The Acquisition of Knowledge in Israelite Wisdom Literature

James L. Crenshaw

Article Type: Article

Publication Date: 7/1/1987

Issue: Wisdom (Vol. 7, No 3, Summer, 1987)

One thing is missing in Israelís wisdom literature and in extra-biblical texts. Where is any reflection on the learning process itself? To be sure, there is talk of pitching camp and peering through Wisdomís windows and speculation about pursuing Dame Wisdom like precious treasure or a Bride. But not a whisper about the acquisition of knowledge is heard. How did learning occur, and how was it transmitted? To answer these questions, it may be useful to ponder the underlying presuppositions of perhaps the oldest riddle from the ancient world and to reflect on three fundamentally different kinds of knowledge.

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