Re: Jesus illiterate?

Jim Bowman writes: "Anthony Smith is correct that Jesus was writing on the ground.   However this would be a shaky passage from which to draw the conclusion that Jesus was literate.  First, the passage itself is suspect, from John 7:51 through 8:11, not being found in important older manuscripts.  Secondly, KATAGRAPHO, (as compared with GRAPHO) can also mean "draw figures or pictures."  Third, the passage does not say what it is that Jesus wrote; the words cited were spoken by Jesus, not written.  In fact, there has always been enormous speculation about the validity of this story, and then if the story is true, what it was Jesus was doodling. 
 
However, there are numerous passages which support the idea that Jesus was literate.
  
1. In Luke 2, at the age of 12,  he was among the teachers at the temple. He was "listening to to them and asking them questions.  All who heard him were astonished at his powers of comprehension and at the answers that he gave (ver. Phillips)"  One assumes logically that these discussions were concerning the Scriptures, and that Jesus' knowledge came from the reading of them (which is supported categorically in item 4 to follow).
 
2.  Jesus' substantial and frequent quotation of the Old Testament.   Too many passages to cite.  The logical conclusion is that his in-depth knowledge of the Old Testament came from his reading of it.
 
3.  Jesus' chiding of the Scribes' knowledge and interpretation of the Scriptures with the phrase, "have you not read....?"    (Matthew   21, Luke 6).  This supports the concept that one has knowledge of the Scriptures through reading. 
 
If anything else is needed, this passage supports his literate abilities categorically:
 
4.  Luke 4:16-18:  Jesus returns to Nazareth where he was brought up.  The passage notes: "..and as was his custom he entered the Synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, and he opened the book and found the place where it is written...(then he reads the passage out loud)."