The Midrash on Proverbs

The Midrash on Proverbs is a post-talmudic collection, although the place of its compilation is unknown, and other questions about its origins remain. This work has been understood as a bridge between the classical midrashic style and the beginning of the sustained exegetical commentary characteristic of the medieval period. The Midrash on Proverbs also contains significant anti-Karaite polemic, and it was, arguably, Karaite arguments that encouraged the author or redactor to explore new modes of interpretation. This work also contains discussion of mystical themes. Our excerpt tells of the meeting between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, expounding on 1 Kings 10:1–3.