"Where can wisdom be found?”: Baruch 3:9-4:4, Job 28, Sirach 24 and the location of wisdom

Adams, S. (2011) "Where can wisdom be found?”: Baruch 3:9-4:4, Job 28, Sirach 24 and the location of wisdom. In: SBL International Meeting, London, UK, 3-7 July 2011, (Unpublished)

Full text not currently available from Enlighten.

Publisher's URL: http://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/Congresses_Abstracts.aspx?MeetingId=18

Abstract

The wisdom poem in 1 Baruch 3:9—4:4 is one of the most original parts of Baruch and is strategically located at the turning point of the narrative. Prior to this section, the characters of 1 Baruch were deep in lament, acknowledging their role in causing their dispersion to Babylon and petitioning God to hear their prayers and return them home (2:8). It is at this point that there is a radical shift in perspective. Not only is the theme of wisdom introduced, but there is a recognition that the scattered Jewish people are not helpless, but can, through there acquisition of wisdom, facilitate their recovery. It is at this point that 1 Baruch makes use of Job 28 as a platform for the discussion of wisdom. Drawing on the theme that inquires into the location of wisdom, 1 Baruch reaffirms the concept that wisdom derives from God, but explicitly roots it in the “book of the commandments of God” (4:1, cf. Sir 24:23). This paper seeks to tease out how 1 Baruch’s appropriation of Job 28 and the grounding of wisdom in the Torah can provide hope for the scattered Jewish community. Accordingly, for the people of 1 Baruch, the wisdom needed for the future can only be found in its past.

Item Type:Conference Proceedings
Status:Unpublished
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Adams, Professor Sean
Authors: Adams, S.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record