Creating a Synthesis of Torah-centered and Proverbial Admonitions: The Direction and Significance of the Textual Connection between 4Q185 and 4Q37

The article primarily deals with a textual connection between two admonitory texts 4QSapiential Admonitions B (4Q185) and 4QAdmonition on the Flood (4Q370). Beside the existence of this connection very little has been done to explore it and even the direction of the influence is still open to question. This connection will be thoroughly analyzed here, in order to appreciate fully its importance for understanding the purpose of the fragmentary individual texts and the applied editing practices. It will be shown that 4QAdmonition on the Flood was one of the main sources used in the composition of 4QSapiential Admonitions B that was radically edited (e. g., additions, omissions and recontextualizing) and combined with Proverbial wisdom traditions. The purpose of this editorial activity was to create a synthesis out of the more traditional wisdom thinking and the Torah-oriented deuteronomic parenesis, as was also done by, for example, Ben Sira in his own wisdom composition around the same time period.