Solomon’s World, Session 2: Other Wisdom Literature

Solomon’s World, Session 2: Other Wisdom Literature

In Session 2 of “Solomon’s World: Wisdom and History,” Joshua leads a highly interactive class on Solomon’s wisdom literature in conversation with other Ancient Near Eastern texts—including the Instruction of Amenemope, the Dialogue of Pessimism, and the Counsels of Wisdom—with students taking part in the readings throughout and most of the session devoted to discussion. Together, the class explores shared themes like speech, justice, conflict, pleasure, and mortality, while tracing the key differences in each text’s theological center and asking what makes Proverbs and Ecclesiastes uniquely grounded and enduring.

Solomon’s World, Session 1: History and Context

In Session 1 of “Solomon’s World: Wisdom and History,” Joshua Tallent sets the stage for studying Solomon by walking through the historical backdrop from the Judges period through David’s reign, and explaining the wider Near Eastern world Solomon inherited. The teaching highlights key timeline questions (including competing Exodus chronologies), the Bronze Age Collapse and the rise of new regional powers (like the Philistines, Phoenician city-states, and Aramean kingdoms), and closes with a tour of major archaeological finds tied to David and the United Monarchy (including Jerusalem structures and the Tel Dan Stele). Teaching notes and presentation (with maps and images) are available here [https://www.joshuatallent.com/2026/02/16/solomons-world-1-history-and-context/]. Timeline is available at https://www.joshuatallent.com/timeline.html [https://www.joshuatallent.com/timeline.html].