The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature (Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion)

A comprehensive introduction to ancient wisdom literature, with fascinating essays on a broad range of topics. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature is a wide-ranging introduction to the texts, themes, and receptions of the wisdom literature of the Bible and the ancient world. This comprehensive volume brings together original essays from established scholars and emerging voices to offer a variety of perspectives on the "wisdom" biblical books, early Christian and rabbinic literature, and beyond. Varied and engaging essays provide fresh insights on topics of timeless relevance, exploring the distinct features of instructional texts and discussing their interpretation in both antiquity and the modern world. Designed for non-specialists, this accessible volume provides readers with balanced coverage of traditional biblical wisdom texts, including Proverbs, Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes; lesser-known Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom; and African proverbs. The contributors explore topics ranging from scribes and pedagogy in ancient Israel, to representations of biblical wisdom literature in contemporary cinema. Offering readers a fresh and interesting way to engage with wisdom literature, this book: Discusses sapiential books and traditions in various historical and cultural contexts Offers up-to-date discussion on the study of the biblical wisdom books Features essays on the history of interpretation and theological reception Includes essays covering the antecedents and afterlife of the texts Part of the acclaimed Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion series, the Companion to Wisdom Literature is a valuable resource for university, seminary and divinity school students and instructors, scholars and researchers, and general readers with interest in the subject. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 5 Copyright Page......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Notes on Contributors......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 16 Editors’ Introduction......Page 21 Wisdom as a Concept: A Pedagogical Ideal and Expansive Knowledge......Page 22 Wisdom as a Textual Category......Page 24 The Contents of the Volume......Page 26 Further Reading......Page 30 Part I. Texts......Page 31 Introduction......Page 33 Organization and Presentation......Page 34 Proverbs and the Question of Solomonic Attribution......Page 36 Sections of Proverbs......Page 40 Conclusion......Page 47 References......Page 48 Further Reading......Page 49 Introduction......Page 50 The Content of Job......Page 51 Job in Historical and Literary Contexts......Page 64 References......Page 67 Further Reading......Page 68 Chapter 3 Ecclesiastes......Page 69 Date and Language......Page 70 Qoheleth and Solomon......Page 73 Structure......Page 74 Qoheleth and Wisdom......Page 78 Qoheleth Beyond Wisdom......Page 82 References......Page 84 Further Reading......Page 86 Introduction......Page 87 Wisdom in the Psalms......Page 88 Wisdom Psalms?......Page 89 Psalm 1......Page 91 Psalm 34......Page 93 Psalm 37......Page 94 Psalm 49......Page 97 Psalm 73......Page 99 Psalm 112......Page 100 Notes......Page 101 References......Page 103 Further Reading......Page 105 Introduction......Page 107 The Centrality of Wisdom in Ben Sira......Page 109 Ben Sira’s Sources of Knowledge and Wisdom......Page 114 Ben Sira’s Ethics......Page 116 Wisdom and History in Ben Sira......Page 120 References......Page 122 Further Reading......Page 123 Contents and structure......Page 124 Language and Setting......Page 128 Genre and Purpose......Page 130 Formative Influences......Page 132 Key Ideas......Page 134 Transmission and Reception......Page 137 Conclusion......Page 139 Further Reading......Page 140 Introduction......Page 142 What is a “Wisdom Text” in the Context of the Qumran Corpus?......Page 143 The Major Wisdom Texts Known from Qumran......Page 145 Major Topics in the Wisdom Texts from Qumran......Page 149 Wisdom with a Purpose: On the Formative Functions of Wisdom Texts......Page 154 References......Page 156 Further Reading......Page 158 Introduction......Page 159 Proverbs......Page 162 Job......Page 166 Ecclesiastes......Page 170 Conclusion......Page 172 References......Page 173 Further Reading......Page 174 Part II. Themes......Page 177 Solomon in the Hebrew Bible......Page 179 Solomon in Non‐biblical Texts Composed During the Second Temple Period......Page 183 Solomon in the New Testament, Early Christianity, and Later Jewish Traditions......Page 186 Solomon as a Source of Ritual Power and Esoteric Knowledge......Page 191 Conclusion......Page 192 References......Page 193 Further Reading......Page 196 Female Terminology and Imagery......Page 197 4Q184......Page 208 Notes......Page 209 References......Page 210 Further Reading......Page 213 Introduction......Page 215 Education and Learned Individuals in Ancient Israel......Page 216 The Torah, Scribes, and Priestly Intellectuals in the Persian Period......Page 220 Scribes, Sects, and the Study of the Torah in Hellenistic Judaism......Page 223 References......Page 230 Further Reading......Page 231 Introduction......Page 233 God in Proverbs......Page 235 The Book of Job......Page 236 Ecclesiastes......Page 238 Sirach......Page 241 Wisdom Psalms and Sapiential Texts from Qumran......Page 244 The Evolution of God......Page 245 References......Page 246 Further Reading......Page 248 Introduction......Page 249 The Agon of Wisdom in Greek Poetry and Philosophy......Page 250 The Sentences of Pseudo‐Phocylides......Page 255 Philo of Alexandria......Page 260 References......Page 265 Further Reading......Page 267 Introduction......Page 268 Defining our Terms: Apocalyp***......Page 269 Defining our Terms: Wisdom......Page 270 Wisdom versus Apocalypticism, or Wisdom and Apocalypticism?......Page 271 Typologies of Wisdom......Page 273 Wisdom as Genus......Page 274 The Species of (Lady) Wisdom......Page 275 Interspecific Commonality and Hybridity......Page 278 Conclusions: The Genus and Genius of Wisdom......Page 282 References......Page 283 Further Reading......Page 286 Introduction......Page 287 The Orality of Biblical Literature......Page 288 Proverbs 1–9......Page 290 Proverbs 10–29......Page 292 Notes......Page 303 Further Reading......Page 304 Part III. Antecedents......Page 307 Introduction......Page 309 Wise Behavior and the Vagaries of Reality in the Story and Sayings of Ahiqar......Page 316 Conventional Wisdom in the Ahiqar Sayings......Page 321 Ahiqar’s Legendary Status......Page 323 Notes......Page 327 References......Page 328 Further Reading......Page 329 Introduction......Page 330 Identifying Egyptian Wisdom, Basic Structural Components, and Key Concepts......Page 331 The Instruction of Ptahhotep......Page 335 Other Instructions......Page 338 The Instruction of Amenemope......Page 340 Demotic Instructions......Page 344 Notes......Page 345 References......Page 346 Further Reading......Page 347 Introduction......Page 348 Proverbs, Instructions, and Admonitions......Page 349 Vanity Literature......Page 353 Pious Sufferer Compositions......Page 356 Perceptive Hymns......Page 358 Miscellaneous......Page 359 Notes......Page 361 References......Page 364 Further Reading......Page 368 Part IV. Reception......Page 369 Introduction......Page 371 Jesus as a Teacher of Wisdom: The Synoptic Gospels and Q......Page 372 James......Page 374 Wisdom Christology......Page 380 References......Page 385 Further Reading......Page 387 Introduction......Page 388 Tractate Avot......Page 389 Other Wisdom Compositions......Page 393 The Relationship Between Wisdom and Torah......Page 394 The View of Biblical Wisdom in the Rabbinic Literature......Page 398 Notes......Page 403 References......Page 405 Further Reading......Page 408 Introduction and Scope......Page 409 Reception History 1: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs......Page 411 Reception History 2: Wisdom Psalms and Job......Page 418 Reception History 3: Other Wisdom Texts......Page 422 A Short Case-Study: Proverbs 8:22......Page 425 Conceptualization and Genre: The Early Christian Wisdom Tradition as such......Page 426 References......Page 429 Introduction......Page 432 The Sentences of Sextus......Page 433 The Teachings of Silvanus......Page 434 Sapiential Literature at Nag Hammadi......Page 436 The Gospel of Thomas – a Sapiential Sayings Source?......Page 437 Revealed Wisdom in the Revelation‐Dialogues of Nag Hammadi......Page 439 Is the Gnostic Sophia Jewish Wisdom?......Page 440 The Many Faces of Sophia at Nag Hammadi......Page 442 Wisdom, Eve, and Thunder......Page 444 Conclusion: Trajectories of Wisdom at Nag Hammadi......Page 445 References......Page 446 Further Reading......Page 448 Introduction......Page 449 Medieval Commentaries on Wisdom Books......Page 450 The Wisdom Books in Medieval Bibles......Page 453 The Classification of Wisdom Books......Page 455 The Relationship Between Wisdom Literature and the Sciences......Page 460 The Concept of Wisdom......Page 462 Notes......Page 464 References......Page 465 Further Reading......Page 466 Introduction......Page 467 The Legend of Job......Page 468 Early Christian Interpretations......Page 469 Early Jewish Interpretations......Page 470 Medieval Jewish Interpretations......Page 471 Reformation......Page 472 Enlightenment Responses to Job......Page 473 Jewish Interpretations Before and After the Shoah......Page 474 Responses to a Conflicted Text......Page 475 Artistic Reception......Page 476 References......Page 481 Further Reading......Page 482 Introduction......Page 484 Traditional African Wisdom: An Overview......Page 485 The function and language of African proverbs......Page 488 Wisdom and Wisdom Meet: Selected Hebrew Bible and African Proverbs......Page 490 References......Page 496 Further Reading......Page 497 Introduction......Page 499 The Tree of Life as a Joban Lament......Page 501 To The Wonder and/as Lament......Page 508 Song of Songs and Moulin Rouge!......Page 510 Cinematic Parables and the Subversion of Conventional Wisdom......Page 511 Notes......Page 512 References......Page 513 Further Reading......Page 515 Index......Page 516 EULA......Page 525

A comprehensive introduction to ancient wisdom literature, with fascinating essays on a broad range of topics.

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature is a wide-ranging introduction to the texts, themes, and receptions of the wisdom literature of the Bible and the ancient world. This comprehensive volume brings together original essays from established scholars and emerging voices to offer a variety of perspectives on the "wisdom" biblical books, early Christian and rabbinic literature, and beyond. Varied and engaging essays provide fresh insights on topics of timeless relevance, exploring the distinct features of instructional texts and discussing their interpretation in both antiquity and the modern world.

Designed for non-specialists, this accessible volume provides readers with balanced coverage of traditional biblical wisdom texts, including Proverbs, Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes; lesser-known Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom; and African proverbs. The contributors explore topics ranging from scribes and pedagogy in ancient Israel, to representations of biblical wisdom literature in contemporary cinema. Offering readers a fresh and interesting way to engage with wisdom literature, this book:

• Discusses sapiential books and traditions in various historical and cultural contexts
• Offers up-to-date discussion on the study of the biblical wisdom books
• Features essays on the history of interpretation and theological reception
• Includes essays covering the antecedents and afterlife of the texts

Part of the acclaimed Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion series, the Companion to Wisdom Literature is a valuable resource for university, seminary and divinity school students and instructors, scholars and researchers, and general readers with interest in the subject.

"This handbook is designed to give the reader, whether an advanced scholar or an undergraduate student, a basic introduction to and overview of wisdom literature. The volume will also provide an impression of how this material has been read and interpreted in various contexts and historical periods. The authors engage the topic from a variety of approaches, asking historical, literary, theological, and feminist questions (among others) about wisdom literature. The essays offer detailed and thorough studies of the relevant texts and also discuss a number of issues that are pertinent to the study of wisdom literature, such as the figure of Solomon, pedagogy in the ancient world, and the oral transmission of sayings. While many of the essays focus on antiquity and the context in which wisdom literature was produced, the contributors deal with later periods as well, including our own context, as in, for example, the essay by Rindge on sapiential themes in contemporary cinema. The cultural contexts that the contributors take into consideration include both the ancient world, as in the essays by Adams and Samet on, respectively, Egypt and Mesopotamia, and also settings that are traditionally not prominent in the study of wisdom literature, such as the essay by Masenya, which compares the book of Proverbs to didactic and gnomic traditions in Africa"-- Provided by publisher