Second Temple Jewish Scriptures — Scriptural Collections

Ben Sira Witnesses to Recognized Scriptural Divisions

c. 180-132 BC

Ben Sira and its Greek prologue refer to the Law, the Prophets, and other ancestral writings.

Full Account

The author of Ben Sira displays extensive knowledge of Israel's Scriptures. His grandson's Greek prologue speaks repeatedly of the Law, the Prophets, and the other books handed down from the ancestors.

This testimony does not list every book in the later Hebrew canon, but it shows that recognized groups of sacred writings already existed. Protestant readers may value Ben Sira as historical evidence without treating it as part of the Hebrew canon.

Historical Significance

The prologue provides important pre-Christian evidence for a three-part conception of Jewish sacred literature.

People, Places and Sources

Key people: Jesus ben Sira; the unnamed grandson and translator
Key places: Jerusalem; Alexandria; Egypt
Languages: Hebrew, Greek