Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East

Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of wisdom as presented in the Hebrew Bible
• Gain insight into the genres of wisdom and law in the Bible
• Become familiar with the wisdom literature in the ancient Near East
• Understand the themes and messages in the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes
• Comprehend the transition of wisdom from a property to a personification in biblical literature

What do you already know about wisdom literature in the Hebrew Bible?

Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible

• Wisdom provides teachings and advice on how to live life
• Books like Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes fall into the wisdom genre
• Proverbs contains short sayings or aphorisms offering behavior advice
• Job and Ecclesiastes explore theological questions about God and the meaning of life

Wisdom in the Ancient Near East

• Wisdom literature collections existed in Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Similar to the Hebrew Bible, they contained aphorisms for guidance
• Wisdom literature likely developed at the king’s court in Jerusalem
• Personification of wisdom became a later development in the tradition

The Books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes

• Proverbs: Short sayings providing advice on behavior
• Job: Addresses theological questions about God and suffering
• Ecclesiastes: Explores the possibility of finding a profound meaning in life

The Social Context of the Wisdom Books

• Wisdom literature reflects life in a village or small community
• Draws morals from everyday activities
• Collection of proverbs likely occurred at the king’s court in Jerusalem

Personification of Wisdom in Later Biblical Tradition

• Wisdom is treated as a kind of being, almost like a goddess
• Transition from wisdom as a property to a personification
• Similar concept found in other ancient Near Eastern traditions

Definitions

• Wisdom: Teachings and advice on how to live life
• Law: Genre providing explicit instructions and guidance
• Proverbs: Book with short sayings offering behavior advice
• Job: Book addressing theological questions about God and suffering
• Ecclesiastes: Book exploring the possibility of profound meaning in life
• Personification of wisdom: Treating wisdom as a being, almost like a goddess

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.