This is an unchanged paperback reissue of the classic 1990 edition.



“This volume seeks to make a modest contribution to the intellectual and social history of Israel and the ancient Near East. As the title of the volume suggests, the focus is upon those wise men and women in ancient Israel who composed Israel’s wisdom literature, counseled her kings, and consoled—and sought to guide—her people on the basis of Israel’s sapiential tradition” (from the Preface). With 37 contributions from an international pool of authors, each of whom is known for his/her contributions in the area assigned, the volume is intended to provide comprehensive coverage of the state of research and point to further direction for investigation.



The essays are organized in six sections: The Sage in Ancient Near Eastern Literature; The Social Locations and Functions of the Sage; The Sage in the Wisdom Literature of the Hebrew Bible; The Sage in Other Biblical Texts; The Sage from Before the Close of the Hebrew Canon to Post-Biblical Times; The Symbolic Universe of the Sage. Indexed, and with a bibliography for further reading.