The Parable of Wise and Foolish Builders in Yishen Lun and Rabbinic Literature

The paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders as presented in three distinct sources: the seventh-century Dunhuang manuscript <i>Yishen Lun</i> (Discourse on God), the sixth-century rabbinic text <i>Avot D’Rabbi Nathan</i>, and th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: David Tam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-01-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/107
Description
Summary:The paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders as presented in three distinct sources: the seventh-century Dunhuang manuscript <i>Yishen Lun</i> (Discourse on God), the sixth-century rabbinic text <i>Avot D’Rabbi Nathan</i>, and the Gospels (Matthew and Luke) of the Christian Bible. It explores the imagery used, piety taught, and worldviews conveyed in these renditions, concluding that the version in <i>Yishen Lun</i> shares a closer resemblance with the one in rabbinic literature than with the Gospels. This discovery, in conjunction with previously published findings by the author, challenges the conventional classification of <i>Yishen Lun</i> as an “Aluoben document” (or a <i>Jingjiao</i> document, for that matter), underscoring the need for further research and inquiry.
ISSN:2077-1444