The first installment of a new, authoritative two-volume commentary on the Wisdom of Ben SiraThe Wisdom of Ben Sira, the longest extant Jewish instructional text from the Second Temple period, is a work of compendious advice and vivid theological reflection. Penned in the early second century BCE, and referencing numerous figures and details from Israel’s sacred traditions, it features colorful discourses on virtuous behavior, relationships, wisdom, sin, divine providence, justice, death, the history of Israel, and numerous other topics. These witty and at times controversial reflections also offer an invaluable window into the cultural and economic landscape of postexilic Judea in the tumultuous days preceding the Hasmonean dynasty, as Hellenistic influences swept the Mediterranean. This commentary features a fresh and updated translation of the first twenty-four chapters of the text, a lengthy introduction, and extensive pericope-by-pericope notes and commentary. The translation is based on a new analysis of the principal Hebrew manuscripts as well as the ancient translations, while the introduction traces the major themes and topics of the text and provides an in-depth overview of the manuscript sources, as well as the numerous points of contact with Jewish, Hellenistic, and Egyptian works.
