Ancient Jewish Wisdom Teachings

The term wisdom literature describes certain literary works in the Bible, and by extension, in the broader ancient Near East, that deal with the question of how to live well. The “wisdom” that these works laud and seek to expound is wide-ranging and includes natural law, morals, and even etiquette. The category of wisdom literature is a modern one, not one ancient Jews would have recognized.

The key wisdom text in the Hebrew Bible is the book of Proverbs. Attributed to Solomon, whose wisdom was legendary, the book was likely compiled in the Persian period (sixth to fourth centuries BCE), although some of the material is demonstrably much older. The book of Proverbs addresses the functions of wisdom in the world, including practical wisdom in the form of aphorisms. The books of Job and Ecclesiastes explore more complex problems of worldly wisdom, social corruption, and how to understand the divine. Widely recognized as a masterpiece of world literature, the book of Job, written around the same time as Proverbs, is a bold and profound discussion of how the suffering of the innocent can be reconciled with the existence of a good and just God. The book of Ecclesiastes was probably composed in the early Hellenistic period (fourth to third centuries BCE). Like Proverbs, it is attributed to Solomon and presents itself as a sort of testament that the king wrote while looking back on his long and varied life and reflecting on the wisdom he garnered from all his rich experience. It is the earliest example of Hellenistic Jewish wisdom literature.

Wisdom literature did not cease to be written with the closing of the Jewish biblical canon. The most important of the early postcanonical wisdom texts is the book of Ben Sira (also known as the Wisdom of Jesus¹ son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus). Originally written in Hebrew in the land of Israel around 180 BCE, it was translated into Greek by the author’s grandson around 132 BCE. Both Hebrew and Greek versions are extant. Ben Sira became part of the Christian Apocrypha and, unusually for such a postbiblical text, was highly regarded by the rabbis as well and is quoted in the Talmud.

Perhaps the most popular wisdom text in Judaism is Pirke Avot (Sayings of the Patriarchs), a Hebrew collection of moral maxims attributed to the great rabbis of the first and second centuries CE. Pirke Avot was added to the Mishnah in the latter part of the third century CE, probably in an attempt to season the Mishnah’s predominantly legal content with ethical instruction. It comprises moral maxims that are artful, dense, and sometimes enigmatic, inviting the reader to ponder and unpack their meaning.

Wisdom literature differs from prophetic literature in that, rather than being presented as divine speech, it contains human insights that are drawn from study and learning, intellectual skill, and experience of the world. Wisdom literature addresses ethical themes, including the character of the exemplary leader, exemplary actions beyond the law, and interpersonal relations. It aims at generating a life that is pious and prosperous while also recognizing that wealth and the pursuit of wealth can bring corruption. The Posen Library includes key examples of wisdom literature, narrowly defined, as well as broader treatments of ethics, advice, and the stories of the great martyrs.