Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich University Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 1993 Where can Wisdom be found? The Sage’s Language in the Bible and in Ancient Egyptian Literature Shupak, Nili Abstract: InthecomparativestudyofEgyptianandBiblicalliteratureemphasishasbeenlaidoncontent andideas, whiletheformalandterminologicalaspectshavebeenneglected. Thepresentworkdealswith the semantics of terminology in Biblical wisdom literature as compared to that of the Egyptians and centers, therefore, on a somewhat abandoned aspect of the comparative research of the Biblical and Egyptian writings. The work has three primary objectives: (a) to draw up a glossary of Egyptian wisdom terms, a task as yet not undertaken elsewhere; (b) to elucidate the semantics of these terms; (c) toclarifytheBiblicalwisdomtermsinrelationtotheirEgyptianparallels. Thefreshcomparativeinquiry into Hebrew and Egyptian wisdom vocabulary sheds light on some general problems intrinsic to Biblical wisdom, e.g.: Does the Hebrew sage (hākām) signify a function or a quality? Did Hebrew wisdom evolve from a secular to a religious stage? What was the Sitz im Leben of Biblical wisdom? Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-151739 Monograph Published Version Originally published at: Shupak, Nili (1993). Where can Wisdom be found? The Sage’s Language in the Bible and in Ancient Egyptian Literature. Fribourg, Switzerland / Göttingen, Germany: University Press / Vandenhoeck Ruprecht. Nili Shupak Where can Wisdom be found? ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS Published by the Biblical Institute of the University of Fribourg Switzerland the Seminar für Biblische Zeitgeschichte of the University of Münster i.W. Federal Republic of Germany and the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für orientalische Altertumswissenschaft Editor: Othmar Keel Coeditors: Erich Zenger and Albert de Pury The Author: Nili Shupak, born in Haifa, studied Old Testament, Egyptology and Archae ology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (1967ff.). She spent two years at the Egyptological Institute of the University of Tübingen as a research fellow of DAAD (1978-1979). Dr. Shupak obtained her Ph. D. in Biblical Studies at the Hebrew University (1984). She worked as an Assistant in the Biblical Studies Department at Ben-Gurion University in Beer-Sheba as well as in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (1968-1973). Since 1975 she teaches at the University of Haifa where she is a Senior Lecturer in the Departments of Biblical Studies and the History of Israel. As a visiting Assistant Professor she taught atthe Jewish Theological Sem inary of America in New York (1989). Her research interests lie in the field of the linguistic, cultural and historical contacts between Ancient Egypt and Israel, on which she has published numerous articles in various periodicals and encyclopaedias. She published as well an lntroduction to the O/d Testament Wisdom Literature in the series «The Open University» (Hebrew) (1990). At present she is engaged in preparing the publication of a Corpus of Egyptian Wisdom texts. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 130 Nili Shupak Where can Wisdom be found? The Sage s Language in the Bible 1 and in Ancient Egyptian Literature University Press Fribourg Switzerland Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Shupak, Nili: Where ca.n wisdom be found?: the sage's language in the Bible and in ancient Egyptian literature / Nili Shupak. - Freiburg/Schweiz: Univ. Verl.; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1993 (Orbis biblicus et orientalis; 130) ISBN 3-525-53765-4 (Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht) ISBN 3-7278-0899-3 (Univ.-Verl.) NE:GT Die Druckvorlagen wurden von der Verfasserin als reprofertige Dokumente zur Verfügung gestellt © 1993 by University Press Fribourg Switzerland Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen Paulusdruckerei Freiburg Schweiz ISBN 3-7278-0899-3 (University Press) ISBN 3-525-53765-4 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) Digitalisat erstellt durch Florian Lippke, Departement für Biblische Studien, Universität Freiburg Schweiz In~ of m71 belovetl a•nt Rene& Nu, -Te&lmor CONTENTS List of Tables........... ... . . .. ... . .. . .. .. .. . . .. . ... .. . .. . ... . .. . .. .. . .. . . . . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . .. . XV Acknowledgements........................................................................ XVII Abbreviations and Symbols............................................................ XIX Glossary........................................................................................ XXV Geleitwort by Professor H. Brunner ................................................ XXVII INTlODUCTION ... ...... ...... ...... ...... ............ ............ ............ ...... ...... ... ... 1 COlPUS.......................................................................................... 12 CHAPTEl ONE: INSTlUCTION UD TEACHING TElUS... ...... ...... ............ ..... 31 I. ab3y.t- mu,iir.............................................................................. 31 II. mtr{t) - tok4f&at........................................................................... 34 III. tp rtl - m~toi, tori...................................................................... 39 ExcursUB: torli, mi~w,i in Biblical wisdom - of God or wise man? ..................................................................................... 40 •~r - •e~ IV. ,i .................................................................................... 42 CHAPTEl TWO: TEACHING UD LE.UIING .lCTIVITIES.............................. 46 I. Verbs Connected with the Providing of Instruction and the Method of Teaching. ..................................................................... . 46 II. Verbs Associated with Acquisition of Instruction and the Method of Learning ..........•........................•.......•.•......................... 51 A. Verbs with Double Meaning ................................................. . 51 B. Verbs of Obedience, Observance and Assimilation of Instruction ........................................................................... . 60 C. Verbs of Understanding and Knowledge ............•............•...... 62 D. Verbs of Quest and Pondering ............................................. . 69 III. Summary of the Methods of Learning and Acquisition of lnstruction .................................................................................... . 72 VIII WHERE CAN WISDOM BE POUND? CHA.PTEl THlEE: THE IEG!TIVE HUllUf TYPE -TU.ITS .&.11D BEHA.VIOl... 78 I. Attitude towarda Teaching and Learning............................... ......... 78 In Egyptian A. lnattention and Diaobedience............................. .. ......... .... 78 ,jm in the negative B. Neglect and Abandonment of Learning and Wisdom ...... 79 (a) Verba relating directly to the worda of the teacher uni, mi.................... and to wisdom: !9', m~~9, 79 (b) A verb not relating directly to the in(cid:127)truction and word(cid:127) of the teacher but belonging to the (cid:127)emantic field of abandonment, neglect: thi •••••••••. 82 Summary of the distribution of the verb1......................... 84 In the Bible A. lnattention and Disobedience............................................ 85 im' in the negative B. Neglect and Abandonment of Learning and Wisdom ...... 85 •d, 1,or, ntA, nU, pr', ilch, •.11> 'ör11h and (cid:127)ynonyms, q;,, · · l>wz, n',, ~•,, C. Verb(cid:127) lndi~ting a N~gative Attitude toward(cid:127) Teaching Without an Egyptian Equivalent...................................... 88 II. Trait(cid:127) Relating to the Educational and Other Level(cid:127)••••••••••••••••••••• 89 A. Idlenea............................................................................. 89 In Egyptian....................................................................... 89 101/,}!q In the Bible....................................................................... 90 •, l remi1111a • 1 B. Deafne(cid:127)a u a Metaphor.................................................... 91 In Egyptian....................................................................... 91 •!11, itl11, m,jr.t tlnrg In the Bible....................................................................... 92 hri m. Negative Characteristic(cid:127) and Action(cid:127) Relating to Way of Life and General Behavior ..................................................................... 93 A. Fal(cid:127)ehood.......................................................................... 93 In Egyptian....................................................................... 93 (,)•,49, grg In the Bible....................................................................... 97 iqr, bl>, rmA, l~i Compariaon between the finding(cid:127) in Hebrew and Egyptian........................................................................... 102 B. Covetou(cid:127)ne(cid:127)(cid:127), De(cid:127)ire......................................................... 105 In Egyptian....................................................................... 106 '111A (il>), 9/', ,h, l&nt11 Summary..................................................................... 110 CONTENTS IX In the Bible....................................................................... 112 1101&, ~mcl The crocodile and covetouanea in Egypt and in the Bible ................................................................................ 114 Comparative aummary of the aubject of covetouaneaa in Egypt and in the Bible..................................................... 116 C. Anger, Strife..................................................................... 116 In Egyptian 1. Etymological and aemantic analyaia........................ 117 (a) Terms borrowed from the aemantic field of heat aignifying a hot temper: imm, t310 ••••• 117 (b) Terms concerning quarrelling in word and deed: itm, , tJt1J/jtj_t, rUwJ, inj_, 1911111, ,1,,9................................................ tAw, l!nn, 118 (c ) Expreaaiona of emotiona of anger and rage: 9tl, nini, ~'r, j,&j ........................................ 121 2. The connection between the world of nature and 11atrife11 and 11fury11 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• :................ 122 3. Subject matter analysia: The "heated man II and the motif of anger and atrife in the Egyptian (cid:127)ourcea ................................................................... 129 Summary..................................................................... 131 In the Bible 1. Semantic determination of terma involving anger and (cid:127)trife compared with the Egyptian .................. 132 (a) Term(cid:127) belonging to the aemantic field of .11acl................................... heat: ~mm, ~rla, 132 (b) Terms concerning (cid:127)trife: miclon, r,b, ,a, Ji'm.................................................. ma., 135 (c) Te~ referring to anger, fury: 'np ( 'a.p), J1'p..................................... A:a.•u, •br, fe!ep, 137 ria.~.................................... Addenda: rgn, 140 2. Subject matter analyai(cid:127) of terma referring to anger and atrife in relation to the Egyptian ..................... 141 (a) The motif of anger and atrife in the Biblical wiadom literature............................ 141 (b) Image(cid:127) from the realm of nature.................. 142 (c ) 'i i ~imli in the Biblical wiadom and the accompanying expreaaiona............................ 144 CHA.PTEB. FOUl: THE POSITIVE HUIIA.I TYPE - TliITS UD PliCTICES QUIETIESS, CA.LIIIESS, COOLIESS.......... ..•••.••.... .•••.. ............ ..... 150 In Egyptian I. Semantic Analyaia of the Term(cid:127)....................................................... 150