Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada)
The lost Hebrew original of Sirach, recovered from a Cairo synagogue storeroom and a fortress casemate
Found 1896 — Agnes Lewis and Margaret Gibson brought a leaf from Cairo that Solomon Schechter identified in May 1896; Schechter then recovered the Cairo Genizah for Cambridge (1896–97). The Masada scroll was found by Yigael Yadin's expedition in April 1964
Where Ben Ezra Synagogue, Fustat (Cairo); Masada casemate 1109 (Egypt; Israel)
Dates from Composed c. 190–175 BCE; Masada copy c. 100–50 BCE · Hellenistic (Masada scroll); medieval copies (Genizah) · Just before the Maccabean revolt; the wisdom of the Second Temple scribes
Now at Cambridge University Library and other Genizah collections (Oxford, JTS New York, British Library); Masada scroll at the Israel Antiquities Authority / Shrine of the Book, Jerusalem
How Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada) was found
Genizah leaves came from the storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Fustat (Old Cairo). At Masada the scroll lay in a casemate room of the wall, left by the Zealot defenders of 73 CE. Two more Ben Sira fragments came from Qumran Cave 2 and Cave 11.
What it is
Six medieval Hebrew manuscripts of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) from the Genizah, 10th–12th century, cover about two-thirds of the book. The Masada scroll is seven columns of leather with Ben Sira 39:27–44:17 in a 1st-century BCE hand.
Why it matters for the Bible
The Wisdom of Ben Sira was known for centuries only in Greek and Syriac; the grandson's Greek prologue said it was written in Hebrew, and rabbis quoted Hebrew lines, but the text was lost. The Genizah leaves restored it, and the Masada scroll proved the medieval copies faithfully preserved a text copied within a century of the author. Ben Sira's 'Praise of the Fathers' (chapters 44–50) is the earliest survey of Israel's biblical heroes and its praise of the high priest Simon shows Temple worship around 200 BCE.
The Hebrew word: choch-MAH
חָכְמָה
חָכְמָה is pronounced choch-MAH and means wisdom, the theme of Ben Sira's book (Strong's H2451).
People this discovery connects to
- Simon the high priest — שִׁמְעוֹן (shim-ONE) — heard
Places
- Jerusalem — יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (ye-roo-shah-LAH-yim) — foundation of peace (traditional)
Events
Wisdom teaching in Jerusalem before the Maccabean revolt · Zealot occupation of Masada, 66–73 CE
Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada) in Scripture
Proverbs 1:7 Ben Sira's opening theme, 'the fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom', comes straight from Proverbs.
Deuteronomy 4:6 Ben Sira identifies wisdom with the Torah given to Israel, building on Moses' words.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 The Masada columns end in the 'Praise of the Fathers' that begins by praising those who feared God and kept his commandments.
Questions people ask
What is Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada)?
Six medieval Hebrew manuscripts of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) from the Genizah, 10th–12th century, cover about two-thirds of the book. The Masada scroll is seven columns of leather with Ben Sira 39:27–44:17 in a 1st-century BCE hand.
When was Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada) discovered?
It was found in 1896 by Agnes Lewis and Margaret Gibson brought a leaf from Cairo that Solomon Schechter identified in May 1896; Schechter then recovered the Cairo Genizah for Cambridge (1896–97). The Masada scroll was found by Yigael Yadin's expedition in April 1964, at Ben Ezra Synagogue, Fustat (Cairo); Masada casemate 1109.
Where is Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada) today?
Cambridge University Library and other Genizah collections (Oxford, JTS New York, British Library); Masada scroll at the Israel Antiquities Authority / Shrine of the Book, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Hebrew Ben Sira (Cairo Genizah and Masada) relate to?
Proverbs 1:7, Deuteronomy 4:6, Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Related discoveries
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- רֹאשׁHazor: The Middle Bronze City Named at MariCanaan's largest city, already famous in Avraham's world
- מִקְדָּשׁTemple Scroll (11QTa)The longest Dead Sea Scroll, a rewritten Torah describing an ideal Temple and its laws
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- רַעַשׁHazor: Israelite Citadel and Water ShaftYadin's Omride-period fortress and the 40-metre shaft to the water table
Sources
- Yadin, The Ben Sira Scroll from Masada (1965; rev. 1999)
- bensira.org: The Book of Ben Sira Hebrew manuscripts
- Wikipedia: Cairo Geniza
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