Introduction

Since humans learned to speak before learning to write, and speaking was the chief means of communication for centuries, especially among the uneducated, remembering what was spoken was extremely important. Consequently, ancient peoples, including the Hebrews and the Greeks, relied on memorization. We also see an emphasis on learning by memory or remembering in some ancient Mesopotamian documents, as illustrated in the following two quotations:

These quotations from Eduard Nielson (Oral Tradition [Studies in Biblical Theology, 11; London: SCM Press, 1954], pp. 19–20) show the significance given to memory in preserving tradition. The words “the sage and the learned” indicate the origin of the quotation in an educational milieu. At the same time, shepherds and herdsmen are to listen (their ears “shall be opened”), presumably to learn and remember. The last quotation also shows, significantly, that the oral tradition was written down in order to preserve it for readers in the future. Thus, both memory and writing were sometimes simultaneous functions in passing along tradition from one generation to another.