successful living. There were common needs: the instruction of the young, of administrators. There was enough 'common ground' between the various nations that comparisons could be made: Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite -- wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. (I Kgs 4:30-31) History of 'wisdom' in Israel Early Monarchy There were people known as 'wise': So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. (2 Sam 14.2) While they were battering the wall to bring it down, a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him." (2 Sam 20.15) One whole town (Abel) was known for its wisdom (2 Sam 20:18): She continued, "Long ago they used to say, `Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it. Proverb-like sayings occur often and early in Israel (e.g. I Sam 24:13): As the old saying goes, `From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. Wise men seemed to constitute an almost-official status of 'counselor', like that of court officials, perhaps even early in the Monarchy (cf. 2 Sam 15:31f; 16:20) 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He was famous for it--people came from the nations around to 'test him with hard