The Book of Wisdom of Solomon: who is the real author

"Wisdom of Solomon" in the Greek Bible is the book, the main content of which is the doctrine of the beginning, properties and actions of the Wisdom of God in the world. The name of King Solomon in it indicates that the author of the book leads his narrative sometimes on behalf of the most ancient ruler. After all, he became the first teacher of biblical wisdom and its main representative. "The Book of Wisdom of Solomon" in its subject is very similar to "The Book of Proverbs of Solomon." But let's try to figure out who is its main author.

"Wisdom of Solomon" - a book and food for the mind

Since ancient times it was believed that this work was written by King Solomon himself. This opinion, in particular, was expressed by such fathers and teachers of the Church as Clement of Alexandria, Tertulian, St. Cyprian, and basically it was based on the fact that his name stood in the inscription. Later this statement was strengthened by the Catholic Church, according to her, the book corresponded to the church canons.

The error of judgments is that, firstly, "The Book of Wisdom of Solomon" in the original was written in Greek, and not in Hebrew; Secondly, the author of the book is well acquainted with Greek philosophy - the teachings of Plato, the Epicureans and Stoics; Thirdly, the author is not an inhabitant of Palestine, but refers to Greek customs and customs; And, fourthly, the book is considered to be canonical and can not be written by Solomon, if one starts from the Rules of the Holy Apostles and the Epistles of Athanasius the Great.

Opinions about the author

In the time of Jerome, there was another opinion: that the "Book of Wisdom of Solomon" was written by Philo of Alexandria - a representative of Jewish Hellenism, which connects the dogmas of the Jewish religion with Greek philosophy. This view was based on the fact that the work was very similar to the teachings of Philo on the Logos. But these similarities were only external. It was not at all what the author of the "wisdoms" thought, what Philo meant under the Logos. And between them there is a too obvious contrast of views. In the Book of Wisdom of Solomon, the origin of sin and death is explained as "the envy of the devil," but Philo could not confirm this, because he did not believe in the existence of an evil beginning in the world, and he understood the fall of the ancestors from the Bible purely allegorically. They also perceived the theory of pre-existence in different ways - the author of the book and Filon. According to the teachings of the book, good souls enter into pure bodies, according to Philo - on the contrary, fallen and sinful souls are sent to bodies on the ground. Their views also differ from the views on the origin of idolatry. Therefore, Philo could not write this book.

Attempts to find the author were unsuccessful, so you can only point out that the author of the book was another Jewish Hellenist, an educated Alexandrian who is well versed in Greek philosophy.

Time, place and purpose of writing

After a deep analysis, it can be argued that this book was written at the end of the reign of King Ptolemy IV (circa 221-217 BC) and most likely in Egyptian Alexandria. It can be seen from the text how the author perfectly understands the Judeo-Alexandrian philosophy and makes hints at the Egyptian religion.

The purpose of writing the treatise, it is believed, was that the "Book of Wisdom of Solomon" was originally intended for Syrian and Egyptian kings in order to convey to them some veiled divine teachings and messages.

Content

The main theme of the book's contents is the doctrine of Wisdom from two sides, based on the most famous philosophical teachings. The first is an objective reality, not given to us in sensation. The second is subjective reality, perceived in sensations from the point of view of the objective.

In this case, there is the simplest example: there is a God in the world. This is an objective reality (so to speak, an axiom from a mathematical point of view, not requiring proof), which can not be touched or felt on the physical level. His Wisdom is displayed directly in our soul. As for the subjective, this is a personal relationship of each person to God and an understanding of what He offers to every believer in Him on a spiritual level.

Three parts

The book is divided into three main sections: the first (IV chapter) says that only Wisdom can become a leader to achieve true blessed immortality, despite the false teachings of the Jews who denied it.

The second part (VI-IX of the chapter) is devoted to the essence of the doctrine, its origin, and also to the importance of possessing such higher knowledge and basic conditions in terms of achieving them.

The third part (X-XIX of the chapter) is a historical example of the fact that only those people who possess this Wisdom can become happy. Ignorance of it, loss or rejection leads any nation to degradation and destruction (like the Egyptians and Canaanites).

Conclusion

The book "Wisdom of Solomon" (reviews of it are direct evidence) is one of the great documents of all times and peoples, which shows the inviolable unity of God and man. Regardless of its non-canonical origin, it was considered deeply instructive for those who are looking for lessons of piety and wisdom.