CONTENTS -- Editor's Preface ix -- Acknowledgments xi -- Chapter One: Introductory Matters 1 -- Challenges and Purpose of the Study 3 -- Nature and Scope of the Study 17 -- Chapter Two: Methodological Concerns 25 -- Linguistic Approach to the Study 25 -- Tradition-Historical Approach to the Study 32 -- Social-Anthropological Approach to the Study 36 -- Chapter Three: Philological Concerns I:The Semantic Domain of ("Wisdom") 49 -- History of Scholarship 49 -- Etymological Analysis 54 -- Lexical Analysis 57 -- Comparative Analysis 66 -- Summative Definition 69 -- Chapter Four: Philological Concerns II:The Semantic Domain of ("Old Age") 87 -- History of Scholarship 88 -- Etymological Analysis 93 -- Lexical Analysis 95 -- Comparative Analysis 100 -- Summative Definition 102 -- Chapter Five: Social Anthropology of Gerassapiencein Pre-Monarchical Israel 111 -- Evidences of Gerassapience in the Patriarchal Narratives 112 -- Functions of Gerassapience in Early Israel 128 -- Chapter Six: Social Theology of Gerassapiencein Monarchical Israel 143 -- Introductory Overview of the Deuteronomic History 143 -- Evidences of Gerassapience in the United Monarchy 146 -- Evidences of Gerassapience in the Divided Monarchy 157 -- Functions of Gerassapience in the Monarchical Israel 161 -- Chapter Seven: Conflicting Views of Gerassapiencein Post-Monarchical Israel 175 -- Evidences of Gerassapience in the Wisdom Literature 176 -- Evidences of Gerassapience in the Book of Psalms 186 -- Functions of Gerassapience in Post-Monarchical Israel 193 -- Chapter Eight: Concluding Remarks 207 -- Semantic Elements of Gerassapience in Ancient Israel 209 -- Functional Elements of Gerassapience in Ancient Israel 211 -- Selected Bibliography 215 -- Index 253.