Ben Sira

This article is about the Hellenistic Jewish sage. For the deuterocanonical book of the Bible, see Book of Sirach.
Jesus Ben Sirach 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Ben Sira or Joshua ben Sirach (Hebrew: שמעון בן יהושע בן אליעזר בן סירא, romanized: šimʿon ben yəhošuʿ ben ʾəliʿezer ben Sirā) (fl. 2nd century BCE) was a Hellenistic Jewish scribe, sage, and allegorist from Seleucid-controlled Jerusalem of the Second Temple period. He is the author of the Book of Sirach, also known as "Ecclesiasticus".

Ben Sirach wrote his work in Hebrew, possibly in Alexandria in the Ptolemaic Kingdom c. 180–175 BCE, where he is thought to have established a school.[1]

While Ben Sira is sometimes claimed to be a contemporary of Simeon the Just, it is more likely that his contemporary was High Priest Simon II (219–199 BCE) and this is due to confusion with his father, Joshua.[2]

A medieval text, the Alphabet of Sirach, was falsely attributed to him.

  1. ^ See Guillaume, Philippe, New Light on the Nebiim from Alexandria: A Chronography to Replace the Deuteronomistic History. PDF Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 5.9 (2004): sections 3–5: full notes and bibliography
  2. ^ אנציקלופדיה יהודית דעת – בן סירא. Jewish Encyclopedia Daat (in Hebrew). Herzog College. Retrieved 2013-09-06.