Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AMENEMOPE, INSTRUCTION OF

An Egyptian didactic text dated to the late 12th century b.c.e. The only complete copy is preserved on a 6th-century papyrus. Framed as the words of Amenemope to his youngest son, these instructions for well-being and proper conduct are divided into a prologue and 30 numbered chapters, the last of which functions as an epilogue. The dominant concern is to distinguish the ideal person (“the truly silent”) who is honest, modest and respectful, disciplined, quiet, kind to others and concerned for the disadvantaged, from the quick-tempered and deceitful “heated one.” Emphasis is placed upon honesty in personal and business interactions, satisfaction with minimal material possessions and advocacy on behalf of the poor. Close structural and thematic parallels between Amenemope and the book of Proverbs, particularly the “Words of the Wise” in Prov. 22:17–24:22, have prompted scholarly debate as to the nature of the literary relationship. Although some have argued either for the priority of Proverbs or for the derivation of both texts from a common Egyptian or Semitic original, the consensus is that Amenemope had priority and served as a model for Proverbs’ collection of “30 sayings” (Prov. 22:20).

Bibliography. G. E. Bryce, A Legacy of Wisdom (Lewisburg, Pa., 1979); M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature (Berkeley, 1976), 2:146-63.

Christine Roy Yoder

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AMENEMOPE, INSTRUCTION OF

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)