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.
About the Author: Samuel L. Adams is the Mary Jane and John F. McNair Chair of Biblical Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary. He received his PhD from Yale University in 2006. He is the author of monographs on wisdom literature and economics in the biblical world, and editor of the journal Interpretation.
Matthew Goff is Professor in the Department of Religion at Florida State University. His research focuses on the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism. He has written extensively on the sapiential and apocalyptic literature of ancient Judaism and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
