The Divine Original
God is not a forger
tags : Proverbs Solomon Amenemope Ptahotep Zaphnath-Paaneah Hyksos Josephus Manetho
There is an ancient record of an ancient people. In fact, there are many ancient records of many ancient peoples. And many ancient records were lost. A great deal of ancient history has been lost over time, but much has been preserved. It is a popular past time for modern historians to rewrite history, often aiming to change ancient understanding and traditional histories. What we find, however, is that history, like life is both simple and complex. What we find is the perpetual both/and. Our traditional understandings are both correct and incomplete. Our ancient histories are both partial and impartial.
Solomon wrote the biblical book called Proverbs. He wrote these and many other proverbs. He also wrote the biblical book called Ecclesiastes, which means the one who calls an assembly, akin to the Hebrew name Qoheleth, the preacher. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote that the words of the wise are like goads and their collected sayings are like secure nails.
There are secure nails in the book of Proverbs. All these are written by Solomon. Some of them were original sayings of Solomon. Some were collected and copied down. Others were developed and applied. All were written down by Solomon and his men. There are the words of Solomon. There are the words compiled and copied down by the men of King Hezekiah. There are the words of Agur and the words of King Lemuel. And there are words which appear to be at least strikingly similar to the words of Amenemope.
See comments at the post linked above for more tidbits
Here we come again to the both/and – the realization that we know in part which is both partial and impartial, knowledge and incomplete. There is much lost knowledge which has been lost never to be found. There are destroyed histories, such as some of the records in the ancient and monumental Library of Alexandria (Egypt). Some things lost or destroyed to history will never be rediscovered or restored. Some things lost for decades, centuries and millennia have been and presumably will continue to be found, rediscovered and restored. When they are, the celebration is akin to that of a woman who found her lost coin.
One thing is for certain, history cannot and never has been changed. What happened happened. What was written was written. What was lost was lost. What was inspired, inspired. What was revealed, revealed. There are modern rewritings of what happened in the past, but time and again, what continues to be shown over time is that all human histories are partial. All human histories are only part of the story. Most modern histories and rewritings of ancient histories claim to be impartial. As such, they are all both partial and impartial. It is not wise to consider modern or ancient human histories to be either completely partial or impartially complete. All human histories are both at least partially incomplete and incompletely impartial. Solomon undeniably wrote proverbs. So did the men of Hezekiah.
All the important facts of history and essential matters of life and faith are clear. The ancient semitic people were absolutely held in forced labor in ancient Egypt. There was absolutely an ancient semitic man who became ruler in ancient Egypt, demonstrating great divine wisdom in the land of Egypt. All these things are true. All these are partial and impartial, complete and incomplete. We have impartial divine wisdom, history, knowledge and revelation in the ancient scriptures. There is always more to the story. And so we continue reading and learning. Let us not be duped by any writers, ancient or modern into causing us to think that things which were not said were said. Let us not doubt what we know to be true, and let us not think to be true that which is not. Let us read and learn, listen and add to our understanding. Let us fear God and keep His commandments. For that is the sum of the matter.
For further reading
Partial History & Non-Impartial Quasi-History
The Israelites Are Not The Hyksos
Resources
Wisdom in the WORD 