The Expanded Text of Ecclesiasticus: Its Teaching on the Future Life as a Clue to its Origin 3110252589, 9783110252583

Table of contents :
Preface
Contents
An Appreciation
Introduction to Kearns' Dissertation
The Expanded Text of Ecclesiasticus. Its Teaching on the Future Life as a Clue to Its Origin
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations, Transliteration, Translation
Bibliography
Text
Appendix: The Divine Inspiration of the Added Passages
Index: Passages Discussed, or Quoted as Parallels
Bibliographical Updates 1951-2010
1. The Expanded Text of Ecclesiasticus
2. Ben Sira's Teaching on Death and Future Life
3. Ben Sira's Ideas on Resurrection and Messianism
Abbreviations

Citation preview

Conleth Kearns The Expanded Text of Ecclesiasticusȱ

Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies Edited by

Friedrich V. Reiterer, Beate Ego, Tobias Nicklas

Volume 11

De Gruyter

Conleth Kearns

The Expanded Text of Ecclesiasticus Its Teaching on the Future Life as a Clue to Its Origin

Enlarged with A Biographical Sketch of Kearns by Gerard Norton An Introduction to Kearns’ Dissertation by Maurice Gilbert Bibliographical Updates (1951–2010) by Núria Calduch-Benages

Edited by Pancratius C. Beentjes

De Gruyter

ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kearns, Conleth. The expanded text of Ecclesiasticus : its teaching on the future life as a clue to its origin / Conleth Kearns ; [edited by] Pancratius C. Beentjes ; [with contributions by] Gerard Norton, Maurice Gilbert, Núria CalduchBenages. p. cm. ȭ (Deuterocanonical and cognate literature studies, ISSN 1865-1666 ; v. 11) Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)ȭRome, 1951. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-3-11-025258-3 (hardcover 23 x 15,5 : alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. EcclesiasticusȭCriticism, Textual. 2. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Ecclesiasticusȭ Theology. 3. Future lifeȭBiblical teaching. I. Beentjes, Pancratius Cornelis. II. Norton, Gerard J. III. Gilbert, Maurice. IV. Calduch-Benages, Núria. V. Title. BS1765.52.K43 2010 2010041786 229'.404046ȭdc22

ISBN 978-3-11-025258-3 e-ISBN 978-3-11-025259-0 ISSN 1865-1666 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. © 2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/New York Printing and binding: Hubert & Co GmbH & Co KG, Göttingen Printed on acid-free paper Printed in Germany www.degruyter.com

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Introduction to Kearns’ Dissertation

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Kearns’ method and conclusions Kearns begins therefore by showing that there are some additions in some witnesses to the Hebrew text of Ben Sira; he then relies on the critical analyses by Aloys Fuchs.13 He then does the same for the Greek, Latin and Syriac versions. Lastly, he shows that the Latin version VL-Vg depends generally on a Greek version that contains additions. Thereafter, he arranges all the additions with theological content that are known in the various states of the text, to show their nature and unity of thought. He does not confine himself only to the added stichs and distichs, but includes the changes and additions of detail with regard to the text of the manuscripts with the authentic verses. To do so he distinguishes, on the one hand, the witnesses to Gr II and the Latin version and, on the other, those to the Hebrew text, then those to the Syriac version. With that work accomplished with great accuracy, Kearns concludes from it that there is unity of doctrine between the changes and additions of all the witnesses; thus he will speak of “The Expanded Text,” in other words Sir II (p. 66).14 In his first summary, he had noted the large number of texts of Sir II touching on eschatology.15 He would therefore dedicate the longest part of his thesis to that teaching on the afterlife in the various stages of the text of Ben Sira (pp. 66-76) and especially (pp. 89-224) he would compare it with the teachings found in Jewish literature, both canonical, especially Daniel and the WisdomȱofȱSolomon, and apocryphal or pseudepigraphical, that is to say 1Ȭ2 Enoch, 4ȱEzra, Jubilees, Psalmsȱofȱ Solomon and TestamentsȱofȱtheȱXIIȱPatriarchs. By adopting essentially these writings and some others, all dating, in his opinion, from the period going from about 200 B.C. until 100 A.D., Kearns differs from his predecessors Schlatter and Hart, who had had recourse to the writings of Hellenistic Judaism. He pays more attention to Palestinian Judaism before the Mishnah, the Talmuds and other rabbinic writings. He also distances himself from his two predecessors with a different approach to the texts. While Schlatter

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A. FUCHS, Textkritischeȱ Untersuchungenȱ zumȱ hebräischenȱ Ekklesiasticus.ȱ Dasȱ Plusȱ desȱ hebräischenȱ Textesȱ desȱ Ekklesiasticusȱ gegenüberȱ derȱ griechischenȱ Übersetzung (Biblische Studien 12/5), Freiburg i.B. 1907. In this article, references to pages in Kearns’ dissertation are according to the original typoscript. In the printed edition of Kearns’ dissertation below the original page numbers have been indicated with the help of a special system, e.g.ȱp. 66 of the typoscript =ȱ/77/ in the printed edition below [PCB]. See especially pp. 47-53 for Gr II and VL-Vg.

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