The Book of Wisdom

Recently, I have been reading the novels of Steven Saylor, all of which are set in ancient Rome (just before the time of Jesus Christ).  The novels are very well researched, so that each one has notes at the end telling about the historic events referenced in the text, as well as the sources Saylor used in his research. 

The novel I am currently reading is The Judgment of Caesar, set in Alexandria, Egypt, in 48 B.C.  The main character (Gordianus the Finder -- a kind of detective and solver of mysteries) finds himself in Alexandria, the land of the Pharoahs.  There he becomes involved in the historic struggle between the Roman Caesar and the Egyptian Pharoah Ptolemy, who is simultaneously at war with his sister, Cleopatra, for control of Egypt. 

During the story, Gordianus mentions the fabled library of Alexandria -- one of the wonders of the ancient world --- which contains 400,000 scrolls.  Although I had read of this library many times, I had no idea it was so extensive.  Reading the novel engendered in me a desire to re-read the Book of Wisdom from the Bible, and the details Saylor includes in his book has shed new understanding for me on the Book of Wisdom.

Unfortunately, this book is not always included in the Protestant Bible, even though it was used extensively by the early Christian church.  Wisdom was written originally in Greek, about one hundred years before the coming of Jesus, in Alexandria, Egypt, by a member of the Jewish community living there.  His profound knowledge of the Old Testament (written in Hebrew, of course) is reflected in almost every line of the book, marking him as an outstanding representative of learning among the Jewish sages and teachers of the Alexandrian community, which was noted for its wisdom and erudition. 

The Jews of Alexandria lived in their own enclave, or section of the city, known as "the Jewish Quarter."  As in most cities, ancient and modern, their section was almost a ghetto, with 'foreigners' not usually entering, and with the Jews mostly remaining within its boundaries.  From the time of Alexander the Great, there had been a struggle between the "Hellenized" Jews, who wanted the "progress" and "modernization" offered by Greek culture, and the conservation Jews, who wanted to keep to their ancient ways and traditions.  The progressive Jews (considered apostates by the conservative Jews) imposed ridicule, torment, oppression, and suffering on their brothers who refused to 'convert' to Greek culture, including worship of both mind and body, with all the Greek gymnasiums, baths, and 'work-out' centers.

The writer of the Book of Wisdom takes as his task to convey the splendors and worth of divine wisdom (as opposed to 'education' or learning -- what Paul later called 'the wisdom of the Greeks).  The book treats of the folly of idolatry and the stupidity of worshipping wealth, power, or earthly pleasure.  He reviews the history of the Israelites, showing the hand of God delivering, protecting, and establishing them in the past, reminding people that God is not mocked, that we will ultimately reap what we sow.

Although the book was written in Greek, it was patterned on Hebrew verse, showing the writer to be very familiar with the Hebrew books of the OT.  Thus, reading it today, even in English, requires a different mindset and reading style.  This is not a book to be skimmed for information; like poetry, it requires a slow, meditative, and concentrated reading --- but the rewards for doing so far outstrip the rewards of reading quickly.  This is a book that satisfies the soul and gives food to the mind.  It is a book to be read and re-read and re-thought.

Some Protestant Bibles now include this book as "apocrypha," an unfortunate name, as today that term seems to mean the same as "fantasy."  However, it is clear that the Jewish community to which Jesus and Mary and Joseph belonged used this book in the synagogue services, along with the Book of Sirach.  Certainly both books were used by the early Christian communities.  However, with the Protestant Reformation, and the then-modern access to Hebrew texts, the reformers decided to eliminate any book not originally written in Hebrew.  Their decision was based on that of the Jewish rabbis at Jamni, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Romans.  The rabbis were afraid that Jewish history and culture and way of life was about to be lost forever, now that there was no center- point for its preservation.  Struggling to preserve their heritage, they embraced only what had been written in Hebrew originally, even though they still considered the Greek books "inspirational," as we can now see from the preservation of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

One reason I love this book so much is that the writer identifies Wisdom with the traditional spirit of the Lord bestowed on the just.  At the time, the 'spirit of the Lord' was not identified with the Person of the Holy Spirit, as the idea of the Trinity could have been developed only after the appearance of Jesus Christ.  However, the writer does personify Wisdom as a "kindly spirit," and most often as a woman, following the concept of Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs.  Here is an example:  The spirit of wisdom is kindly towards mortals, but she will not hold a blasphemer blameless for his words, because God, who sees clearly into his heart and hears every words he speaks, is a witness of his inmost being.  For the spirit of the Lord fills the whole earth, and that which holds all things together knows well everything that is said (1:6-7).

It grieves me that my non-Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ do not have easy access to both The Book of Wisdom and the Book of Sirach, two of the most beautiful commentaries on the rest of the OT that can be found.  While we have the other books of the OT (Genesis through Chronicles, for example), it is so helpful to have both the summary of these books and a commentary on their meanings from the viewpoint of a Jewish scholar.

Tomorrow I would like to present some passages from this wonderful commentary, but of course, it would be much better if people would begin reading this book for themselves.  I promise that you will not be disappointed in it, but instead, you may find riches of wisdom and understanding for your soul.