Wisdom Literature


Wisdom/Hokhmah/Sophia: Feminine Images of the Divine in Second Temple Judaism February | March | April | May
February 2001
Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs
Main texts:: Proverbs, esp. 7-9
Further reading:: Genesis 1:2; Shulamit Valler, "Who is Eset Hayil in Rabbinic Literature?" in A Feminist Companion to Wisdom Literature (1996), pp. 85-97.
On-line Sources:: Rabbinic Sources about Wisdom and Proverbs
Themes:: According to Proverbs, what is wisdom/Wisdom? Where can it/She be found? Who is able to find it/She and by what means? In light of the anthological nature of this text, are there several different answers to these questions suggested in individual mashalim or in different sections?

What exactly is "wisdom/Wisdom" in Proverbs? Is the use of female imagery meant to imply a personified figure somehow separate from God, even as Her nature and functions are inextricably linked to Him? Or does it merely a metaphorical or literary elaboration upon the feminine gender of the Hebrew term Hokhmah, intended only to communicate a certain characteristic of the one (otherwise male) God, whose exalted singularity transcends gender? In short, how literally do you think we are meant to take statements like "I was beside Him, like a master worker (i.e. at Creation)" or "I was daily His delight" (8:30)?

How does the depiction of everyday, earthly women in the mashalim compare/contrast to the use of feminine imagery to describe an aspect of the divine (not to mention, an aspect as important as His wisdom)? Might this positive use of feminine imagery in any way provide positive models for real women, or must it remain wholly abstract?

How does the comparison of Folly to an adulterous women (esp. 9:13-18, compare ch. 7 on the dangers of adultery) also help to illuminate the range of images of women (ideals, stereotypes, caricatures) within this biblical book?

March 4, 2001 (**moved to April 15**)
"Where can Wisdom be found?"

Main texts:
Job, esp. chapter 28 (Wisdom poem); Baruch 3

Further reading:
Rita M. Gross, "Steps towards Feminine Imagery of Deity in Jewish Theology," in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983).

H. L. Ginzberg, "Job the Patient, Job the Impatient," Conservative Judaism 21 (1967).

On-line Sources:
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's (first) Wife
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's daughters
Job's Place in Jewish History: The Marriage of Job and Dinah
Job's Place in Jewish History: Debating the Ethnicity of Job

Themes:
How does Job's description of Wisdom (Job 28) contrast with that of Proverbs (Prov 7-9)? On the one hand, how does this reflect its overall reaction against the kind of wisdom promoted by Proverbs (and also Job's friends)? On the other hand, how does this reflect the different understandings of the relationship between God and humans in Proverbs and Job respectively?

How should we understand the apparent absence of the nation Israel, the Jewish history, and Jews in the Book of Job? Relatedly, how does Job's approach to the problematic questions that human suffering raise about God's justice (or injustice, as the case may be) compare with the answers found elsewhere in the Tanakh? How does Job's lament about the inaccessibility of divine Wisdom to human understanding compare with Baruch's very similar lament (Bar 3), which is very clearly located within Jewish history? What are the implications of conceptualizing Wisdom as always near to God but variably distant and close to humankind? How does this compare (in spirit, aim, and/or function) with later understandings of the Shekhinah?

Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; What exactly is "wisdom/Wisdom" in Proverbs? Is the use of female imagery meant to imply a personified figure somehow separate from God, even as Her nature and functions are inextricably linked to Him? Or does it merely a metaphorical or literary elaboration upon the feminine gender of the Hebrew term Hokhmah, intended only to communicate a certain characteristic of the one (otherwise male) God, whose exalted singularity transcends gender? In short, how literally do you think we are meant to take statements like "I was beside Him, like a master worker (i.e. at Creation)" or "I was daily His delight" (8:30)?

How does the depiction of everyday, earthly women in the mashalim compare/contrast to the use of feminine imagery to describe an aspect of the divine (not to mention, an aspect as important as His wisdom)? Might this positive use of feminine imagery in any way provide positive models for real women, or must it remain wholly abstract?

How does the comparison of Folly to an adulterous women (esp. 9:13-18, compare ch. 7 on the dangers of adultery) also help to illuminate the range of images of women (ideals, stereotypes, caricatures) within this biblical book?

March 4, 2001 (**moved to April 15**)
"Where can Wisdom be found?"

Main texts:
Job, esp. chapter 28 (Wisdom poem); Baruch 3

Further reading:
Rita M. Gross, "Steps towards Feminine Imagery of Deity in Jewish Theology," in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983).

H. L. Ginzberg, "Job the Patient, Job the Impatient," Conservative Judaism 21 (1967).

On-line Sources:
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's (first) Wife
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's daughters
Job's Place in Jewish History: The Marriage of Job and Dinah
Job's Place in Jewish History: Debating the Ethnicity of Job

Themes:
How does Job's description of Wisdom (Job 28) contrast with that of Proverbs (Prov 7-9)? On the one hand, how does this reflect its overall reaction against the kind of wisdom promoted by Proverbs (and also Job's friends)? On the other hand, how does this reflect the different understandings of the relationship between God and humans in Proverbs and Job respectively?

How should we understand the apparent absence of the nation Israel, the Jewish history, and Jews in the Book of Job? Relatedly, how does Job's approach to the problematic questions that human suffering raise about God's justice (or injustice, as the case may be) compare with the answers found elsewhere in the Tanakh? How does Job's lament about the inaccessibility of divine Wisdom to human understanding compare with Baruch's very similar lament (Bar 3), which is very clearly located within Jewish history? What are the implications of conceptualizing Wisdom as always near to God but variably distant and close to humankind? How does this compare (in spirit, aim, and/or function) with later understandings of the Shekhinah?

Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; How does the depiction of everyday, earthly women in the mashalim compare/contrast to the use of feminine imagery to describe an aspect of the divine (not to mention, an aspect as important as His wisdom)? Might this positive use of feminine imagery in any way provide positive models for real women, or must it remain wholly abstract?

How does the comparison of Folly to an adulterous women (esp. 9:13-18, compare ch. 7 on the dangers of adultery) also help to illuminate the range of images of women (ideals, stereotypes, caricatures) within this biblical book?

March 4, 2001 (**moved to April 15**)
"Where can Wisdom be found?"

Main texts:
Job, esp. chapter 28 (Wisdom poem); Baruch 3

Further reading:
Rita M. Gross, "Steps towards Feminine Imagery of Deity in Jewish Theology," in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983).

H. L. Ginzberg, "Job the Patient, Job the Impatient," Conservative Judaism 21 (1967).

On-line Sources:
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's (first) Wife
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's daughters
Job's Place in Jewish History: The Marriage of Job and Dinah
Job's Place in Jewish History: Debating the Ethnicity of Job

Themes:
How does Job's description of Wisdom (Job 28) contrast with that of Proverbs (Prov 7-9)? On the one hand, how does this reflect its overall reaction against the kind of wisdom promoted by Proverbs (and also Job's friends)? On the other hand, how does this reflect the different understandings of the relationship between God and humans in Proverbs and Job respectively?

How should we understand the apparent absence of the nation Israel, the Jewish history, and Jews in the Book of Job? Relatedly, how does Job's approach to the problematic questions that human suffering raise about God's justice (or injustice, as the case may be) compare with the answers found elsewhere in the Tanakh? How does Job's lament about the inaccessibility of divine Wisdom to human understanding compare with Baruch's very similar lament (Bar 3), which is very clearly located within Jewish history? What are the implications of conceptualizing Wisdom as always near to God but variably distant and close to humankind? How does this compare (in spirit, aim, and/or function) with later understandings of the Shekhinah?

Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; How does the comparison of Folly to an adulterous women (esp. 9:13-18, compare ch. 7 on the dangers of adultery) also help to illuminate the range of images of women (ideals, stereotypes, caricatures) within this biblical book?

March 4, 2001 (**moved to April 15**)
"Where can Wisdom be found?"

Main texts:
Job, esp. chapter 28 (Wisdom poem); Baruch 3

Further reading:
Rita M. Gross, "Steps towards Feminine Imagery of Deity in Jewish Theology," in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983).

H. L. Ginzberg, "Job the Patient, Job the Impatient," Conservative Judaism 21 (1967).

On-line Sources:
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's (first) Wife
The Women of the Book of Job: Job's daughters
Job's Place in Jewish History: The Marriage of Job and Dinah
Job's Place in Jewish History: Debating the Ethnicity of Job

Themes:
How does Job's description of Wisdom (Job 28) contrast with that of Proverbs (Prov 7-9)? On the one hand, how does this reflect its overall reaction against the kind of wisdom promoted by Proverbs (and also Job's friends)? On the other hand, how does this reflect the different understandings of the relationship between God and humans in Proverbs and Job respectively?

How should we understand the apparent absence of the nation Israel, the Jewish history, and Jews in the Book of Job? Relatedly, how does Job's approach to the problematic questions that human suffering raise about God's justice (or injustice, as the case may be) compare with the answers found elsewhere in the Tanakh? How does Job's lament about the inaccessibility of divine Wisdom to human understanding compare with Baruch's very similar lament (Bar 3), which is very clearly located within Jewish history? What are the implications of conceptualizing Wisdom as always near to God but variably distant and close to humankind? How does this compare (in spirit, aim, and/or function) with later understandings of the Shekhinah?

Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?
March 4, 2001 (**moved to April 15**)
"Where can Wisdom be found?"
Main texts:: Job, esp. chapter 28 (Wisdom poem); Baruch 3
Further reading:: Rita M. Gross, "Steps towards Feminine Imagery of Deity in Jewish Theology," in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983).; H. L. Ginzberg, "Job the Patient, Job the Impatient," Conservative Judaism 21 (1967).
On-line Sources:: The Women of the Book of Job: Job's (first) Wife; The Women of the Book of Job: Job's daughters; Job's Place in Jewish History: The Marriage of Job and Dinah; Job's Place in Jewish History: Debating the Ethnicity of Job
Themes:: How does Job's description of Wisdom (Job 28) contrast with that of Proverbs (Prov 7-9)? On the one hand, how does this reflect its overall reaction against the kind of wisdom promoted by Proverbs (and also Job's friends)? On the other hand, how does this reflect the different understandings of the relationship between God and humans in Proverbs and Job respectively?

How should we understand the apparent absence of the nation Israel, the Jewish history, and Jews in the Book of Job? Relatedly, how does Job's approach to the problematic questions that human suffering raise about God's justice (or injustice, as the case may be) compare with the answers found elsewhere in the Tanakh? How does Job's lament about the inaccessibility of divine Wisdom to human understanding compare with Baruch's very similar lament (Bar 3), which is very clearly located within Jewish history? What are the implications of conceptualizing Wisdom as always near to God but variably distant and close to humankind? How does this compare (in spirit, aim, and/or function) with later understandings of the Shekhinah?

Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; How should we understand the apparent absence of the nation Israel, the Jewish history, and Jews in the Book of Job? Relatedly, how does Job's approach to the problematic questions that human suffering raise about God's justice (or injustice, as the case may be) compare with the answers found elsewhere in the Tanakh? How does Job's lament about the inaccessibility of divine Wisdom to human understanding compare with Baruch's very similar lament (Bar 3), which is very clearly located within Jewish history? What are the implications of conceptualizing Wisdom as always near to God but variably distant and close to humankind? How does this compare (in spirit, aim, and/or function) with later understandings of the Shekhinah?

Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; Many rabbis would doubt whether Job himself was a Jew or a gentile, a righteous man or a blasphemer, but there does not seem to have been any real debate about whether to include this book in the Tanakh (see esp. b.Batra. 15-16) -- in stark contrast to other ketubim like Esther and Song of Songs. What do you think accounts for this?

In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; In Job 28, Job asks repeatedly: "Where can Wisdom (hokhmah) be found? Where is the source of understanding (binah)?" Does the Book of Job ever answer this question in any satisfying manner? How do modern feminist attempts to recover feminine images of the divine resonate with Job's search for a Wisdom that he fears is "hidden from the eyes of all the living" and known only to God?

April 2001
Sophia and Israel

Main texts:
Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)

Further reading:
Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.

Themes:
How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?
April 2001
Sophia and Israel
Main texts:: Wisdom of Solomon (esp. 6-11 = In praise of Wisdom)
Further reading:: Selection from Joan Chamberlain Engelsman, "The Expression and Repression of Sophia" in Feminine Dimension of the Divine (1994), pp. 74-94.
Themes:: How has Wisdom changed with her translation from Hebrew (Hokmah) to Greek (Sophia)? From a conceptual standpoint, does the Wisdom of Solomon's description of Wisdom seem more attuned to Greek philosophy? From a social standpoint, how does the Wisdom of Solomon's depiction of Wisdom reflect the different context (e.g., different needs, different hopes) of Jews living in the Diaspora? (Note, for instance, how Egypt and the Egyptians are depicted in this work.)

How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; How does the Wisdom of Solomon integrate Sophia into Jewish History? What does this say about this text's understanding of that history? Moreover, how does this text's pseudonymous claims to be composed by King Solomon affect the way that we read it (esp. vis-a-vis the question of the accessibility of Wisdom to regular humans)?

The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; The first century CE Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria would "masculinize" Wisdom, by replacing the feminine Sophia with the masculine Logos, as God's partner in Creation. Is there anything in the Wisdom of Solomon's portrayal of Sophia that may have prompted such a response?

May 2001
Wisdom = Torah

Main texts:
Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)

Further reading:
Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.

Themes:
What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?
May 2001
Wisdom = Torah
Main texts:: Wisdom of ben Sirah, esp. chapters 1; 24 (Wisdom and the Torah); 44-50 (hymn about important men in Israel's history)
Further reading:: Arthur Green, "Bride, Spouse, Daughter: Images of the Feminine in Classical Jewish Sources" in On Being a Jewish Feminist (1983), pp. 248-60.
Themes:: What text that we've surveyed so far (Proverbs, Job, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon) seems to promote an ideal of wisdom closest to ben Sira? Despite his claims to traditionalism, how does ben Sirah innovate upon previous sources?

What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; What are the ramifications of ben Sira's equation of Wisdom with Torah? How does this equation inform his interpretation of Wisdom, on the one hand, and his view of the relationship between God and humankind (esp. Israel), on the other?

In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; In many ways, Ben Sira's depiction of Wisdom and his exhortations about wisdom seem more attuned to distinctly Jewish concerns (Torah, Jewish history, Temple) than any other text that we have read so far. What do you think might account for this? For instance, how might the probable school-setting of this book affect the kind of values that he chooses to promote?

Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?; Whereas many of the so-called "apocrypha" were transmitted by Christians, ben Sira is a notable exception. The discovery of Hebrew fragments of ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has affirmed that this book was originally composed in Hebrew and was used by later Jews, although Christians included his grandson's Greek translation in their canon. Moreover, there are many quotations of this book in the rabbinic literature, some of which are introduced by formulae usually reserved for Scripture. Neverthless, why do you think that this book was not chosen by the rabbis to be canonical?

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Wisdom/Hokhmah/Sophia: Feminine Images of the Divine in Second Temple Judaism

Wisdom/Hokhmah/Sophia:
Feminine Images of the Divine in Second Temple Judaism