E-Book Overview
The last fifty years have seen a dramatic increase of interest in the wisdom literature of the Bible, as scholars have come to appreciate the subtlety and originality of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes as well as of Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon. Interest has likewise grown in the wisdom literatures of the neighboring cultures of Canaan, Egypt, and especially Mesopotamia. To help readers understand the place of biblical wisdom within this broader context, including its originality and distinctiveness, this volume offers a rich collection of essays by distinguished Assyriologists and biblicists on the social, intellectual, and literary setting of Mesopotamian wisdom; on specific wisdom texts; and on key themes common to both Mesopotamian and biblical culture. Scholars, pastors, and laity will find these essays both fascinating and enriching. Contributors to the volume include Paul-Alain Beaulieu, Richard J. Clifford, James L. Crenshaw, Edward Greenstein, Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Karel van der Toorn, and Raymond C. Van Leeuwen.
E-Book Content
WISDOM LITERATURE IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL
Society of Biblical Literature
Symposium Series
Christopher R. Matthews, Editor
Number 36 WISDOM LITERATURE IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL edited by Richard J. Clifford
WISDOM LITERATURE IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL
edited by Richard J. Clifford
Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta
WISDOM LITERATURE IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL Copyright © 2007 by the Society of Biblical Literature All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Offi ce, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30333-0399, USA.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wisdom literature in Mesopotamia and Israel / edited by Richard J. Clifford. p. cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature symposium series ; no. 36) Includes index. ISBN 978-1-58983-219-0 (paper binding : alk. paper) 1. Wisdom literature—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Assyro-Babylonian literature—History and criticism. I. Clifford, Richard J. BS1455.W563 2007a 223'.06—dc22 2007024579
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Table of Contents
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Introduction Richard J. Clifford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Part One: The Context of Wisdom in Mesopotamia 1. The Social and Intellectual Setting of Babylonian Wisdom Literature Paul-Alain Beaulieu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Why Wisdom Became a Secret: On Wisdom as a Written Genre Karel van der Toorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Part Two: Studies in Babylonian Wisdom Texts 3. An Allusion to the Šamaš Hymn in The Dialogue of Pessimism Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 4. The Wisdom of Šūpê-amēlī—A Deathbed Debate between a Father and Son Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Part Three: Comparisons of Mesopotamian and Biblical Texts and Motifs 5. Sages wit