Wisdom of Solomon

A Book of the Apocrypha. The first part (1: 1–6: 8) describes the different destinies awaiting the righteous and the wicked; the second part (6: 9–9: 18) contains the meditation on Wisdom which gives the Book its name; the last part (10–19) reviews the history of Israel to the Exodus, with an excursus on idolatry in 13–15. The ascription of the Book to Solomon is a literary device. It was most probably written by an Alexandrian Jew in the 1st or 2nd cent. bc.

The Book has greatly influenced Christian thought. It may have been directly used by NT writers. Later the terms used of the Divine Wisdom are freely applied to Christ. See also the previous entry.