The life of the Old Testament Community in the period between the fifth and second centuries is almost not reflected in biblical and other sources[107]. We only know that during this period the prophets were replaced by the scribes. Many of them were concerned with difficult and painful questions about life and death, about suffering and retribution, about truth and goodness. These problems constitute the main content of books written at this time, usually called didactic books. In addition to Jonah and Ruth, they include: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Psalms. In these books, questions are often only posed, and the answers to them could only be fully given in the New Testament.

I. WISDOM AND LAW

1. The Ideal of Wisdom (Proverbs 9:1-12; 8:1-21, 32-36; Job 28; Sirach 24-25.14)

In the era of the scribes (the time of the Second Temple), Wisdom or Wisdom began to be called the divine law by which the entire universe is built and by which man must test his life.

1 Wisdom built herself a house, hewn out the seven pillars thereof, 2 she slaughtered the sacrifice, dissolved her wine, and prepared a table for herself; 3 And she sent her servants to proclaim from the high places of the city, 4 And to the foolish she said, 5 Go and eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mixed; 6 Leave foolishness, and live, and walk in the way of understanding." 7 He who teaches the blasphemer will bring disgrace to himself, and he who rebukes the wicked will be a stain to himself. 8 Do not rebuke the blasphemer, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise, and he will love you; 9 Give instruction to the wise, and he shall be wiser; teach the truthful, and he will increase knowledge. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding; 11 For through me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be added. 12 If thou art wise, thou art wise unto thyself; and if you are violent, then you will be patient alone.

1 Does not wisdom cry out? and does not understanding lift up its voice? 2 She stands on high places, by the wayside, on the highways; 3 She cries out at the gate at the entrance of the city, at the entrance of the door: 4 "To you, O people, I cry, and to the children of men my voice! 5 Learn, you fools, prudence, and fools understanding. 6 Hear, for I will speak important things, and the utterance of my mouth is righteousness; 7 For my tongue shall speak the truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my mouth. 8 All the words of my mouth are just; there is no deceit or deceit in them; 9 All of them are clear to him who understands, and just to them that have acquired knowledge. 10 Receive my doctrine, and not silver; knowledge is better than choice gold; 11 For wisdom is better than pearls, and nothing that is desired compares to it. 12 I, O wisdom, dwell with understanding, and seek prudent knowledge. 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and evil ways and deceitful lips I hate. 14 I have counsel and truth; I am the mind, I have the power. 15 By me kings reign, and rulers legitimize righteousness; 16 And the rulers and the nobles, and all the judges of the earth, rule over me. 17 Those who love me I love, and those who seek me will find me; 18 Riches and glory are with me, a treasure that does not perish, and righteousness; 19 My fruit is better than gold, and the purest gold, and I am more profitable than the choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21 to bring great good to those who love me, and I fill their treasuries.

32 Now, children, listen to me; and blessed are those who keep my ways! 33 Listen to the instruction and be wise, and do not depart from it. 34 Blessed is the man who heareth me, watching every day at my gates, and standing guard at my doors. 35 for whoever has found me has found life, and will receive grace from the Lord; 36 But he who sins against me injures his own soul: all those who hate me love death."

1 So! Silver has a source vein, and gold has a place where it is smelted. 2 Iron is obtained from the earth; Copper is smelted from the stone. 3 Man sets a limit to darkness, and searches carefully for a stone in the darkness and shadow of death. 4 They dig a well in places forgotten by foot, they go down into the depths, hang and shake away from people. 5 The ground on which the corn grows is pitted within, as it were with fire. 6 Her stones are the place of sapphire, and in her grains of gold are grains of gold. 7 Thither the bird of prey knoweth not, neither hath the eye of the vulture seen it; 8 The skims did not trample on it, neither did the jackal walk on it. 9 On granite he layeth his hand, and uprooteth the mountains; 10 In the rocks he cuts canals, and his eye sees all that is precious; 11 He stops the flow of streams and brings the hidden to light. 12 But where is wisdom to be found? And where is the place of reason? 13 Man knoweth not its price, neither is it found in the land of the living. 14 The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea says, "Not with me." 15 It is not given for gold, nor is it purchased for the weight of silver; 16 It is not valued with the gold of Ophir, nor with precious onyx, nor with sapphire; 17 Gold and crystal are not equal to it, neither can you exchange it for vessels of pure gold. 18 And of corals and pearls there is nothing to be mentioned, and the acquisition of wisdom is higher than rubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it; it is not valued by pure gold. 20 Whence then proceedeth wisdom? And where is the place of reason? 21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, and hidden from the birds of the air. 22 Abaddon and death say, 'With our ears we have heard the rumor of it.' 23 God knoweth her way, and he knoweth her place. 24 For he looketh unto the ends of the earth, and seeth under all heaven. 25 When he gave weight to the wind, and arranged the water according to measure, 26 when he appointed a statute for the rain, and a way for the thundering lightning, 27 then he saw it, and showed it, and prepared it, and tried it again, 28 and said to the man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord is true wisdom, and the shunning of evil is understanding.'

1 Wisdom shall glorify itself, and shall be praised among its people.