Wisdom literature

Wisdom literature is a genre of literature common in the ancient Near East. It consists of
statements by sages and wise men that offer teachings about divinity and virtue. Although
this genre uses techniques of traditional oral story-telling, it was disseminated in written
form.
The literary genre of mirrors for princes, which has a long history in Islamic and
Western Renaissance literature, is a secular cognate of wisdom literature. In Classical
Antiquity, the didactic poetry of Hesiod, particularly his Works and Days, was regarded as a
source of knowledge similar to the wisdom literature of Egypt, Babylonia, and Israel.[citation
needed]
Contents

Ancient Egyptian literatureEdit

Main article: Ancient Egyptian philosophy
In ancient Egyptian literature, wisdom literature belonged to the sebayt ("teaching") genre
which flowered during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt and became canonical during the New
Kingdom. Notable works of this genre include the Instructions of Kagemni, The Maxims of
Ptahhotep, the Instructions of Amenemhat, and the Loyalist Teaching.
Biblical wisdom literature and Jewish textsEdit
The most famous examples of wisdom literature are found in the Bible.[1][2]
Sapiential BooksEdit
The term "Sapiential Books" or "Books of Wisdom" is used in biblical studies to refer to a
subset of the books of the Hebrew Bible in the Septuagint translation. There are seven of
these books, namely the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Wisdom,
the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon), and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus). Not all the Psalms are
usually regarded as belonging to the Wisdom tradition.[3]
In Judaism, the Books of Wisdom other than Sirach are regarded as part of the Ketuvim or
"Writings". In Christianity, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes are
included in the Old Testament by all traditions, while Wisdom, and Sirach are regarded in
some traditions as deuterocanonical works which are placed in the Apocrypha within the
Anglican and Protestant Bible translations.[4]
The Sapiential Books are in the broad tradition of wisdom literature that was found widely in
the Ancient Near East, including many religions other than Judaism.
SeptuagintEdit
Further information: Chokhmah
The Greek noun sophia (σοφῐ́ᾱ, sophíā) is the translation of "wisdom" in the
Greek Septuagint for Hebrew Ḥokmot (‫חכמות‬, khakhamút). Wisdom is a central topic in the
"Sapiential" Books, i.e., Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Book of
Wisdom, Wisdom of Sirach, and to some extent Baruch (the last three
are Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament).
Wisdom literature
Wisdom literature is a genre of literature common in the ancient Near East. It consists of
statements by sages and wise men that offer teachings about divinity and virtue. Although
this genre uses techniques of traditional oral story-telling, it was disseminated in written
form.
The literary genre of mirrors for princes, which has a long history in Islamic and
Western Renaissance literature, is a secular cognate of wisdom literature. In Classical
Antiquity, the didactic poetry of Hesiod, particularly his Works and Days, was regarded as a
source of knowledge similar to the wisdom literature of Egypt, Babylonia, and Israel.[citation
needed]
Contents

Ancient Egyptian literatureEdit

Main article: Ancient Egyptian philosophy
In ancient Egyptian literature, wisdom literature belonged to the sebayt ("teaching") genre
which flowered during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt and became canonical during the New
Kingdom. Notable works of this genre include the Instructions of Kagemni, The Maxims of
Ptahhotep, the Instructions of Amenemhat, and the Loyalist Teaching.
Biblical wisdom literature and Jewish textsEdit
The most famous examples of wisdom literature are found in the Bible.[1][2]
Sapiential BooksEdit
The term "Sapiential Books" or "Books of Wisdom" is used in biblical studies to refer to a
subset of the books of the Hebrew Bible in the Septuagint translation. There are seven of
these books, namely the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Wisdom,
the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon), and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus). Not all the Psalms are
usually regarded as belonging to the Wisdom tradition.[3]
In Judaism, the Books of Wisdom other than Sirach are regarded as part of the Ketuvim or
"Writings". In Christianity, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes are
included in the Old Testament by all traditions, while Wisdom, and Sirach are regarded in
some traditions as deuterocanonical works which are placed in the Apocrypha within the
Anglican and Protestant Bible translations.[4]
The Sapiential Books are in the broad tradition of wisdom literature that was found widely in
the Ancient Near East, including many religions other than Judaism.
SeptuagintEdit
Further information: Chokhmah
The Greek noun sophia (σοφῐ́ᾱ, sophíā) is the translation of "wisdom" in the
Greek Septuagint for Hebrew Ḥokmot (‫חכמות‬, khakhamút). Wisdom is a central topic in the
"Sapiential" Books, i.e., Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Book of
Wisdom, Wisdom of Sirach, and to some extent Baruch (the last three
are Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament).