Knowra Book of Wisdom Book of Wisdom The Book of Wisdom is a Jewish work composed in Greek, probably in Alexandria around the turn of the era. It praises divine Wisdom, contrasts the fates of the righteous and wicked, and is traditionally attributed to Solomon.
Wisdom literature : A biblical literary tradition that explores wisdom, righteous conduct, suffering, and the order of life. The book belongs to this tradition while recasting its themes in Greek.
Divine retribution : The belief that divine justice rewards righteousness and punishes wrongdoing. The opening chapters answer apparent injustice by assigning the righteous and wicked different final destinies.
Alexandria : An ancient Egyptian city founded by Alexander the Great that became a major center of Greek-speaking Jewish life. Many scholars place the book's composition in Alexandria, though its exact origin is uncertain.
Jewish biblical canon : The collection of scriptures recognized in Judaism, organized as the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. The Book of Wisdom is not part of this canon, despite its Jewish origin.
Wisdom of Solomon : An alternative title for the Book of Wisdom, reflecting its traditional attribution to Solomon. This title highlights the work's Solomonic voice, not its actual authorship.
Immortality of the soul : The belief that a person's soul continues to exist after bodily death. The book uses the righteous person's enduring life with God to address death and persecution.
Hellenistic period : The era of Greek cultural influence across the eastern Mediterranean and Near East, conventionally dated from Alexander's conquests to the Roman era. The book emerged amid the period's Greek language, political realities, and philosophical currents.
Deuterocanonical books : Books included in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Old Testaments but absent from the Jewish canon and most Protestant Old Testaments. The Book of Wisdom is one of the works classified this way in Catholic tradition.
Septuagint : The ancient Greek translation of Jewish scriptures, produced over several centuries before and during the early Roman period. The work's Greek language and scriptural setting align it with this textual world.
Exodus : The biblical account of Israel's departure from slavery in Egypt and journey toward the promised land. The final chapters reinterpret the Exodus as a sequence of divine judgments and deliverances.
Show all 24