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In John, the contrast between light and darkness may reflect Jewish wisdom traditions found in the Wisdom of Solomon, where wisdom is described as a radiant light that overcomes evil and overpowers the night.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Wisdom of Solomon 7:29
Deuterocanon
24 For wisdom is more mobile than any motion. Yes, she pervades and penetrates all things by reason of her purity. 25 For she is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty. Therefore nothing defiled can find entrance into her. 26 For she is a reflection of everlasting light, an unspotted mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. 27 Although she is one, she has power to do all things. Remaining in herself, she renews all things. From generation to generation passing into holy souls, she makes friends of God and prophets. 28 For God loves nothing except one who dwells with wisdom. 29 For she is fairer than the sun, and above all the constellations of the stars. She is better than light. 30 For daylight yields to night, but evil does not prevail against wisdom.
Date: 50 BCE – 50 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
John 1:5
New Testament
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.
Date: 90–110 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The Psalmist describes God's presence as a source of light (Psalm 4:6; 89: 15; 104:2), and can even talk of the 'word' (logos) of God as a light to his feet (Psalm 119:105). Essentially, however, the theme of light must also be connected to the aforementioned tradition of Sophia as the first of God's creations, which according to the Genesis tradition was light ... John 1:5 introduces the contrast between light and darkness. While this is not a prominent theme of the Wisdom tradition, it is nevertheless unnecessary to seek its origins in Gnostic dualism. There is evidence from the Wisdom of Solomon that such a contrast was not unthought of in the later Jewish Wisdom schools ..."
James Martin Clark Scott, “Sophia and the Johannine Jesus” (PhD diss., University of Durham, 1990), 39.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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