This volume considers a major shift among Jewish sages during the Second Temple period, as certain authors moved from an earthly focus to a belief in individual immortality. Egyptian instructions and the book of Proverbs are examined for necessary background. The colorful responses of Qoheleth and Ben Sira to an emergent belief in the afterlife are also discussed. 4QInstruction, the largest Wisdom text from the Dead Sea Scrolls corpus, demonstrates this shift to an eschatological understanding. This book considers the diverse reasons for the changes that one finds in 4QInstruction, especially the issue of social context. It will prove useful to those interested in Wisdom literature, the Dead Sea Scrolls, apocalypticism, and the development of beliefs in the afterlife.

Contents

Introduction 1

Klaus Koch and the Tun-Ergehen-Zusammenhang 1

Second Temple Instructions and the "Eschatologizing" of Wisdom 6

Layout of the Present Study 8

Ch. 1 Act and Consequence in Egyptian Instructions 15

Ma'at and the "Free Will of God" 19

Old and Middle Kingdom Instructions 27

New Kingdom Instructions 39

Ch. 2 Act and Consequence in the Book of Proverbs 53

Structure of Proverbs 57

Date 62

Social Setting 68

Divine Agency and the Yahwistic Redaction Theory 77

Proverbs, World-Order, and Social Solidarity 83

The Didactic Process in Proverbs 88

Death in Proverbs 93

Ch. 3 Wisdom in Transition: The Book of Ecclesiastes 101

Genre 106

Structure and Literary Integrity 108

Historical Setting and Possible Influences on Qoheleth 132

Death in Qoheleth 132

The "Human Spirit" in Qoheleth 141

Ch. 4 Ben Sira's Apologetic Response 153

Genre 158

Structure and Literary Integrity 163

Historical Setting and Possible Influences on the Sage 170

Ben Sira's Pedagogy and Promise of Retribution 177

Determinism, Free Will, and Theodicy 182

More...