Discovering, Deciphering and Dissenting: Ben Sira Manuscripts after 120 years

Description

The discovery of Hebrew manuscripts of Ben Sira in the Cairo Genizah transformed the interpretation of the book. Since their discovery attention has been directed on the interpretation of the ancient book, but this volume gives serious consideration to the Hebrew manuscripts themselves. It examines the early discoveries, the codicology and reception of the manuscripts, and the light they throw on the Hebrew language and poetic techniques. Contents Abbreviations Introduction I. Discovery and Disputes Notes on Jumbo’s Desk Charles Taylor as a Man of St John’s How Ben Sira Crossed my Path II. The Hebrew Manuscripts and Rabbinic Circles Some First Editions of Genizah Manuscripts of Ben Sira The “Booklet” of Ben Sira Scribal Practices in Ben Sira Manuscript B The Persian Glosses and the Text of Manuscript B Revisited The Synoptic Problem and the Reception of the Ben Sira Manuscripts Various Attempts at Producing a Ben Sira Polyglo Ben Sira—Biblical Sage, Rabbi, and Payyeṭan Ben Sira: A Rabbinic Perspective III. The Poetry of the Book The Poetry of Ben Sira Manuscript C Ben Sira’s Hebrew Poetry in Comparison with the Psalter Poetic Imagery in the Book of Ben Sira The Theological and Philosophical Concepts of Ben Sira IV. The Language of the Book The Hebrew of the Ben Sira Manuscripts from the Genizah Transmission and Transformation of Ben Sira’s Poetic Language The Contribution of the Language of The Book of Ben Sira to Biblical Hebrew Philology Biographies of Authors Index of References Index of Authors Index of Subjects