"His yesterday and yours today" (Sir 38:22)s on Ben Sira's view of death
Ben Sira's continuity with Old Testament wisdom is well known. It is also conventional, with Hengel (1974), to label him as a resolute opponent of Hellenism, an axiom contested in this paper. On the questions of a good life, fitting manner of death, mourning and value of a good name Ben Sira co...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1990
|
| In: |
Journal for semitics
Year: 1990, Volume: 2, Issue: 1, Pages: 44-56 |
| Further subjects: | B
Jewish Tradition
B Stoic notion of natural law B Ben Sira B Hellenism B Old Testament wisdom |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Ben Sira's continuity with Old Testament wisdom is well known. It is also conventional, with Hengel (1974), to label him as a resolute opponent of Hellenism, an axiom contested in this paper. On the questions of a good life, fitting manner of death, mourning and value of a good name Ben Sira conforms to Jewish tradition, although unlike his grandson and translator he disbelieves in the world to come. Ben Sira bas an unusually enlightened approach to medicine: in cases of chronic sickness he values quality of life more highly than its preservation. As a monist he accepts life and death as part of God's providential order, an idea closely akin to the Stoic notion of natural law. The conclusion is that Ben Sira is a unique figure, combining Jewish piety with the best of popular Hellenistic philosophy. |
|---|---|
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for semitics
|
| Persistent identifiers: | HDL: 10520/AJA10318471_198 |
