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About two-thirds of the Hebrew text of Ben Sira is now available in at least one of the nine ancient or medieval Hebrew manuscripts. The earliest manuscript, discovered at Masada in 1964, perhaps dates from about a century after the works composition, yet even it shows probable signs of scribal editing, since it never uses the Tetragrammaton. The anthological character of MS C makes it different from all the other medieval Genizah Hebrew manuscripts of Ben Sira. In fact, this manuscript diverges from those other Ben Sira MSS in two ways: excerpting and resequencing. Some scholars have proposed an educational function, not only because of the content, but also because the manuscript has large Hebrew letters written on small leaves of paper. Some scholars have proposed an educational function, not only because of the content, but also because the manuscript has large Hebrew letters written on small leaves of paper. Keywords: anthological manuscript; Ben Sira; Genizah; Hebrew

By lovingly recording Simeon's central place in the temple worship, Ben Sira is able to present his deceased friend as the latest in the long line of Israelite heroes. With many scholars, the author assumes that the Praise of the Ancestors comprises 44:1-50:24 and thus culminates in the praise of Simeon II. According to a common eight-part division of Ben Sira's book, 44:1-15 serves as the introduction to Part VIII (44:1-50:24). This chapter discusses the 44:1-15 in three sections: the ancestors deserving honour (44:1-6); the contrast between remembered and forgotten ancestors (44:7-9); and the blessings bequeathed by honourable ancestors (44:10-15). In each section, the chapter presents the Hebrew text attested in the Masada scroll and/or the great Genizah manuscript B, generally giving preference to the Masada text. Keywords: ancestors; Ben Sira; Hebrew text; Israelite heroes; Masada scroll; Simeon II; Sirach 44:1-15; temple worship