Who first read the bible?

Answer 1

It depends upon which part.

The Old Testament was written over many hundreds of years centuries before the time of Jesus Christ. Therefore, by the time of jesus it was well established as Jewish scripture as used in the synagogues and the Temple in Jerusalem.

The New Testament was written much later, in the first Century. It is believed that the earliest part of the New Testament was Paul's letter to the Thessalonians (a group of Christians in Thessaloniki - now part of Greece) which as written around 50AD. So it is feasible to suggest that these were the first to read part of the New Testament. Later in that decade the rest of Paul's letters were probably written, followed by Mark's gospel, then the Gospels of Luke and Matthew (along with Acts) some time during the 60s AD and finally John's gospel later on that century. The Revelation of John, it is believed, was written at the end of the first century when John was very elderly. So it is really impossible to say who was 'first' to read the bible as it has evolved over a long period of time.