Wise Virgins Window-- Ad Matutinum - Sacred Heart Monastery, Yankton SD
Brenda M. Johnson, M.A.
The Personification of Wisdom in Proverbs 1, 8, & 9
Johnson traces the evolution of the female wisdom figure seen in Proverbs 1, 8, and 9. She discovers parallels between the woman of wisdom found in Christian scriptures and Ma'at, an Egyptian goddess of Truth and Justice. Also, an Aramaic sage, and other traditionally known female sages of Israel seem to have influenced the conception of Wisdom seen in the Proverbs. Finally, features typically associated with women, specifically certain maternal traits, were also projected onto this figure of Wisdom, further demonstrating her syncretic nature.