The short and sweet ode to love (to what end beyond love is up for debate) includes henna in its first chapter, whether the tree or the art (up to debate?). The second chapter includes the phrase, "I am a rose of Sharon," which a type of flower and also a character in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. The third chapter references frankincense and myrrh in a romantic sense. Song of Solomon amounts to a wonderful look at the culture of the Old Testament, and after Ecclesiastes is another fine book to read if you're skeptical that there's some truly great literature in the Bible.
Wisdom of Solomon is kind of the opposite. It's another plodding wisdom literature effort. (Neither one is actually by Solomon, by the way.)
The first chapter references "that which holds all things together," a phrase that calls to mind Yoda's description of the Force in Star Wars. Hades is also referenced again. The second chapter covers this book's vision of how atheists happen. It also evokes Jesus at the moment of his death. It further proposes the doctrine of eternal life for the faithful. The fifth chapter calls Jesus to mind, too. The tenth and eleventh chapters recap Genesis and Exodus without any names mentioned. They're pretty interesting. The thirteenth chapter is the book's version of how pagans come to worship their idols. The rest of it becomes a little tiresome.
The Book of Sirach (so I'll call it for simplicity's sake) is another piece of wisdom literature, and so far it's far better than Wisdom of Solomon. It's got a prologue from the translator, who studied, of course, in Egypt.
You know, I will occasionally pop in and read an entry here, but almost never comment because it feels like I'm reading your personal thoughts on your faith. So, I am impressed that you're slogging your way through the bible. It can be a tough read at times.
ReplyDeleteHey, a reader! And it's definitely tough sometimes.
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