“When the Lord created his works from the beginning” (Sir 16:26a)
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Angelo Passaro
Abstract
The intention of this essay is to highlight a small, but, not unimportant aspect of Ben Sira’s eulogy on the creative action in Genesis 1-2. Ben Sira’s course of argument is arranged so as to begin from the question of the relationship between human freedom and the doctrine of retribution, and of the presumed indifference of God which is the reason for the moral indifference of human beings. This last issue is presented as the word of a fool in 16:17. So then, the text 16:26-17:14 is a riposte to the objections advanced by the fool in 16:17.20-22, a response which is based (as in 15:14-17) on the creative action of God and on the place which the human being is called to assume in the creation. In other words, the reprise of the creating theme is in view of a reformulation or fine-tuning of the problem of the relationship between human moral actions and God.
Abstract
The intention of this essay is to highlight a small, but, not unimportant aspect of Ben Sira’s eulogy on the creative action in Genesis 1-2. Ben Sira’s course of argument is arranged so as to begin from the question of the relationship between human freedom and the doctrine of retribution, and of the presumed indifference of God which is the reason for the moral indifference of human beings. This last issue is presented as the word of a fool in 16:17. So then, the text 16:26-17:14 is a riposte to the objections advanced by the fool in 16:17.20-22, a response which is based (as in 15:14-17) on the creative action of God and on the place which the human being is called to assume in the creation. In other words, the reprise of the creating theme is in view of a reformulation or fine-tuning of the problem of the relationship between human moral actions and God.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface: In memoriam Géza G. Xeravits (1971–2019) VII
- Contents IX
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Part 1: Old Testament and Early Judaism
- “From the Heavens, From the Earth” 1
- Different Texts and Different Interpretations of “Exile” 29
- Effaced and Naturalized Modes of Jewish Reading: The Judah and Tamar Story (Genesis 38), the Book of Jubilees, and Robert Alter 45
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Part 2: Qumran
- The Two Spirits and the Origin of Evil 63
- Reading Instruction as a Sectarian Composition 75
- Thoughts on the Way towards “Prolegomena” to an Introduction to the Writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls 93
- Levi, Levites and Worship in Qumran 107
- Children Confined in the House of Darkness 119
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Part 3: Deuterocanonica
- “Narrate omnia mirabilia eius” (Tob 12:20 Vg) 153
- The Rhetorical Function of Burying the Dead in the Book of Tobit 161
- Das Wortfeld „Sterben“ im 2. Makkabäerbuch 177
- The Topic of Intercession in Second Temple Judaism 189
- What’s in a Name? 207
- Des Menschen Wohltat und Gottes Wohlwollen 223
- “Better”–Proverbs in the Book of Ben Sira 241
- “When the Lord created his works from the beginning” (Sir 16:26a) 255
- “Pillars of Gold on Plinths of Silver. . .” (Sir 26:18) 265
- Ben Sira 36:18–37:15: the Art of Choosing 283
- The Enigma of the Judges in Ben Sira 46: 11–12 315
- Bethesda in Sirach 50 revised 335
- Is Wisdom in Baruch 3:9–4:4 Combined with Torah? 351
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Part 4: Cognate Literature
- Good and Bad Angels in the Vitae Prophetarum 371
- “All Is Vanity, Saith the Preacher” 389
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Part 5: Antique Synagogue
- An Evolutionary Perspective on Temple, Synagogue, and Ekklēsia with Special Focus on Paul 401
- Bibliography of Géza G. Xeravits 433
- List of Contributors 441
- Index of Modern Authors 443
- Index of Sources 451
- Index of Subjects 477
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface: In memoriam Géza G. Xeravits (1971–2019) VII
- Contents IX
-
Part 1: Old Testament and Early Judaism
- “From the Heavens, From the Earth” 1
- Different Texts and Different Interpretations of “Exile” 29
- Effaced and Naturalized Modes of Jewish Reading: The Judah and Tamar Story (Genesis 38), the Book of Jubilees, and Robert Alter 45
-
Part 2: Qumran
- The Two Spirits and the Origin of Evil 63
- Reading Instruction as a Sectarian Composition 75
- Thoughts on the Way towards “Prolegomena” to an Introduction to the Writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls 93
- Levi, Levites and Worship in Qumran 107
- Children Confined in the House of Darkness 119
-
Part 3: Deuterocanonica
- “Narrate omnia mirabilia eius” (Tob 12:20 Vg) 153
- The Rhetorical Function of Burying the Dead in the Book of Tobit 161
- Das Wortfeld „Sterben“ im 2. Makkabäerbuch 177
- The Topic of Intercession in Second Temple Judaism 189
- What’s in a Name? 207
- Des Menschen Wohltat und Gottes Wohlwollen 223
- “Better”–Proverbs in the Book of Ben Sira 241
- “When the Lord created his works from the beginning” (Sir 16:26a) 255
- “Pillars of Gold on Plinths of Silver. . .” (Sir 26:18) 265
- Ben Sira 36:18–37:15: the Art of Choosing 283
- The Enigma of the Judges in Ben Sira 46: 11–12 315
- Bethesda in Sirach 50 revised 335
- Is Wisdom in Baruch 3:9–4:4 Combined with Torah? 351
-
Part 4: Cognate Literature
- Good and Bad Angels in the Vitae Prophetarum 371
- “All Is Vanity, Saith the Preacher” 389
-
Part 5: Antique Synagogue
- An Evolutionary Perspective on Temple, Synagogue, and Ekklēsia with Special Focus on Paul 401
- Bibliography of Géza G. Xeravits 433
- List of Contributors 441
- Index of Modern Authors 443
- Index of Sources 451
- Index of Subjects 477
