WALTER JACOB
ize for the entire period, we can state that the Bible builds its view of the elderly into the framework of the Near East, which demanded respect and reverence, usually placed within the context of family life. That was clearly stated in the Code of Hammurabi:“If a man strikes his father, they shall cut off his forehand”(Law 195). An adopted son of a chamberlain who says,“You are not my father or my mother,” they shall cut out his tongue(Law 192). There are biblical parallels:“He who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death”(Exod. 21:15ff).“Cursed be he that dishonors his father or his mother”(Deut. 27:16). This is put in a more positive fashion,“Honor your father and your mother”(Exod. 20:12), and “You shall each revere his father and his mother”(Lev. 19:3). These statements refer to all parents, including those not necessarily elderly. Mother and father are presumably to be honored while they are still quite young: the statements need to be taken more as a source of parental authority.
The long list of laws given in Leviticus deals with many subjects. There we have the statement,“You shall rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and you shall fear your God; I am the Lord.” This is the strongest biblical statement of deference toward the aged, but we are not given a definition of who are to be considered old enough to merit such treatment.
We are left in a similar position by the later biblical books, especially the Wisdom literature, which was composed over a long segment of the biblical period. Portions can be traced to Egyptian sources well before 2000 B.C.E., whereas others may have their origin in the Hellenistic World. Wisdom, hohmah, when personified, is a female figure and is associated with maturity.® This should be of special interest to us, as the elders(z’kenim) are always