Final answer:
Early Bible schools were financially supported by offerings from churches and general religious councils, as well as tuition and community contributions, with education seen as critical for understanding religious texts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early Bible schools were financially supported in various ways, including by offerings from churches and support from the general religious councils of the time. In the context of the early Protestant movement, education was seen as essential for understanding religious texts, with leaders emphasizing the need to read and comprehend the Bible. The Puritans, for example, established schools funded by local families to ensure that everyone could receive an education and thereby understand the tenets of their religion. Tuition and personal contributions were also means by which educational institutions could be supported, as indicated by historical practices such as the Old Deluder Satan Law, which mandated educational provisions in towns of certain sizes funded by the community.