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The notion that wisdom and apocalypticism represent fundamentally different and mutually exclusive categories of genre and worldview in early Jewish and Christian literature persists in current scholarship. The essays in this volume, the work of the Wisdom and Apocalypticism Group of the Society of Biblical Literature, challenge that generally held view as they explore the social locations and scholarly constructions of these literatures and discover an ancient reality of more porous categories and complex interrelationships. The volume draws on a broad range of Jewish and Christian texts, including 1 Enoch, Sirach, 4QInstruction, Psalms of Solomon, James, Revelation, and Barnabas.
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CONFLICTED BOUNDARIES IN WISDOM AND APOCALYPTICISM
Symposium Series
Christopher R. Matthews, Editor
Number 35
CONFLICTED BOUNDARIES IN WISDOM AND APOCALYPTICISM
CONFLICTED BOUNDARIES IN WISDOM AND APOCALYPTICISM
Edited by Benjamin G. Wright III and Lawrence M. Wills
BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2006
CONFLICTED BOUNDARIES IN WISDOM AND APOCALYPTICISM Copyright © 2005 by the Society of Biblical Literature This edition published under license from the Society of Biblical Literature by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands 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 Office, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Cover photo of Pesher Habakkuk, Qumran, courtesy of the D. Samuel and Jeane H. Gottesman Center for Biblical Manuscripts, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Cover photo of the leaf of Papyrus 46 containing 2 Cor 11:33–12:9 courtesy of the Papyrology Collection, Graduate Library, University of Michigan. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Conflicted boundaries in wisdom and apocalypticism / edited by Benjamin G. Wright, III, and Lawrence M. Wills. p. cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature symposium series ; no. 35) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-90-04-14667-9 (cloth binding : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 90-04-14667-9 (cloth binding : alk. paper) 1. Apocalyptic literature—History and criticism. 2. Apocryphal books—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Wisdom—Religious aspects—Judaism. 4. Wisdom—Religious aspects—Christianity. 5. Bible. N.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Wills, Lawrence M. (Lawrence Mitchell), 1954– II. Wright, Benjamin G. (Benjamin Givens) III. Series: Symposium series (Society of Biblical Literature) ; no. 35. BS646.C658 2005b 220'.046—dc22 2005017042 ISSN 1569-3627
Printed in The Netherlands on acid-free paper.
CONTENTS Abbreviations ..................................................................................................vii Introduction Benjamin G. Wright III and Lawrence M. Wills ....................................1 PART 1: ISSUES AND OUTLOOK Wisdom and Apocalypticism in Early Judaism: Some Points for Discussion George W. E. Nickelsburg ..........................................................................17 Response to George Nickelsburg, “Wisdom and Apocalypticism in Early Judaism” Sarah J. Tanzer ............................................................................................39 Response to Sarah Tanzer George W. E. Nickelsburg ..........................................................................51 PART 2: WISDOM AND APOCALYPTICISM IN EARLY JUDAISM Wisdom, Apocalypticism, and the Pedagogical Ethos of 4QInstruction Matthew J. Goff ...................................