Thinking Outside the Book

In the study of biblical proverbs, a comparison with demotic wisdom instructions, originating in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt, has only recently become the focus of attention. In contrast to the older Egyptian tradition, the demotic sources do not form a unitary genre. Instead, some compositions arrange the sayings in thematic chapters (line 1), while others present wisdom in loose form (line 2). This article aims to unfold the complex inner structure and innovations visible in the first line of transition, which in recurring discursive and contrastive elements and an overarching religious interpretation possesses striking parallels to the biblical sources. A discussion of the sense and purpose of these compositional strategies establishes a starting point for further in-depth interdisciplinary discourses of both academic disciplines in the realm of wisdom.