Aesop's Fables (~600BC?).

Other than hearing the story of The Tortoise And The Hare, this collection is something I had never read.  I listened to the entire set while traveling and was surprised at how many expressions in English - and one in Chinese - come from Aesop's Fables.  What was more surprising was that a few seemed to be out of the Bible.  The ones that most directly are in the Bible are:

Physician heal thyself.

This is from The Quack Frog:


Once upon a time a Frog came forth from his home in the marshes and proclaimed to all the world that he was a learned physician, skilled in drugs and able to cure all diseases. Among the crowd was a Fox, who called out, "You a doctor! Why, how can you set up to heal others when you cannot even cure your own lame legs and blotched and wrinkled skin?"


Physician, heal thyself.

The Bible passage is Luke 4:23


Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

The second is Those who will not work deserve to starve, which is from The Blacksmith and His Dog.  This is invoked by Paul in 2 Thessalonian 3:10:

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'

There are other similar usages, but they seem to me more of principles of wisdom that are common to humanity while the language or imagery isn't quite enough to draw attention.  One peculiar exception to this is the farmer who lights a fire to the tail of a fox seeking revenge.  The conclusion is "Revenge is a two-edged sword".  In the book of Judges, Samson also lights fires to the tails of foxes as part of his revenge.