The Theology of Sacrifice as Gift in Ben Sira / Stephen A. Long in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol 86/3 (2024)

Public ISBD [article]  inThe Catholic Biblical Quarterly > vol 86/3 (2024) . - pp. 485-506 Titre : The Theology of Sacrifice as Gift in Ben Sira Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Stephen A. Long, Auteur Année de publication : 2025 Article en page(s) : pp. 485-506 Langues : Anglais (eng) Résumé : In this article, I endeavor to advance discussion of the symbolic “meaning” of sacrifice during the Second Temple period by examining the wisdom instruction of Ben Sira. As part of his longest exposition of his views on sacrifice, Ben Sira emphasizes the “gift” aspects of the regular, literal altar service initiated by an individual (35:6–13). Such ritual gifts sought to be “acceptable” (35:9a) and communicated a relationship of gratitude for God’s prior generosity (35:11–13). These gifts may also have aimed, as the contemporaneous Samaritan inscriptions would have it, at “good remembrance” (cf. Sir 35:9b)—perhaps concretely realized as Yhwh’s bestowal of benefits like healing upon his pious dependent (38:9–11). The ritual joy and generosity initiated by the individual participated in a divinely ordained temple cultus by which the cosmos was thought to be properly ordered, and contributed conceptual support for broad circles of reciprocity encompassing God, the pious Israelite, and neighbors who may never have been able to “repay” (35:3–4; cf. 29:8–13). [article] The Theology of Sacrifice as Gift in Ben Sira [texte imprimé] / Stephen A. Long, Auteur . - 2025 . - pp. 485-506. Langues : Anglais (eng) in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly > vol 86/3 (2024) . - pp. 485-506 Résumé : In this article, I endeavor to advance discussion of the symbolic “meaning” of sacrifice during the Second Temple period by examining the wisdom instruction of Ben Sira. As part of his longest exposition of his views on sacrifice, Ben Sira emphasizes the “gift” aspects of the regular, literal altar service initiated by an individual (35:6–13). Such ritual gifts sought to be “acceptable” (35:9a) and communicated a relationship of gratitude for God’s prior generosity (35:11–13). These gifts may also have aimed, as the contemporaneous Samaritan inscriptions would have it, at “good remembrance” (cf. Sir 35:9b)—perhaps concretely realized as Yhwh’s bestowal of benefits like healing upon his pious dependent (38:9–11). The ritual joy and generosity initiated by the individual participated in a divinely ordained temple cultus by which the cosmos was thought to be properly ordered, and contributed conceptual support for broad circles of reciprocity encompassing God, the pious Israelite, and neighbors who may never have been able to “repay” (35:3–4; cf. 29:8–13).

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