Abstract
This chapter argues that the outpouring of wisdom upon all creation amounts to a form of revelation. This revelation is available to all humanity through the natural world, and thus the author terms this wisdom general wisdom. The chapter suggests that the distribution of wisdom to the elect constitutes a kind of revelation. This wisdom is labelled special wisdom. Ben Sira famously juxtaposes Wisdom and Torah. Most scholars refer to this juxtaposition as the identification of Wisdom and Torah. Concretely, the Torah is a divine guidebook. It represents the divine wisdom instruction (torah with a lower-case t) par excellence. For Ben Sira, the guidebook instructs individual Jews in how to live their lives with respect to both the ethical and ritual dimensions. The chapter examines how the author's description of Ben Sira's understanding of and wisdom relates to his notion of election.Keywords: Ben Sira; election; wisdom; revelation; wisdom; Torah
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
