instruction, the leaders provided it and made it
compulsory. Great open-air Bible classes were organized at first, and
these were gradually extended to all the villages of the country.
Elementary schools were developed later and attached to the synagogues,
and finally, in 64 A.D., the high priest, Joshua ben Gamala, ordered the
establishment of an elementary school in every village, made attendance
compulsory for all male children, and provided for a combined type of
religious and household instruction at home for all girls. Reading,
writing, counting, the history of the Chosen People, the poetry of the
Psalms, the Law of the Pentateuch, and a part of the Talmud constituted
the subject-matter of instruction. The instruction was largely oral, and
learning by heart was the common teaching plan. The child was taught the
Law of his fathers, trained to make holiness a rule of his life and to
subordinate his will to that of the one God, and commanded to revere his
teachers (R. 27) and uphold the traditions of his people.
Source: THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION, by ELLWOOD P. CUBBERLEY
[ Part A ]
[ Part B ]
[ Part C ]
[ Part D ]
[ Part E ]
[ Part F ]
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