The authorship of the Wisdom Books in the Bible is complex and often debated. Here's a breakdown:
* Job: The author is unknown. The book is presented as a story, likely based on an ancient folktale.
* Psalms: Traditionally attributed to King David, but it's widely accepted that the Psalms are a collection from various authors over a long period. Other attributed authors include Asaph, the sons of Korah, Heman, Ethan, and Moses.
* Proverbs: Primarily attributed to King Solomon. However, the book itself acknowledges contributions from other wise individuals, such as Agur and King Lemuel.
* Ecclesiastes: Attributed to "the Teacher," or "Qoheleth" in Hebrew. Tradition identifies Qoheleth as King Solomon, but this is debated by scholars.
* Song of Solomon (Song of Songs): Traditionally attributed to King Solomon.
* Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon): Not included in the Protestant Old Testament canon but is part of the Catholic and Orthodox canons. It is attributed to Solomon, but scholars believe it was written by a Hellenistic Jew in Alexandria, Egypt, much later (around the 1st century BCE).
* Sirach (Ecclesiasticus): Not included in the Protestant Old Testament canon but is part of the Catholic and Orthodox canons. The author is known: Joshua (Jesus) ben Sira. The book also includes a prologue by his grandson, who translated it into Greek.
In summary:
* Known Authors: Jesus ben Sira (Sirach).
* Traditionally Attributed to Solomon: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom (though authorship is heavily debated).
* Multiple Authors: Psalms (including David, Asaph, sons of Korah, Heman, Ethan, Moses).
* Unknown Author: Job.
It's important to note that attributing authorship in ancient times was often a way to honor a figure of authority or to connect a work to a particular tradition, and doesn't necessarily mean that the attributed author was the sole, direct author.