Book contents
- Why the Bible Began
- Why the Bible Began
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- Introduction
- Part I The Rise and Fall
- Part II Admitting Defeat
- Part III A New Narrative
- Part IV A People of Protest
- 22 The Matriarch
- 23 The Hero
- 24 The Other
- 25 The Soldier
- 26 The Prophet and the Priest
- 27 The Sage
- 28 The Poet
- 29 The Queen
- 30 Conclusions
- Subject Index
- Scholars Cited
- Biblical References
- References
27 - The Sage
Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes
from Part IV - A People of Protest
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 July 2023
- Why the Bible Began
- Why the Bible Began
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- Introduction
- Part I The Rise and Fall
- Part II Admitting Defeat
- Part III A New Narrative
- Part IV A People of Protest
- 22 The Matriarch
- 23 The Hero
- 24 The Other
- 25 The Soldier
- 26 The Prophet and the Priest
- 27 The Sage
- 28 The Poet
- 29 The Queen
- 30 Conclusions
- Subject Index
- Scholars Cited
- Biblical References
- References
Summary
So begins a biblical book whose forty-two chapters launch an assault on the Bible’s most fundamental teachings. The work begins with Yhwh and “the Accuser” (Hebrew: haSatan) making a wager. The test was simple: would the man Job remain faithful if Yhwh took everything from him, including his children and his health? What begins as a trial of one person’s righteousness spirals into a raw and unrelenting evaluation of divine justice. Unlike the prophets, this work does not point the accusing finger at the palace or even the people. Instead, it indicts the deity. The spectacular speeches of Job, his friends, and finally Yhwh move toward an obscure conclusion. With no clear resolution, the reader is compelled to listen to its orations and make a judgment about their merit.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Why the Bible BeganAn Alternative History of Scripture and its Origins, pp. 421 - 435Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023