Maybe. How can we know? Cave drawings are perhaps the first evidence we have of storytelling. Ancient manuscripts, while not as old as cave drawings, are full of stories. These suggest that aural storytelling is even older.
Aural storytelling is certainly a part of the tradition of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and that tradition continued strong, even after the invention of movable type and the printing press, which put books into more people's hands.
Storytelling communicates truth. Jesus gave us an example of that over and over as He told His parables. Stories inspire, encourage, amuse, entertain, challenge, convict, persuade...and if you care enough to read this post, you can add more verbs in the comments!
Aural storytelling is certainly a part of the tradition of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and that tradition continued strong, even after the invention of movable type and the printing press, which put books into more people's hands.
Storytelling communicates truth. Jesus gave us an example of that over and over as He told His parables. Stories inspire, encourage, amuse, entertain, challenge, convict, persuade...and if you care enough to read this post, you can add more verbs in the comments!