WISE COURTIERS IN THE LITERATURE OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST: FROM MORDECAI TO AHIQAR
WISE COURTIERS IN THE LITERATURE OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST: FROM MORDECAI TO AHIQAR
Author(s): Claudiu-Liviu OnișoaraSubject(s): Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Foreign languages learning, Anthology, Fiction, Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: courtier; wisdom; identity; comparative literature; motif
Summary/Abstract: The motif of the "wise courtier" constantly appears in the literature of the ancient Near East. It can be seen in the cases of Mordecai in the Book of Esther or Ahiqar in the Aramaic tradition. Their experiences develop in a comparable way: an official is in danger, but responds with great wisdom, and, as a consequence, achieves elevation. Jewish diaspora courtiers like Esther, Mordecai, Joseph, or Daniel stand within this significantly wider landscape of stories. Set side by side, these texts reveal a shared cultural heritage. At the same time, they can also reflect different purposes: from the moral example of virtue, to the reinforcement of Jewish identity in exile.
Journal: Journal of Romanian Literary Studies
- Issue Year: 2025
- Issue No: 42
- Page Range: 297-303
- Page Count: 7
- Language: Romanian
