Sophia - is the Greek word for wisdom and has been personified as feminine throughout time. It is the name for the Book of Wisdom in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible and, in this (Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) tradition, was used to describe a theological concept regarding the wisdom of God (Hagia Sophia or Divine Wisdom). The concept and qualities of wisdom are also feminine, this from Solomon: "I loved her and sought her from my youth; I desired to take her for my bride, and became enamored of her beauty (Wis 8:2)" Interestingly, the word philosophy comes from "philo-sophia" which translates literally as "friend of wisdom". Sophia is honored as a goddess of wisdom by Gnostics.