History and Wisdom Literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 440-458
Author(s):  
Suzanna R. Millar
Keyword(s):  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
Divine Intervention ◽  
Adam And Eve ◽  
Historical Writings ◽  
Succession Narrative

“Wisdom Literature” has sometimes been defined in opposition to “historical writings.” However, it is likely that these texts all came from a shared scribal world. If we read the historical texts through a lens informed by Wisdom Literature, interesting themes emerge, revealing that both sets of literature were grappling with shared clusters of ideas. In particular, both explore the nature of human wisdom and divine intervention. This chapter examines five historical texts—the stories of Adam and Eve, Joseph, the Succession Narrative, Solomon, and Esther—to show how these “Wisdom” themes emerge.

What is a Classic in History?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Jaume Aurell
Keyword(s):  
Literary Texts ◽  
Historical Writing ◽  
Historical Criticism ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Science And Art ◽  
Historical Text ◽  
Historical Condition ◽  
Historical Writings ◽  
Narrative Language

Abstract What is the classic in history? What is a classic in historical writing? Very few historians and critics have addressed these questions, and when they have done so, it has been only in a cursory manner. These are queries that require some explanation regarding historical texts because of their peculiar ambivalence between science and art, content and form, sources and imagination, scientific and narrative language. Based on some examples of the Western historiographical tradition, I discuss in this article to what extent historians should engage the concept of the classic – as has been done for literary texts. If one assumes that the historical text is not only a referential account but also a narrative analogous to literary texts, then the concept of the classic becomes one of the keys for understanding the historical text – and may improve our understanding not only of historiography, but of history itself. I will argue in this article that it is possible to identify a category of the classic text in some historical writings, precisely because of the literarity they possess without losing their specific historical condition. Because of their narrative condition, historical texts share some of the features assigned to literary texts – that is, endurance, timelessness, universal meaningfulness, resistance to historical criticism, susceptibility to multiple interpretations, and ability to function as models. Yet, since historical texts do not construct imaginary worlds but reflect external realities, they also have to achieve some specific features according to this referential content – that is, surplus of meaning, historical use of metaphors, effect of contemporaneity without damaging the pastness of the past, and a certain appropriation of literariness. Without seeking to be normative or systematic, this article focuses on some specific features of the historical classic, offering a series of reflections to open rather than try to close a debate on this complex topic.

scholarly journals Flowers of evil: Constructing the wicked in Wisdom of Solomon

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-121
Author(s):  
Jiani Sun
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Effect ◽  
Close Reading ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Divine Intervention ◽  
Divine Justice ◽  
Social Theories ◽  
Wisdom Of Solomon ◽  
Literary Device ◽  
Divine Mercy ◽  
The Relationship

The distinction between the good and the wicked is common in wisdom literature. Although the distinction can be viewed as ubiquitous, I would like to problematize it by considering the literary device deployed in constructing the archetypes of the good and the wicked. Specifically, I analyze the depiction of the wicked in chapters 1–6 in Wisdom of Solomon and argue that the construction of the wicked in Wisdom is indispensable in understanding how the righteous obtain wisdom through divine protection and acceptance of divine provision. First, I offer a close reading of the text, mainly Chapters 1–6, and parse out the ways of depicting the wicked in Wisdom of Solomon. In particular, I highlight the “collectivity” of the crowd, as opposed to a “single” righteous individual or group. Social theories of the crowd are critical to my formulation of the characteristics of the wicked. Second, I examine the relationship between the wicked and the righteous, and propose the idea of “a mirror effect” in these antithetical depictions. The mirror effect exhibits didactic values, as it instructs one to pursue righteousness and shun from evil. Third, I focus on the interaction between God, the righteous, and the wicked and suggest that divine intervention in helping the righteous stand firm among the wicked manifests both divine justice and divine mercy.

scholarly journals Written Sources from Ancient Albanian-Georgian Communications (Sagdukht - Princess Rani and Queen of Kartli)

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-99
Author(s):  
V. Chelidze
Keyword(s):  
Historical Data ◽  
Historical Account ◽  
Historical Events ◽  
Persian Empire ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Writings ◽  
The Times ◽  
Written Sources

National-cultural and religious disappearance of the Christian countries of the Caucasus (Albania, Iberia, Armenia) from the V century was threatened by Persia. "Kartlis Tskhovreba" (History of Georgia) tells in detail about these acute and dramatic historical events. Historical writings from a later period show one feature of this region. The references to Rani (Aran) as Persia ("Mirian... called from Persia his relative, a descendant of kings, named Peroz") and the inhabitants of this country as Persians ("in Ran, wherever the Persians fought") should not be taken literally. In Georgian historical works, the terms "Persia" and" Persian " in addition to Persia and Persians also meant countries and peoples of the Near and Middle East-Arabs, Turks, and others: "Sultan Arfasaran came out, king of P e R s I I" (Leonti Mroveli, Life of kings); "P e R s I d s K I e s u l t a n s, far and near" ("Chronicle of the times of lash Giorgi", life of king Giorgi); "the Georgians entered the castle, and there was a strong battle, and p e R s s B a g d a d a were defeated" (Chronicle of the century). This situation is due to the fact that the entire territory to the East of the Caucasus for centuries belonged to and was ruled by the Persian Empire of the Achaemenid, Arshakid and Sasanian eras (much later the Arab Caliphate and then the Turkish Sultanate appeared on the historical scene). In Georgian historical texts, in particular in the chronicle "Life of the kings" by Leonti Mroveli, a logical geographical description is given about this – "Persians from the East of the sun". According to Georgian historical data, these peoples also include Albanians who lived to the East of the Georgians. One of the most notable historical events is an extensive episode of romantic love in the life of an Albanian Princess, the daughter of the ruler of Rani (Aran) Barzaboda and a thorough historical account of the dramatic state activities of the Queen of Kartli (Iberia), mother of the great Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasal-S a g d u x t.

DESCRIPTION OF KHORASAN AND TRANSOXIANA CITIES’ LOT DURING THE MONGOL INVASION IN THE ARAB-PERSIAN GEOGRAPHICAL TEXTS

2020 ◽  
pp. 100-112
Author(s):  
D. M. Timokhin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Research Interest ◽  
13Th Century ◽  
Small Cities ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Writings ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Important Milestone

The Mongol-Khorezm war of 1219–1221 is widely considered an important milestone in the history of the Middle East, and its consequences are largely noticeable in the subsequent fate of neighboring regions. Almost the main blow from the Mongol invasion fell on the lands of Khorasan and Transoxiana, where many large and small cities fully experienced all the horrors of Genghis Khan’s army advance. The fate of these localities and their inhabitants has long been the object of researchers’ attention, but scientists are till reconstructing those events, relying mainly on the Arab-Persian historical writings of the 13th century, as well as some later written monuments. In this article, we would like to draw attention to the Arab-Persian geographical texts of the Mongol invasion era and domination in the Middle East. Such texts were relatively little used by researchers to build a picture of the Mongol-Khorezm war of 1219–1221 and especially for the analysis of what became of the cities of Khorasan and Transoxiana and their inhabitants after the invasion of the Mongol conquerors. In this study, we do not aim to analyze the entire variety of Arab-Persian geographical works of the time, but provide only individual examples in order to demonstrate the informational potential of those sources. In part, we would like to return to the problem of the fate of the inhabitants of the cities captured by the Mongols during the war with Khorezm, but more importantly, to draw attention to certain Arab-Persian geographical texts, supplementing the information of the actual historical texts, both the earliest and belonging to the corpus of the Mongol court historiography. The author hopes to stimulate research interest both to the individual works cited in this publication, and in General in Arab-Persian geographical texts.

Prefiguration, Apocalypse, Tragedy: Three Trajectories of Patristic Interpretation of the Adamic Fall

Pro Ecclesia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-428
Author(s):  
Paul M. Blowers
Keyword(s):  
Human Beings ◽  
Human Race ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Divine Intervention ◽  
Adam And Eve ◽  
Divine Wisdom ◽  
Interpretive Approach ◽  
Genesis 3 ◽  
Medieval Christianity

This essay examines three major (and to some degree overlapping) trajectories of patristic interpretation of the Adamic Fall in Genesis 3, all of which have considerable representation in early Christian writers. Following on the Pauline treatment of Adam especially in Romans 5, a first interpretive trajectory sketches the Fall principally as a prefigurative event, a lapse that, modeled in the protoplasts Adam and Eve, human beings have continued to imitate and prolong transgenerationally. A second whole interpretive approach interprets it as an “apocalyptic” event within the larger divine economy, taking account of questions of theodicy and divine wisdom, of how allegedly perfect creatures could fall in the first place, and of the ontological and moral repercussions of the Fall for the human race. Still a third trajectory enhances the “dramatic” dimension of the Fall and plays up the features of tragedy which characterize the protoplasts’ fateful miscalculation and the divine intervention to save the day. This essay seeks to demonstrate the interpretive latitude within all three trajectories, which, though not necessarily exhaustive, are certainly representative in late ancient and early medieval Christianity.

Four Old Testament Books as Inspired and Inspiring

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald O’Collins, SJ
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
Adam And Eve ◽  
Christian Art ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Paul's Letters

This chapter examines the inspired composition and inspiring impact of four Old Testament books (Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and Sirach). Biblical texts came from many anonymous persons (e.g. Genesis and the Psalms) and from known individuals (e.g. Sirach). In both cases, the Holy Spirit effected the formation of the final texts, and the subsequent use of such symbolic stories as that of Adam and Eve by biblical and patristic authors (e.g. Paul in Romans; Irenaeus), and in Christian art and literature (e.g. icons and Masaccio; Donne and Milton). The Psalms and Prophets fed into the preaching of Jesus and the New Testament (e.g. Paul’s letters). After the Psalms, Isaiah was the book most quoted by New Testament authors, proving a reservoir for their understanding of God. Ben Sira, author of Sirach, was aware of his authority within the wisdom-literature tradition but not of being inspired by God in writing his book.

The Children of Adam and Eve in Medieval Irish Literature

ÉRIU ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 56 (-1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Glaeske
Keyword(s):  
Irish Literature ◽  
Adam And Eve

The Garden as Unfinished Narrative of the Good in C.S. Lewis’ Perelandra

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-80
Author(s):  
Evrea Ness-Bergstein
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
Garden Of Eden ◽  
Adam And Eve ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Growth And Change ◽  
Literary Devices ◽  
Hortus Conclusus

In Lewis’ transposition of Milton’s Paradise to a distant world where Adam and Eve do not succumb to Satan, the structure of Eden is radically different from the enclosed garden familiar to most readers. In the novel Perelandra (1944), C.S. Lewis represents the Garden of Eden as an open and ‘shifting’ place. The new Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve unfallen, is a place of indeterminate future, excitement, growth, and change, very unlike the static, safe, enclosed Garden—the hortus conclusus of traditional iconography—from which humanity is not just expelled but also, in some sense, escapes. The innovation is not in the theological underpinnings that Lewis claims to share with Milton but in the literary devices that make evil in Perelandra seem boring, dead-end, and repetitive, while goodness is the clear source of change and excitement.

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