While looking for a good natural way to introduce the printing press into the roman empire I stumbled upon this guy:
Yehoshua ben Gamla
Yehoshua ben Gamla, or Joshua son of Gamla (Hebrew: יהושע בן גמלא), was a Jewish high priest who officiated in about 64 CE. He married the rich widow Martha of the high-priestly family Boethos, and she by bribing Jannai secured for him the office of high priest (according to Talmudic sources;Josephus. says he was appointed by Herod Agrippa II). Although Yehoshua himself was not a scholar, he was solicitous for the instruction of the young, and provided schools in every town for children over five years of age, earning thereby the praises of posterity.
The Talmud states; "Joshua b. Gamala came and ordained that teachers of young children should be appointed in each district and each town, and that children should enter school at the age of six or seven." He is therefore regarded as the founder of the institution of formal Jewish education.
Although no longer High Priest, Yehoshua remained one of the leaders of Jerusalem. Yehoshua attempted peaceably to prevent the fanatic and pugnacious Idumeans from entering Jerusalem during the Zealot Temple Siege. After they had come into possession of the city, these fanatics took bloody vengeance on him, by executing him, as well as Ananus, as traitors to their country
Printing Press
Now the intersting thing behind Gamla's introduction is his movivation, discussed at length for example in
Reviving Yehoshua ben Gamla’s Visionfor Torah Education∗
by AARON LEVINE
Basically he wanted to make sure that Toraheducation was so wide spread that no disaster could wipe out the small educated elite that had the knowledge monopole over Judaism at the time. In my oppinion it wouldn't be a stretch to invent and finance the development of a Torah "printing industry" to ensure that the physical books and written comments aren't lost as well. What do you think?