ments' of the Papal Church, he appears studiously to ignore[1]—more especially the latter—and he thereby puts himself into direct opposition to the newer popular orthodoxy. For though not the invention (as M. Renan regards it) of the Maccabean period, there can be no doubt that the doctrine of the Resurrection became then for the first time an article of the popular creed. Instead of the 'awakening to everlasting life' (Dan. xii. 2), it is the peaceful but hopeless life of the spirits in Sheól to which he resignedly looks forward.
Weep for the dead, for he hath lost the light,
and weep for the fool, for he wanteth understanding:
make little weeping for the dead, for he is at rest,
but the life of the fool is worse than death.[2]
This, however orthodox (as former generations had counted orthodoxy), was rank Sadduceanism, and hence (for how otherwise to interpret the glosses of the Greek and Syriac versions of xlviii. 11b[3] it is difficult to see) very early readers of Sirach, especially perhaps well-meaning but unscrupulous Christian readers, effected an entrance for their cherished beliefs by violence.
Another point on which Sirach is equally—shall we say orthodox, or reactionary?—is the connection between piety and temporal prosperity. He really seems to be no more troubled by doubts on this ancient doctrine than the author of the beautiful, but in this respect naïvely simple, introduction to the Book of Proverbs. This perhaps was strange under Sirach's circumstances. How striking and even pain-
- ↑ True, the Greek version of Sirach has, at xxi. 27, the words, 'When the ungodly curseth the Satan, he curseth his own soul;' but 'the Satan' may here be synonymous with the depraved will, the yēç,er rā] (this seems to have Talmudic authority; see Weber, System der altsynag. pal. Theol., pp. 228-9). In Baba bathra, 15a, Satan is not distinguished from the yēçer rā{' [I added ' as a placeholder. See https://www.pgdp.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=74521 for what it should actually be.]. See Appendix.
- ↑ Chap. xxii. 11. Comp. xiv. 11-19 (correcting by the help of the Syriac),
xvii. 27, 28, 30. Contrast the glowing language of the 'Wisdom of Solomon,'
iii. 1-4. - ↑ The Syriac has, 'Nevertheless he dieth not, but liveth indeed.' The Greek version I have quoted farther on. Also the Latin, which probably corresponds most to the original. See Geiger, Zeitschr. d. d. morg. Ges., xii. 536. The false reading [Greek: kekoimêmenoi], adopted by A.V., for [Greek: kekosmêmenoi], in xlviii. 11a], is due to the same theological motive.
