Knowra Book of Sirach Book of Sirach The Book of Sirach is a Jewish wisdom work composed in Hebrew around the early second century BCE. It is included in Catholic and Orthodox biblical canons and is also called Ecclesiasticus.
Wisdom literature : A body of texts that explores knowledge, conduct, suffering, and the order of life. Sirach belongs to this scriptural tradition of practical and theological reflection.
Ben Sira : The Jewish sage traditionally identified as the author of the Book of Sirach. The book’s prologue names him as its Hebrew author.
Personification of Wisdom : A literary practice that portrays wisdom as a person who speaks, acts, or invites human beings. Sirach depicts Wisdom as a divine gift and a guide for human life.
Deuterocanonical books : Books accepted as scripture by Catholic and Orthodox churches but not included in the Jewish or most Protestant canons. Sirach is one of the major works in this collection.
Hebrew Bible : The collection of Jewish scriptures that forms the basis of the Jewish religious canon. Sirach reworks scriptural traditions that its author treats as authoritative.
Jerusalem : A city in the southern Levant and the historical center of Jewish worship and political life. Ben Sira taught in Jerusalem, where the book locates his work.
Fear of God : A biblical expression for reverence and faithful obedience toward God. Sirach makes reverence for God the foundation of knowledge and ethical conduct.
Biblical canon : The collection of books a religious community recognizes as authoritative scripture. Sirach’s status differs among Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant canons.
Proverbs : A biblical collection of concise teachings about wisdom, conduct, and the fear of God. Its sayings provide a close scriptural parallel for Sirach’s practical instruction.
Septuagint : An ancient Greek translation of Jewish scriptures, produced over several centuries before and around the Common Era. Ben Sira’s grandson translated the book into Greek for readers in Egypt.
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