NOTE: These are recordings that I made for myself many, many years ago. In most instances, they are first time run throughs, which I made in the odd moments that I could get to them. I had a crude stereo with a condenser mic set up in a spare room where I could add a few minutes here, a half-hour there and so on, so sometimes Im tired, sometimes exhausted, sometimes fresh and sometimes not. You get the picture. I was simply eager to learn what all these books had to say. They soon became my whole world, and I realized my calling. For the most part, they are still not available in audio format, so I thought Id share what I had with those who are eager to learn. If you immerse yourselves in these things, you will gain a much broader and deeper understanding of the Word, and come to appreciate just HOW MUCH these books are referred in the Bible.
Sirach, by Ben Sira, also known as Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, the Wisdom of Ben Sira, or Ecclesiasticus, is a work from the second century BC, originally written in Hebrew.
The book is included in the Septuagint and is accepted as part of the biblical canon by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and most Oriental Orthodox but not by most Protestants, and is listed in among the Deuterocanonical books in Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. Although it was not accepted into the Tanakh, the Jewish biblical canon, Sirach is occasionally quoted in the Talmud and works of rabbinic literature. The Greek Church Fathers also called it "The All-Virtuous Wisdom," while the Latin Church Fathers, beginning with Cyprian, termed it Ecclesiasticus because it was frequently read in churches, leading to the title liber ecclesiasticus (Latin and Latinised Greek for "church book").
In Egypt, it was translated into Greek by the author's grandson, who added a prologue. The Prologue to Ben Sira is generally considered the earliest witness to a canon of the books of the prophets, and thus the date of the text as we have it is the subject of intense scrutiny.
Tanakh: (Books common to all Christian and Judaic canons) Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 & 2 Samuel 1 & 2 Kings 1 & 2 Chronicles Ezra (Esdras) Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Minor prophets. Deuterocanon: Tobit Judith 1 & 2Maccabees Wisdom (of Solomon) Sirach Baruch Letter of Jeremiah Additions to Daniel Additions to Esther.
Thank you for these
MrMark8602 1 year ago
@MrMark8602 Thank you for listening. I love this book! Even most of those who threw it out hated to do it!
Apocryphile1970 1 year ago
Oh, man, this book is a literary masterpiece. Even though it is from the apocrypha, it is used throughout the New Testament! You could easily compare Sir 2:1 with 1Pet 4:12; Sir 5:11-12 with James 1:19; 7:14b with Matt 6:7. I mean, after Enoch and the Wisdom of Solomon, this is perhaps the most quoted apocryphal book in the the New Testament. It's such a shame that "Orthodox Christianity" actively seeks to cover this up, because it is absolutely a masterpiece of wisdom literature!
Apocryphile1970 2 years ago