Source edition
Septuaginta. The Old Testament in Greek According to the Septuagint. Volume 3: Hosea-4 Maccabees, Psalms of Solomon, Enoch, The Odes. Swete, Henry Barclay, editor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1905
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a religious and theological text addressing the crisis of the Babylonian Exile, tracing the process by which the Jewish people confess their sins and find hope and salvation through divine wisdom. Attributed to Baruch, the scribe of Jeremiah, it takes the form of a letter written in Babylon, featuring prayers of the exiles, theological reflections on wisdom, and the personification of Jerusalem. The text opens with Baruch reading his scroll to the exiles in Babylon, who then send funds and a formal confession of their disobedience back to the temple in Jerusalem. It continues with earnest prayers for mercy, shifting to a discourse revealing that true wisdom (Sophia) is a divine gift given exclusively to Israel through the Law. In the latter half, Jerusalem is personified as a grieving mother comforting her exiled children, culminating in a joyful promise where she casts off her mourning attire to put on the glory of God as her children return in triumph.