| | [[File:Fugger Ehrenbuch 001.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|An Illustration of Joshua Sirach in Das Geheime Ehrenbuch der Fugger by the painter Jörg Breu the Younger, 1545–1549]] | | [[File:Fugger Ehrenbuch 001.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|An Illustration of Joshua Sirach in Das Geheime Ehrenbuch der Fugger by the painter Jörg Breu the Younger, 1545–1549]] |
| − | The '''Book of Sirach''', otherwise called ''The Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, or, '''Ecclesiasticus''''' (sometimes call the "Book of the Church," but not to be confused with the completely separate [[Book of Ecclesiastes]]), originally written in [[Hebrew]] but not part of the Hebrew [[Bible]], is part of the books of the [[Septuagint]], which is the [[Old Testament]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible''. In [[Lutheran]] and [[Anglican]] Bibles, the Book of Sirach is part of the [[Apocrypha]] section that straddles the Old Testament and [[New Testament]]. The [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] include fragments from this book, which indicates its acceptance by the [[Essenes]].<ref>Fragments of the original Hebrew text for this Book of Sirach have also been discovered in the Cairo Genizah.</ref> [[Augustine]] quotes verse 23:15 from this Book in his ''[[City of God]]''.<ref>https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45304/45304-h/45304-h.htm#Footnote_485_485</ref> | + | The '''Book of Sirach''', otherwise called ''The Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, or, '''Ecclesiasticus''''' (sometimes call the "Book of the Church," but not to be confused with the completely separate [[Book of Ecclesiastes]]), originally written in [[Hebrew]] but not part of the Hebrew [[Bible]], is part of the books of the [[Septuagint]], which is the [[Old Testament]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible''. In [[Lutheran]] and [[Anglican]] Bibles, the Book of Sirach is part of the [[Apocrypha]] section that straddles the Old Testament and [[New Testament]]. The [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] include fragments from this book, which indicates its acceptance by the [[Essenes]].<ref>Fragments of the original Hebrew text for this Book of Sirach have also been discovered in the Cairo Genizah.</ref> [[Augustine]] quotes from this Book in his ''[[City of God]]''.<ref>Augustine quoted, "Good is set against evil, and life against death: so is the sinner against the godly. So look upon all the works of the Most High, and these are two and two, one against another." https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45304/45304-h/45304-h.htm#Footnote_485_485 (attributed by a translator, perhaps incorrectly, to Sirach 23:15)</ref> |
| | The Book of Sirach's main [[theology|theological]] themes are the nature of wisdom, the importance of the [[fear of the Lord]], what constitutes [[morality|moral]] and [[ethics|ethical]] living, and the value of tradition and Jewish law. It also focuses on practical wisdom for daily life and the importance of maintaining Jewish identity amidst pagan cultural influences.<ref>[https://library.up.ac.za/c.php?g=894980&p=7722068#:~:text=The%20book%20of%20Sirach%20praises,particular%2C%20within%20the%20cosmic%20order. Theology: Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures: Individual Book - Sirach/Ecclesiasticus]</ref><ref>[https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-amazing-book-of-sirach The Amazing Book of Sirach]</ref><ref>[https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/56236/sirach Sirach], Catholic News Agency</ref> | | The Book of Sirach's main [[theology|theological]] themes are the nature of wisdom, the importance of the [[fear of the Lord]], what constitutes [[morality|moral]] and [[ethics|ethical]] living, and the value of tradition and Jewish law. It also focuses on practical wisdom for daily life and the importance of maintaining Jewish identity amidst pagan cultural influences.<ref>[https://library.up.ac.za/c.php?g=894980&p=7722068#:~:text=The%20book%20of%20Sirach%20praises,particular%2C%20within%20the%20cosmic%20order. Theology: Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures: Individual Book - Sirach/Ecclesiasticus]</ref><ref>[https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-amazing-book-of-sirach The Amazing Book of Sirach]</ref><ref>[https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/56236/sirach Sirach], Catholic News Agency</ref> |