This work explores the theological and social dimensions of
generosity in the book of Sirach and contextualizes them within the
culture and thought of Second Temple Judaism. Ben Sira's
understanding of generosity is predicated on the tension between
affirming the classic wisdom principle of retributive justice and
recognizing its breakdown in the socio-economic circumstances of
Seleucid Judea. He forges a new Wisdom-Torah ethic of mercy in
which giving generously is an integral part of living "the good
life". While loans and surety are essential practices, almsgiving
is the preeminent act of generosity. The fundamental theological
logic at work consists in viewing the poor as proxies for God and
is based on the economic structure of Proverbs 19:17. Giving to the
poor is, in reality, a deposit in a heavenly treasury and will pay
future dividends. By situating Ben Sira's view of almsgiving within
the wider framework of retributive justice and its breakdown, new
light is shed on the practical tensions regarding the extent of
almsgiving and its relationship to the support of the Jerusalem
priesthood. The various dynamics of Ben Sira's thought on
generosity are situated within the broader Hellenistic world and in
their foundational role for later Jewish and Christian thought.
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