Then and Now
I recently published a commentary on the book of Ben Sira in the Jewish Annotated Apocrypha. As a result of that, I was invited by Rabbi Drew Kaplan to appear on his podcast series, “Jewish Drinking.” Before this appearance, I had never much thought about how Ben Sira’s approach to wine fit into a wider conversation about how different Jewish texts portray drinking. I thank Rabbi Kaplan for the opportunity to explore this topic with him.
The Book of Ben Sira was written in Hebrew by a Jewish scribe around 180 BCE. Jews (well, the Jews who could read) read and ascribed authority to it until the early Middle Ages. The Cairo Geniza contains several manuscript copies. And then it kind of disappears from the Jewish bookshelf. In a Greek translation, though, made by Ben Sira’s grandson, the book made its way into the Christian biblical (to some) collection known as the Apocrypha. It is commonly used by the Catholic Church in particular.
Several years ago, I was asked to prepare a commentary on Ben Sira from a Jewish perspective, one that took seriously the connections between the book and later rabbinic writings. There was already a commentary that went in this direction, but it was only in Hebrew. As I was working on this commentary I published a short (and accessible) article called, “The Wisdom of Ben Sira: How Jewish?“
That commentary is finally out, as part of The Jewish Annotated Apocrypha, edited by Jonathan Klawans and Lawrence Wills (Oxford University Press, 2020, pp. 427-498). I am now using the volume for an adult education course, and for those considering doing such a thing, it teaches very well. I am very grateful to the editors for their work on this volume, and helping me to improve my own contribution.
I spent several good years getting to know Ben Sira. He’s definitely worth a look!
For several years, I have included a historical simulation as the final exercise of my undergraduate class, “How the Bible Became Holy.” This year I will do the same. The guidelines for the simulation are below. They are similar to previous renditions.
Also as I’ve done in the past, I invite you to join us for live tweeting of the simulation. It will take place on Monday, December 16, starting around 2:45 PM ET, and will probably last about 90 minutes. I will use the hashtag: #htbbh2019. The tweets will be displayed in the classroom in real time and in the past students have really enjoyed watching scholars from across the world dip into their conversations. So even if you can only attend briefly, please do – it should be great fun.
BACKGROUND
We are sometime in the fourth century CE in Constantinople. The Roman emperor, a devout Christian (and also a practical ruler), spurred by the bishops in his court and concerned about both growing Christian diversity and his own eternal salvation, has recently convened a series of synods to hash out “orthodox” Christian theology. They have not gone particularly well. While some bishops were able to develop creeds that they could live with, other participants left angry and alienated. Chastened by the limited success of these synods, he has decided to address an issue that he hopes will be significantly easier to resolve: the confusing state of “scripture” within the Church. Does the Church need a canon, and if so, what should be in it? Primarily of interest to the bishops is whether, should it be decided that a canon is desirable, any parts of the Hebrew Bible should be included.
You have been summoned to participate in this Synod. Representatives of the competing parties will attend; the emperor expects you all to arrive at an agreement. Representatives of the Jewish community have also been invited to participate.
[N.B. This Synod is a historical fantasy. There was no Synod convened at this time to canonize the Christian Bible. If there was, Jews would not have been invited and some of the other participants would have been long dead. This is pretend.]
PARTICIPANTS
The Emperor
The Bishops within the Royal Court
Marcionites
Montanists
Gnostics
Rabbis
PROCEDURE AND SCHEDULE
December 3
You will meet with your groups today and organize yourselves. Read through these instructions carefully, particularly how the simulation will play out and be scored. Begin dividing your research, both for your own position and that of your opponents (a few resources, to get you started, are at the end of this handout. To get a feel for Christian canonization, you should all read the following short texts, available on OCRA:
You may want to get started on your group assignment, your “victory objectives.” This should be a list of three to five goals (outcomes of the Synod) that align with your role. Each objective should be assigned points; the sum of all the points should be 100. At the end of the Synod the groups will be scored based on these objectives in order to determine who won.
December 5
We will spend this class in group work on (1) the victory objectives and (2) your opening speech, as a group.
Assignment Due, December 6, 11:59 PM: Each group will submit their victory objectives (one file per group) in the appropriate place on Canvas.
Assignment Due, December 13, 11:59 PM: This is an individual speech due on Canvas. This is the opening speech that you, in character, would deliver at the Synod. This is individual, not group, work, and your group presentation might well differ. It should run about five pages and is worth 10% of your course grade.
THE SYNOD
Our simulation will take place on Monday, December 16, 2-5 PM. The location will be announced.
Procedure
FOLLOW-UP
You have two short assignments due on December 17, at 11:59 PM; each should be about two pages. One is an assessment of the simulation: how did it go? What did you learn from it?
The second document is a self-assessment. Remember that this has no impact on your grade. This exercise is an opportunity for you to consider your own learning in this course and how it might help you in the future.
Last week in my course at Brown, “How the Bible Became Holy,” students read the book of Ecclesiastes and portions of Sirach. At the beginning of class I tried a new warm-up exercise, in groups: Imagine that you are the publicist team for Ecclesiastes (today or in antiquity). Write a blurb that would sell the book without misrepresenting it.
Here are some of their blurbs:
For Ancient Readers:
The Many Habits of Highly Righteous Individuals. Want to be a highly respected person? Want to serve G-d in the best way possible? Pick up Ecclesiastes and learn all the morals you need in 12 easy chapters. G-d will smile down upon you.
How are you spending your days? Is there meaning to this life? How should you be serving yourself and others in the eyes of God? The book of Ecclesiastes will answer all of your questions! Read this book and learn from the experiences of others that came before you.
For Modern Readers:
How the Ancients Did It. Frustrated with the day to day grind. Worried that you are not living life to its fullest potential? Pick up the book of Ecclesiastes and find out how the wise people of ancient times lived their best life. Forget minimalism. Dwelling in the past is the only way to improve the world.
Ecclesiastes: A hard but necessary look at the realities of living a truly pious life. Enjoy what you can, when you can – before it all ends.
Do you want to know the secrets to happiness? Do you want to truly live every day as if it’s your last? Read the book of Ecclesiastes! It has all of this and more. Listen to the wisdom of your ancestors and spend your days with food and delight.
Ecclesiastes serves as a succinct account of ancient wisdom that functions as a “self-help” book for a modern reader. Investigate an account from antiquity that shines light on how to turn your life around and live life to the fullest that remains applicable and fundamental to success in today’s world.
Learn from the unparalleled wisdom of ancient King Solomon. Find success, happiness, and God’s favor through the teachings of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Do you want learn all the wisdom concerning everything done under heaven? Do you want to lead a meaningful life? Ecclesiastes will help you live your life to your potential. Learn the steps to lead a pious life.
Want to learn how to improve your life and your understanding of the world? Read Ecclesiastes and in just 12 short chapters, gain a lifetime’s worth of self-help knowledge that will teach you everything you could ever want to know about God, the world, wisdom, and good. Becoming a better person has never been so easy!
I have taught an introductory level undergraduate course, “How the Bible Became Holy,” several times at Brown and will be doing so again this fall. The course gives (but does not insist on) a loose narrative to the history of the biblical text, but is really intended to introduce students to biblical literature and history and to think more deeply about the intersection between the two. Every time I teach the course I tinker a bit, and this time is no exception. My ideal would be to teach this course using my own book, but that feels too weird to me.
The current version of the syllabus (in pdf format) can be found here. Suggestions for improvements in future renditions are always welcome.