Hagar: Apocrypha
Hagar appears in a wisdom poem (Bar 3:9-4:4) as part of an apocryphal letter written to the priests and people of Jerusalem from Baruch, the scribe and close friend of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36). This poem emphasizes that humans cannot find wisdom except by seeking it directly from God and that wisdom has not been heard of in places traditionally associated with it. The inclusion of Hagar and her descendants is used to suggest their wisdom within the Ishmaelites. Hagar’s Egyptian background may enforce the understanding that her descendants could be associated with wisdom.
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Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Women in Scripture. New York: 2000.
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