Scriptural Research Institute

Personally I found this one of the less appealing books of Egyptian wisdom literature, especially when compared to the Maximes of Ptahottep, which are at least 500 years older. The Instruction of Amenemope dates from the New Kingdom (1550-1070 bce). It is a longer text than usual in this genre, and it mainly consists of a long list of commandments and prohibitions. The underlying values touted are those of austerity, moderation and restraint. “Better, then, is poverty in the hand of God/ show more Than riches in the storehouse;/ Better is bread when the mind is at ease/ Than riches with anxiety.”
A frequently recurring contrast is that between the ill-tempered man and the taciturn man, with the latter always being praised. Of course, the morality is based on that of the gods, but this is done in such a way that it is very reminiscent of formulations that we know from the Jewish Bible. For decades, scholars have debated whether the book of Proverbs was based on Amenemope's, or vice versa. There is now consensus that the Egyptian book came long before that of the Hebrews, but at the same time there is still discussion about the question of borrowing, because many turns of phrase are very similar. I'm not an expert, but I'd be careful here, especially keeping in mind that at that time (the second half of the second millennium BCE) there were very many versions of wisdom literature circulating in the Ancient Near East, and there was a continuous interaction between Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia, in which mutual influence can hardly be reconstructed. show less

Ugaritic was a Semite language spoken in Syria about 12-13 BCE. These texts were found on 25 clay tablets in the city of Ugarit and it is a cycle of stories based on Ba'al, the god of many things for the Canaanites, but specifically the storm god. In these stories, Ba'al is having to fight the other gods for supremacy. I can most liken the stories to Greek mythologies where the gods are volatile, vengeful, and brutal. This was a difficult read, and I did not seek commentary or research as I show more read--I wasn't that interested. The stories seem fragmented. The closest thing I can compare it to is [Gilgamesh], which I love! This I didn't love so much! 182 pages show less