Foreign Nations in the Wisdom of Ben Sira

Foreign Nations in the Wisdom of Ben Sira
Author: Marko Marttila
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 301
Release: 2012-01-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110270110

Ben Sira lived in an era when Hellenistic influences continued to spread in Palestine. The supreme political power was in the hands of foreign rulers. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that Ben Sira discusses the position of foreign nations in several passages. The tone varies due to the given context. This study demonstrates that Ben Sira’s relationship to foreign nations is best defined as “balanced”, as his attitude is neither thoroughly hostile nor that of uncritically embracing Gentiles. On the basis of certain passages, one can get the impression that even the foreigners could be recipients of the Torah. On the other hand, some nations were regarded by earlier biblical authors as archenemies of Israel, and these anti-elect people caused also Ben Sira’s anger to be provoked. Ben Sira was deeply rooted in Judaism but this did not prevent him from being open toward foreign influences as far as they were compatible with his religious and cultural heritage.

For Wisdom's Sake

For Wisdom's Sake
Author: Nuria Calduch-Benages
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2021-03-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110492318

This volume brings together twenty-four articles of Prof. Calduch-Benages' work on the book of Ben Sira over the last two decades. Some were written originally in English and others have been translated from Spanish and Italian originals. They are divided in three groups: introductory, thematic, and exegetical essays. The exegetical articles offer a detail study of several passages of the book, some of them pivotal in the structure of the book (Sir 2,1; 4,11-19; 6,22; 22,27–23,6; 23,27; 24,22; 27,30–28,7; 34,1-8; 34,9-12; 42,15–43,33; 43,27-33). The thematic essays deal with important theological issues such as canon and inspiration, wisdom, fear of the lord, trial, cult, prayer, forgiveness, and creation. Other no less important issues such as power and authority, dreams, travels, perfumes, animals and garments are discussed as well. Special attention is given to topics related with women, for instance, Ben Sira’s classification of wives, divorce, polygamy, and the absence of named women in the Praise of the Ancestors (Sir 44–50).

The Apocalyptic Letter to the Galatians

The Apocalyptic Letter to the Galatians
Author: James M. Scott
Publisher: Lexington Books
Total Pages: 430
Release: 2021-05-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1978705476

One “apocalyptic” reading of Paul’s letter to the Galatians has been attempted before and is now widely accepted, but that reading is not based on a thorough engagement with Jewish apocalyptic traditions of the Second Temple period. In this book, James M. Scott argues that there is an essential continuity between Galatians and Paul’s Jewish past, and that Paul uses the apocalyptic Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 92–105) as a literary model for his own letter. Scott first contextualizes the Epistle of Enoch using the entire Enochic corpus and explores the extensive similarities (and some significant differences) between the Enochic tradition and early Stoicism. Then he turns to deal specifically with Paul’s letter to the Galatians, showing that, despite their obvious differences, the two apocalyptic letters have some remarkable features in common as well. This approach to the interpretation of Galatians fundamentally stands to change the way biblical scholars understand Paul’s letter and the gospel that he preached. Paul is “within Judaism,” if the net for what is included in “Judaism” is wide enough to encompass the Enochic tradition.

Discovering, Deciphering and Dissenting

Discovering, Deciphering and Dissenting
Author: James K. Aitken
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 452
Release: 2019-01-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110612976

The discovery of Hebrew manuscripts of Ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah has shaped and transformed the interpretation of the book. It is argued here that a proper appreciation of the manuscripts themselves is also essential for understanding this ancient work. Since their discovery 120 years ago and subsequent identification of leaves, attention has been directed to the interpretation of the ancient book, the Wisdom of Ben Sira. Serious consideration should also be given to the Hebrew manuscripts themselves and their particular contributions to understanding the language and transmission of the book. The surprising appearance of a work that was preserved by Christians and denounced by some Rabbis raises questions over the preservation of the book. At the same time, diversity among the manuscripts means that exegesis has to be built on an appreciation of the individual manuscripts. The contributors examine the manuscripts in this light, examining their discovery, the codicology and reception of the manuscripts within rabbinic and medieval Judaism, and the light they throw on the Hebrew language and poetic techniques. The book is essential reading for those working on Ben Sira, the reception of the deuterocanon, and Medieval Hebrew manuscripts.

Wisdom's Root Revealed

Wisdom's Root Revealed
Author: Greg Schmidt Goering
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2009
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9004165797

This monograph interprets the theme of election in the book of Sirach. Previous scholarship has often understood Ben Sira s worldview to be dualistic, and has approached the sage's correlation of Wisdom and Torah as either a nationalization of Wisdom or a universalization of Torah. By probing Ben Sira s ideas about election, this book suggests that Ben Sira does not collapse the traditional sapiential dichotomy wisdom/folly into a dualistic worldview, and that his understanding of the relation between Wisdom and Torah proves to be far more subtle than previous interpretations have allowed. The study demonstrates that the concept of election enables a profitable discussion of the relation of Wisdom and Torah in the thought of this pivotal Second Temple sage.

Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature

Notions of Time in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature
Author: Stefan Beyerle
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 706
Release: 2021-12-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110705478

A comprehensive investigation of notions of "time" in deuterocanonical and cognate literature, from the ancient Jewish up to the early Christian eras, requires further scholarship. The aim of this collection of articles is to contribute to a better understanding of "time" in deuterocanonical literature and pseudepigrapha, especially in Second Temple Judaism, and to provide criteria for concepts of time in wisdom literature, apocalypticism, Jewish and early Christian historiography and in Rabbinic religiosity. Essays in this volume, representing the proceedings of a conference of the "International Society for the Study of Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature" in July 2019 at Greifswald, discuss concepts and terminologies of "time", stemming from novellas like the book of Tobit, from exhortations for the wise like Ben Sira, from an apocalyptic time table in 4 Ezra, the book of Giants or Daniel, and early Christian and Rabbinic compositions. The volume consists of four chapters that represent different approaches or hermeneutics of "time:" I. Axial Ages: The Construction of Time as "History", II. The Construction of Time: Particular Reifications, III. Terms of Time and Space, IV. The Construction of Apocalyptic Time. Scholars and students of ancient Jewish and Christian religious history will find in this volume orientation with regard to an important but multifaceted and sometimes disparate topic.

Functions of Psalms and Prayers in the Late Second Temple Period

Functions of Psalms and Prayers in the Late Second Temple Period
Author: Mika S. Pajunen
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 562
Release: 2017-07-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 311044853X

When thinking about psalms and prayers in the Second Temple period, the Masoretic Psalter and its reception is often given priority because of modern academic or theological interests. This emphasis tends to skew our understanding of the corpus we call psalms and prayers and often dampens or mutes the lived context within which these texts were composed and used. This volume is comprised of a collection of articles that explore the diverse settings in which psalms and prayers were used and circulated in the late Second Temple period. The book includes essays by experts in the Hebrew bible, the Dead Sea scrolls, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, and the New Testament, in which a wide variety of topics, approaches, and methods both old and new are utilized to explore the many functions of psalms and prayers in the late Second Temple period. Included in this volume are essays examining how psalms were read as prophecy, as history, as liturgy, and as literature. A variety methodologies are employed, and include the use of cognitive sciences and poetics, linguistic theory, psychology, redaction criticism, and literary theory.

The Firstborn Son in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity

The Firstborn Son in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity
Author: Kyu Seop Kim
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2019-01-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 900439494X

Despite scholars’ ongoing historical and sociological investigations into the ancient family, the right and the status of the firstborn son have been rarely explored by NT scholars, and this topic has not attracted the careful attention that it deserves. This work offers a study of the meaning of the firstborn son in the New Testament paying specific attention to the concept of primogeniture in the Old Testament and Jewish literature. This study argues that primogeniture was a unique institution in Jewish society, and that the title of the firstborn son indicates his access to the promise of Israel, and is associated with the right of the inheritance (i.e., primogeniture) including the Land and the special status of Israel.

Abraham in Jewish and Early Christian Literature

Abraham in Jewish and Early Christian Literature
Author: Sean A. Adams
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2019-11-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 056767553X

This book is open access and available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Knowledge Unlatched. Jewish and early Christian authors discussed Abraham in numerous and diverse ways, adapting his Old Testament narratives and using Abrahamic imagery in their works. However, while some areas of study in Abrahamic texts have received much scholarly attention, other areas remain nearly untouched. Beginning with a perspective on how Abraham was used within Jewish literature, this collection of essays follows the impact of Abraham across biblical texts–including Pseudigraphic and Apocryphal texts – into early Greek, Latin and Gnostic literature. These essays build upon existing Abraham scholarship, by discussing Abraham in less explored areas such as rewritten scripture, Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, the Apostolic Fathers and contemporary Greek and Latin authors. Through the presentation of a more thorough outline of the impact of the figure and stories of Abraham, the contributors to this volume create a concise and complete idea of how his narrative was employed throughout the centuries, and how ancient authors adopted and adapted received traditions.

Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls

Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls
Author: Joel Baden
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 1538
Release: 2016-10-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9004324747

This volume, a tribute to John J. Collins by his friends, colleagues, and students, includes essays on the wide range of interests that have occupied John Collins’s distinguished career. Topics range from the ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple Judaism and beyond into early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism. The contributions deal with issues of text and interpretation, history and historiography, philology and archaeology, and more. The breadth of the volume is matched only by the breadth of John Collins’s own work.