The bi-weekly Bible study couldn't meet on Holy Thursday next week, so we met two consecutive weeks, last week and last night. Last week, a number of regulars were missing, so last night Jim lead us in a second look at Revelation 12. It's a significant chapter, found in the middle of the book.

Many, many times I have studied Revelation, informally and formally. The woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head has been described as Israel, Mary, the Church. And we mentioned all those identities last week. Last night, something came to me: this woman is Lady Wisdom from Proverbs 8 and 9. And the whore in the latter chapters of Revelation is Wisdom's antithesis, Lady Folly.

Jim expressed surprise and agreement in a patronizing manner, an attitude he's taken towards me lately. I checked my scripture commentaries this morning, and A. Y. Collins lists "personified wisdom" as a possible identity of the woman in Revelation 12. I should read my commentaries before class.