Itinerant sages: The evidence of Sirach in its ancient Mediterranean context
This article examines passages in Sirach which posit that travel fosters understanding (Sir. 34.9-13) and that the sage knows how to travel in foreign lands (Sir. 39.4). The references are discussed in the context of two ancient Mediterranean corpora, that is, biblical and Greek literature. Although...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
[2020]
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| In: |
Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2020, Volume: 44, Issue: 3, Pages: 315-336 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Jesus Sirach 39,4
/ Journey
/ Understanding
/ Education
/ Mobility
/ Wise person
/ Hellenistic Jews
/ Greek language
/ Literature
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Travel
B Mediterranean antiquity B Sirach B Education B Bibel. Jesus Sirach, 34,9-13 B Ancient Greek writings B Mobility B Sages B Second Temple Judaism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article examines passages in Sirach which posit that travel fosters understanding (Sir. 34.9-13) and that the sage knows how to travel in foreign lands (Sir. 39.4). The references are discussed in the context of two ancient Mediterranean corpora, that is, biblical and Greek literature. Although the evidence in Sirach is insufficient for demonstrating the existence of a specific social practice, the text at least attests to an attitude of mental openness, imagining travel as a professional enterprise with positive outcomes. This article argues that the closest parallels to Sir. 34.9-13 and Sir. 39.4 are not to be found in the Hebrew Bible or Hellenistic Jewish literature but in (non-Jewish) Greek writings which refer to travels undertaken by the sages who roam around for the sake of learning. The shared travel motif helps to demonstrate that Sirach belongs to a wider Hellenistic Mediterranean context than just that of biblical literature. |
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| ISSN: | 1476-6728 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0309089219862814 |