The ideological necessity for the transformation of the lady metaphors in Judaic wisdom literature

Abstract

The development of the metaphor of personified wisdom in the Judaic wisdom corpora was observed to see how this “character” changed and how this metaphor was utilised in different texts for different contexts. In an attempt to see what the motivations were for the metamorphoses of the feminine metaphor in different Judaic wisdom texts, it was first necessary to identify these differences, and secondly, to study the socio-historical context(s) of each text. Wisdom texts that make use of the Lady metaphor reflect different emphases. Certain texts applied this metaphor through the trope of personification. The actions that appear in these personifications differ, which makes it quite clear that each author utilised this trope differently. The woman (wisdom or folly) was portrayed in contextual and culturally specific attributes and represented a certain contextual viewpoint, filled with contextual values, beliefs, and ideologies. The reason for the transformation of the lady metaphors in different Judaic wisdom corpora can be explained when each text is read against its context, the intended audience, and the probable ideological drive behind it. Certain texts were written in certain contexts, with specific purposes and were focused or intended for certain listeners and/or readers. The different portrayals of Woman Wisdom and/or Woman Folly in different texts depends largely on socio-historical and socio-cultural contextual factors, which informed but also demonstrated the authors’ viewpoints, values, beliefs and ideologies.