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This book brings together fifteen articles representing the major thrusts of Prof. Wright's work over the last decade. They focus on three interrelated themes in the study of Early Judaism: Translation - several essays treat Jewish translation strategies as well as some of the social frameworks within which translation took place; Social Location - the effort to locate texts in their social landscapes has helped to break down many traditional scholarly categories. Especially pertinent are the ways that wisdom and apocalyptic relate to each other, and he explores how specific wisdom and apocalyptic texts relate; and, Transmission of Tradition - several articles focus on how traditional material was shaped and framed in order to ensure its successful transmission to subsequent generations.
E-Book Content
Praise Israel for Wisdom and Instruction
Supplements to the
Journal for the Study of Judaism Editor
John J. Collins The Divinity School, Yale University Associate Editors
Florentino García Martínez Qumran Institute, University of Groningen
Hindy Najman Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto Advisory Board
j. duhaime – a. hilhorst – p.w. van der horst a. klostergaard petersen – m.a. knibb j.t.a.g.m. van ruiten – j. sievers – g. stemberger e.j.c. tigchelaar – j. tromp
VOLUME 131
Praise Israel for Wisdom and Instruction Essays on Ben Sira and Wisdom, the Letter of Aristeas and the Septuagint
by
Benjamin G. Wright III
LEIDEN • BOSTON 2008
This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wright, Benjamin G. (Benjamin Givens) Praise Israel for wisdom and instruction : essays on Ben Sira and Wisdom, the Letter of Aristeas and the Septuagint / by Benjamin G. Wright III. p. cm. — (Supplements to the Journal for the study of Judaism ; v. 131) Includes index. ISBN 978-90-04-16908-1 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Ecclesiasticus—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Wisdom literature—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Bible. O.T. Greek—Versions—Septuagint. 4. Letter of Aristeas. I. Title. II. Series. BS1765.52.W75 2008 229’.306—dc22 2008035030
ISSN 1384-2161 ISBN 978 90 04 16908 1 Copyright 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands
CONTENTS Acknowledgments ..............................................................................
vii
Introduction ........................................................................................
ix
PART ONE
BEN SIRA AND EARLY JEWISH WISDOM Chapter One
Wisdom and Women at Qumran ........................
3
Chapter Two From Generation to Generation: The Sage as Father in Early Jewish Literature ................................................
25
Chapter Three The Categories of Rich and Poor in the Qumran Sapiential Literature ......................................................
49
Chapter Four “Who has been Tested by Gold and Found Perfect?” Ben Sira’s Discourse of Riches and Poverty (with Cl