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GEZA G. XERAVITS and JóZSEF ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), Studies in the Book of Ben Sira: Papers of the Third International Conference on the Deuterocanonical Books, Shimecon Centre, Papa, Hungary, 18-20 May, 2006"(JSJSup 127; Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2008). Pp. xiv + 267. $158.
This volume contains the twelve papers given at the conference described in the title; all the papers except one (in German, and at thirty-seven pages, the longest contribution) are in English. The editors, professors at the Reformed Theological Academy of Papa, Hungary, divide the volume into three main parts: "Introductory Matters," "The Wisdom Teaching of Ben Sira," and "The Praise of the Fathers."
Part 1 contains the following: Maurice Gilbert, "The Vetus Latina of Ecclesiasticus" (pp. 1-9); Frank Feder, "The Coptic Version(s) of the Book of Jesus Sirach" (pp. 11-20); Gabriele Boccaccini, "Where Does Ben Sira Belong?" (pp. 21-41); Stefan Schorch, "The Pre-eminence of the Hebrew Language and the Emerging Concept of the 'Ideal Text' in Late Second Temple Judaism" (pp. 43-54); Armin Lange, '"The Law, the Prophets, and die Other Books of the Fathers' (Sir, Prologue): Canonical Lists in Ben Sira and Elsewhere?" (pp. 55-80). Part 2 includes these articles: Nuria Calduch-Benages, '"Cut Her Away from Your Flesh': Divorce in Ben Sira" (pp. 81-95); Friedrich V. Reiterer, "Das Verhältnis der hkmh und twrh im Buch Ben Sira: Kriterien zur gegenseitigen Bestimmung" (pp. 97-133); József Zsengellér, "Does Wisdom Come from the Temple?" (pp. 135-49). Part 3 offers the following: Jeremy Corley, "Sirach 44:1-15 as Introduction to the Praise of the Ancestors" (pp. 151-81); Benjamin G. Wright III, "The Use and Interpretation of Biblical Tradition in Ben Sira's Praise of the Ancestors" (pp. 183-207); Pancratius C. Beentjes, "Ben Sira 44:19-23 -The Patriarchs: Text, Tradition,...