JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

EDUCATION, JEWISH
Already in Davidic times, provision was made for the
formal instruction of the king’s sons (I Chron. 27:32). Ahab’s
70 sons were educated by leading men of the northern capital
of Samaria, no doubt with specialized training by professional
tutors (II Kings 10:1ff.). Neo-Babylonian administrative
documents show that the exiled Judean king Jehoiachin
had a Hebrew attendant, perhaps a tutor, for five of his sons
(Pritchard, Texts, 308).
Some princes had personal tutors. Solomon benefited
from the prophet Nathan’s guidance (II Sam. 12:25; I Kings
1); the young Joash was raised under the eye of his influential
uncle (according to II Chron. 22:11), Jehoiada, the high priest
(II Kings 11–12). Similarly, Isaiah took great interest in the
young Hezekiah, over whom he was to wield a strong influence
(Isa. 9:5–6; 11:1ff.).
The king himself also had influence over his son’s upbringing.
His own personality played a major part in their
relationship. Some, like Saul, tended to harshness, while others,
like David, were over-lenient. Both extremes led to family
tragedies. In general, the king supervised the transfer of responsibilities
to his sons (II Kings 15:5; II Chron. 21:2–3). On
his deathbed, the king gathered his royal progeny to deliver
his last testament, charging them in religious and diplomatic
matters (I Kings 2:1–9; Isa. 38:1; cf. Gen. 48–49).
Drawing on the Former and Latter Prophets, it is possible
to reconstruct broadly the curriculum of a prince’s education.
To fulfill his duties properly, he had to be trained in
three main areas: physical and military training, diplomacy
and government, and the national religion of Israel.
The first kings, Saul and David, were famous for their
military prowess; some later kings rose to power through the
army ranks (Omri, Jehu, and Pekah son of Remaliah). However,
not only soldier-usurpers but also princes must have
learned the art of warfare. Kings Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, and
Josiah, to mention a few, took an active part in leading their
soldiers. They trained with the bow (I Sam. 20:19–20, 35ff.;
II Sam. 22:35), could handle horse and chariot, and probably
learned the fundamentals of military strategy (I Kings
20:13–14; II Kings 3:6–8). Some were known for bravery and
on more than one occasion a king died from battle wounds
(I Kings 22:34–35; II Chron. 35:23–24).
In contrast to ancient Near Eastern descriptions of contemporary
royalty, the Bible is silent in regard to hunting expeditions.
This pastime, which is mentioned in connection
with the non-Israelite Nimrod and Esau, was usually a basic
part of physical training.
DIPLOMACY AND GOVERNMENT. Because of the everpresent
foreign influences at court, the prince had a good
measure of familiarity with the larger world. Through the
many foreign wives, sons of vassals, and frequent diplomatic
envoys (II Kings 5:5ff.; 20:12ff.; Isa. 18), he learned of the customs
of the gentiles and learned to appreciate their political
strength in relation to that of his father. In the later monarchy
the prince may have acquired some fluency in Aramaic,
which was during the eighth century B.C.E. the lingua franca
of the ancient Near East.
The prince had also to learn the workings of government.
Upon reaching his majority, he went through a period
of practical training, when he accepted responsibilities in the
royal bureaucracy. Jotham, Uzziah’s heir apparent, held the
high position of ʿal ha-bayit or “chamberlain” (II Kings 15:5).
A personal seal inscribed only with lytm was discovered in the
excavations of ancient Ezion-Geber, and possibly belonged to
the prince. The absence of his father’s name reflects his high
administrative position. That other princes held minor administrative
positions is suggested by several ben ha-melekh (“son
of the king”) seals found in and around Palestine.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. The king was patron and administrator
of the Temple and national cult (II Kings 12). Like all
other kings of antiquity, he demonstrated his piety by lavish
donations to the cult (I Kings 8:63).
On the other hand, the prophets demanded of the king
allegiance to monotheism and the religious values of the
Torah, expressed in acts of justice (Isa. 9:5–6) and humility
(Deut. 17:14–20). It was by these criteria that the Israelite
kings were judged by the authors of the books of Kings and
Chronicles. These values were imparted to the princes by the
court prophets and priests, not always successfully.
From the very inception of the monarchy in Israel, the
king was conceived to be the highest judge in the land (I Sam.
8:5–6). Most of the famous cases mentioned in the Bible are ad
hoc decisions demonstrating the king’s legal sagacity in finding
a just solution (II Sam. 14:5–11; I Kings 3:16–28). In order
to fulfill this primary function of kingship, the prince must
have received a thorough education in common law and in the
written law collections (II Sam. 15:1–6; II Kings 14:6).
Though there are no actual records, some kings may have
promulgated laws of their own (cf. Micah 6:16). Jehoshaphat
is said to have reorganized the judicial system, dividing it into
local courts and a high court of appeal, and appointing supervisors
for religious and royal interests (II Chron. 19:5–11).
Such familiarity with Hebrew law assumes that the princes had
training in jurisprudence. Indeed, the Deuteronomic ideal entailed
a literate king, well versed in the Torah (Deut. 17:18–19;
cf. II Kings 5:7; 19:14).
Not only in his judicial capacity, but in setting the tone
of court life, the king patronized the literary arts. The more
talented among Israelite royalty were accredited even with
composition in the various genres. David’s musical talent was
still proverbial in the Kingdom of Israel two centuries after his
death (Amos 6:5). His religio-national poems inspired later religious
poets to see in him their own spiritual forebear (II Sam.
1:17–27; 22; 23:1–7, and 74 of the 150 psalms).
Solomon was the proverbial wise man, mastering all
forms of wisdom literature (I Kings 5:9–14). This literature
was edited from time to time by the court savants (Prov. 25:1).
Such was the case in the time of Hezekiah, who was also credited
with poetic talents (Isa. 38:9–20).
166 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6