He was literally a tax collector. He would have been well educated.

Please demonstrate that this was a job requirement.

Where

The Gospels. Or did you mean “please give me an example”?

Or Mark was quoting Matthew before he wrote it down. It’s not that deep. Oral tradition exists.

Sigh. No. Matthew is longer than Mark and contains fables that Mark didn’t have. Also word for word quotes are not preserved of that length orally. They stole and copied from each other. Not complicated.

Matthew was a first-hand source

No it was a copy of Mark which was a copy of Paul which was a copy of some grifts that James was telling.

o something already happened that caused an oral tradition, which would have led back to first hand accounts.

Those are written traditions.

His blindness was cured when he was baptised, though. Again, you’d argue that it was a placebo, but the Holy Spirit acted in many people and still does to this day.

Odd how he never mentioned this even when it would have served him. Why can’t your god write a better book?