Ben Sira

Ben Sira was an ancient Hebrew author who lived in Palestine around 180–175 BCE. He is known for writing the book Ecclesiasticus, also called the Wisdom of Ben Sira. This work is considered a significant example of wisdom literature from the early Hellenistic period of Judaism.12

The book contains practical and moral advice, often organized by subject. Ben Sira's grandson translated the work into Greek in Alexandria after 132 BCE. While accepted in the Roman Catholic canon, Ecclesiasticus is not part of the Jewish or Protestant biblical canons. Portions of the original Hebrew text have been discovered among medieval copies and the Dead Sea Scrolls.12