Wisdom, Cosmos, and Cultus in the Book of Sirach (Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies) (Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies, 42)

The book of Sirach is a significant theological Jewish document from the 2nd century BCE. This volume examines the interrelationships among three prominent themes within the book: the orderliness of creation, peoples ability to attain wisdom, and the centrality of the cultus in Jewish life. Particular consideration is given to Ben Siras poems about wisdom, the created universe, human labor, and the priestly figures Aaron, Phinehas, and Simon. Publisher's description: Despite the attention that has already been paid to the theme of creation in the book of Sirach, scholarship has yet to provide a comprehensive analysis of Ben Sira's instruction regarding the cosmic order and its role in the divine bestowal of wisdom upon human beings. This book, which consists of two parts, fills a lacuna in scholarship by offering such an analysis. The first part of this study examines Ben Sira's three main treatments of the created world, thus providing a comprehensive description and synthesis of Ben Sira's doctrine concerning the created order of the cosmos. The second part of this work analyzes the place of human beings in general, and the Jewish people in particular, within the cosmic order. This second part includes an analysis of the role of the created order in Ben Sira's wisdom instruction in 1:1-10 and 24:1-34 as well as an elucidation of the way in which his treatments of various kinds of people--civic leaders, wives, doctors, manual laborers, scribes, and cultic personnel--are integral to Ben Sira's doctrine of creation. This study demonstrates that the created order is a fundamental category that Ben Sira relies upon in articulating his instructions about wisdom and wise behavior Preface 5 Contents 7 Abbreviations 12 1. Introduction 15 Part 1: Ben Sira’s Instruction Concerning the Cosmos 49 Introduction 49 2. The Well-Ordered Cosmos 51 3. Ben Sira’s Instruction About God’s Works 95 4. The Wondrous Beauty of the Cosmos 154 Part 2: The Role of Human Beings within the Created Order 225 Introduction 225 5. Ben Sira’s Presentation of Wisdom 227 6. Human Contribution to the Cosmic Order 316 7. The High Priest, the Cultus, and the Cosmic Order 379 8. Conclusion 454 Bibliography 465 Index of References 497 Index of Topics 517