Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

1,329 texts · Page 8 of 148

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha: ancient Jewish texts composed during the Second Temple period that, while not included in the canonical Hebrew Bible, preserve invaluable traditions about angels, the afterlife, and the end of days.

Wisdom of Ben Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 13:5

The ancient wisdom of Ben Sira, also known as Ecclesiasticus, wrestles with these very imbalances. Ben Sira, in chapter 13, pulls no punches. He gets right to the heart of unequal ...

Ancient Proverb and Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 13:10

Ben Sira, that ancient sage, had some thoughts on that. And let me tell you, they’re as relevant today as they were back then. He starts with a warning: "Hath he need of thee? Then...

Ancient Proverb of Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 13:16

Ben Sira, that wise sage whose teachings nearly made it into the Bible, had some thoughts on that. And let's be honest, who hasn't encountered someone like that? Ben Sira cautions ...

Counsel of the Sages and Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 13:22

Ben Sira, in his wisdom, saw this dynamic playing out thousands of years ago. He uses sharp, almost brutal imagery to paint a picture of inequality. Let’s dive in. He starts with a...

Wisdom

Lamp of Wisdom and Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 14:1

In his wisdom writings, preserved for us in the book we call Ben Sira, he observes the stark contrast in how society treats the rich and the poor. It's a timeless truth, isn't it? ...

Wisdom

Bond of the Soul and Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 14:6

It offers a surprisingly direct and honest assessment of the self-destructive tendencies we all wrestle with. "Happy is the man whose soul hath not reproached him; And whose expect...

Soul

Wisdom of Ben Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 14:12

It has some pretty strong words for those of us prone to envy. "In the eye of a fool," Ben Sira tells us, "his portion is small; but he that taketh his neighbour's portion wasteth ...

Hell/Gehenna

Wisdom of Ben Sira and Sheol

Apocrypha Ben Sira 14:17

And surprisingly, it’s not all about deprivation. Ben Sira gets right to the point: "Do good to a friend before you die; and as your hand attains, give unto him." It’s a simple, po...

Hell/GehennaSoul

Silver of Wisdom and Sira

Apocrypha Ben Sira 14:23

"As leaves grow upon a green tree," he writes, "Whereof one withereth, and another springeth up; So of the generations of flesh and blood, One perisheth, and another ripeneth." (Be...

Wisdom