Wisdom literature is a common genre in the Ancient Near East characterized by sayings meant to teach lessons and help others gain greater understanding. It uses forms like myths, fables, parables, proverbs, and sacred texts with two levels of meaning or that are didactic in teaching life lessons. To get a clearer picture of wisdom literature, the student is directed to read about it in their online textbook.

1. A closer look…

2. It is a literary genre common in the Ancient Near East It is characterized by sayings of wisdom that are meant to teach a lesson It is used to help others search for a greater understanding and enlightenment about the world around them

3. Myth - a tale that explains the actions of the gods or natural phenomena Fable – a brief story that teaches a lesson, typically the characters are animals Parable – a brief story that teaches a moral or religious lesson Proverb – a wise saying about life Sacred text – a foundation text of a religion

4. Allegory – a literary work with two levels of meaning Didactic – teaches a lesson about life

5. In order to get a clearer picture of Wisdom Literature, please go to your online textbook and read the section entitled: Focus on Literary Forms: Wisdom Literature . In the next lesson you will be directed to a website in which you will create your own “bubble” notes for this reading assignment.