The Wisdom of Ben Sira, Portions of the Book Ecclesiasticus: From Hebrew Manuscripts in the Cairo Genizah Collection Presented to the University of Cambridge by the Editors (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Wisdom of Ben Sira, Portions of the Book Ecclesiasticus: From Hebrew Manuscripts in the Cairo Genizah Collection Presented to the University of Cambridge by the Editors

Looking at the Prologue to Ecclesiasticus in the light of the new discoveries, we see now that it warned us to expect what we have found. Of his ancestor's work and his own the younger Siracide wrote: my grandfather Jesus, having much given himself to the reading of the law, and the prophets, and the other books of our fathers, and having gained great familiarity therein, was drawn on also himself to write somewhat pertaining to instruction and wisdom; in Order that those who love learning, and are addicted to these things, might make progress much more by living according to the law. Ye are intreated therefore to read with favour and attention, and to pardon us, if in any parts of what we have laboured to interpret, we may seem to fail in some of the phrases. For things originally spoken in Hebrew have not the same force in them, when they are translated into another tongue: and not only these, but the law itself, and the prophecies, and the rest of the books, have no small difference, when they are spoken in their original language. For having come into Egypt in the eight and thirtieth year of Euergetes the king, and having continued there some time, I found a copy (or a like work) affording no small instruction. I thought it therefore most necessary for me to apply some diligence and travail to interpret this book; applying indeed much watchfulness and skill in that space of time to bring the book to an end, and set it forth for them also, who in the land of their sojourning are desirous to learn, fashioning their manners beforehand, so as to live according to the law.

Our author was drawn on also himself to write somewhat, after the manner of the Law, the Prophets, and the other Books, wherein he had gained great familiarity by much study. Ben Sira the younger, not having his ancestor's intimate acquaintance with the Hebrew Scriptures, naturally missed some of his allusions to them: as a translator he confesses his inability to give the same force in Greek to some things written in Hebrew: and he had to bring his arduous task to an. End in a limited space of time. Thus he prepares us for some of the remarkable errors which we find in his Version.

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