Sirach

Richard Coggins

• Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press
• Year: 1997
• Print ISBN: 9781850757658
• eBook ISBN: 9780567576743
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Sirach is a book that raises a very distinctive set of problems. What should we call it (Sirach, Ecclesiasticus, Ben Sira)? What is the relation between the traditional Greek text and the recently rediscovered Hebrew parts of the book? Where did it stand in relation to Jewish tradition and the Hellenism that was sweeping the Mediterranean world? In this guide, a new addition to Sheffield's series on the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, these questions are discussed, as well as the use the author made of Scripture, and the scholarly placing of the book in the Wisdom tradition. The author's attitude to women is considered and the volume ends with a consideration of some of the chief theological themes of Sirach.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• Commentaries and Other Important Studies
• Abbreviations
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Structure and Contents
• 3. The Languages of the Book
• 4. The Social and Religious Background of Sirach
• 5. Sirach within Judaism
• 6. Use of 'Scripture'
• 7. Setting: The Development of the Wisdom Tradition
• 8. Praise of the Ancestors
• 9. Attitude to Women
• 10. Theological Themes
• Appendix A: The English Versions
• Appendix B: Survey of Research
• Index of References
• Index of Authors