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Ben Sira
200 BCE – 175 BCE · JerusalemSecond Temple
Description
The Book of Sirach, also known as The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, The Wisdom of Jesus son of Eleazar, or Ecclesiasticus, is a Jewish literary work originally written in Biblical Hebrew. The longest extant wisdom book from antiquity, it consists of ethical teachings, written by Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira, a Hellenistic Jewish scribe of the Second Temple period.
Facts
| Genesis | Bereshit |
| Exodus | Shemot |
| Leviticus | Wayiqra |
| Numbers | Bemidbar |
| Deuteronomy | Devarim |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira (Ben Sira, or—according to the Greek text—"Joshua the son of Sirach of Jerusalem") was a Hellenistic Jewish scribe of the Second Temple period. |
| Alternative titles | The Koine Greek translation was accepted in the Septuagint under the abbreviated name of the author: Sirakh (Σιραχ). |
| Structure | As with other wisdom books, there is no easily recognizable structure in Sirach; in many parts it is difficult to discover a logical progression of thought or to discern the principles of arrangement. |
| Content | The Book of Sirach is a collection of ethical teachings that closely resembles Proverbs, except that—unlike the latter—it is presented as the work of a single author and not as an anthology of maxims or aphorisms drawn from various sources. |
| Canonical status | Despite containing the oldest known list of Jewish canonical texts, the Book of Sirach itself is not part of the Jewish canon. |
| Manuscripts | The Book of Sirach was originally written in Biblical Hebrew( |
| Theological significance | Although excluded from the Jewish canon, the Book of Sirach was well known among Jews during the late Second Temple period. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Ben Sira, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| Before all things wisdom was created, and prudent understanding from eternity | Sir 1:4 |
| He created her, saw her and numbered her; he poured her out upon all his works | Sir 1:9 |