1 Enoch And Ben Sira: Wisdom And Apocalypticism In Relationship

Abstract

Scholars has treated the categories of wisdom and apocalypticism as separate systems of thought, worldviews, but recently they devoted quite a bit of energy to demonstrating the inadequacy of earlier definitions and to breaking down the wall of separation between them. In particular, two early Jewish works, 1 Enoch and the Wisdom of Ben Sira, have been at the center of this scholarly conversation. Whereas some studies have singled out particular features of the works as exemplary of the relationship between wisdom and apocalypticism, others have suggested a closer relationship, one that extends to the people who composed and used them. Based on some of the scholarly work that has argued for a relationship between the works, this chapter argues that the converging lines of evidence allow us to suggest not only literary similarities and connections, but also a social connection between the people responsible for them. Keywords: 1 Enoch; Apocalypticism; literary relationship; social connection; Wisdom of Ben Sira