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4Q213

Aramaic Levi a

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Fragment 1 i

1 […] 2 [And in the one hundred and eighteenth year of my life, the year when] there died 3 [Joseph my brother, I called my sons and their sons, and I began to instruct] them 4 [in all that was in my heart. I spoke up and said] to my sons, 5 [“Listen to the word of Levi your father, and pay attention to the instructions of the friend of God.] To you I 6 [give instruction, my sons, and I show you the truth, my beloved. Let the chief] of all your deeds 7 [be truth, and let it remain with] you [forever.] Righteousness and truth 8 [… you will bring in a blessed harvest.] Whoever sows good brings in good,⁠ 9 [and whoever sows evil, his seed returns upon] him. And now, reading and instruction and wisdom 10 [teach to your sons, and wisdom will be with you] as eternal honor. Whoever learns wisdom, honor⁠ 11 [is his; but whoever despises wisdom] is given over to contempt and scorn. Look, my sons, 12 [at Joseph my brother, who taught reading and the instruction of] wisdom, for honor and for greatness and for kings 13 […] do not be slack in learning wisdom. 14 […] … a man who learns wisdom, all 15 [… to] him; every land and province to which he goes, 16 [a brother …] … in it, and he is not like a stranger in it,⁠ and not 17 [like a scoundrel in it … for all of them] give him honor in it, since all wish 18 [to learn his wisdom. His friends] are many, and those who wish him well are great ones. 19 [And on a seat of honor they seat him,] to hear the words of his wisdom. 20 [Great wealth of honor is his wisdom for] those who know it, and a fine treasure⁠ 21 [for all who acquire it. If] mighty [kings come,] and a [great] people [and an army and horsemen]

Texts in conversation

Compare Sirach 39:4 and 4Q213 1:16

Deuterocanon · Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Retellings

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Summary

Sirach describes a wise man traveling abroad and serving rulers. In 4Q213 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, wisdom gives a traveler honor in every land, so that he is welcomed instead of being treated as a stranger.

Passages

Sirach 39:4

Deuterocanon · Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
1 He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients and will be occupied with prophecies. 2 He will keep the sayings of the men of renown and will enter in amidst the subtleties of parables. 3 He will seek out the hidden meaning of proverbs and be conversant in the dark sayings of parables. 4 He will serve among great men and appear before him who rules. He will travel through the land of foreign nations, for he has learned what is good and evil among men. 5 He will apply his heart to return early to the Lord who made him, and will make supplication before the Most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and will ask for pardon for his sins.
195–180 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Sirach

4Q213 1:16

Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Retellings · Aramaic Levi a
13 […] do not be slack in learning wisdom. 14 […] … a man who learns wisdom, all 15 [… to] him; every land and province to which he goes, 16 [a brother …] … in it, and he is not like a stranger in it, and not 17 [like a scoundrel in it … for all of them] give him honor in it, since all wish 18 [to learn his wisdom. His friends] are many, and those who wish him well are great ones. 19 [And on a seat of honor they seat him,] to hear the words of his wisdom.
160–60 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 4Q213

References

“... Wisdom brings honour, many friends and social position to those who have it. This idea is already found in biblical wisdom litera- ture, e.g., Proverbs 3:35, “the wise shall obtain honor, but dullards get disgrace as their portion” and cf. ben Sira 10:30, 11:1 and 39:4: compare also Proverbs 8:11, Wisdom 8:10, etc. Very striking is the parallel in ben Sira 39:4, referring to the wise man: He serves among the great and appears before rulers; he travels in foreign lands and learns what is good and evil in the human lot. ...”
Jonas C. Greenfield, Michael E. Stone, and Esther Eshel, eds., The Aramaic Levi Document: Edition, Translation, Commentary, SVTP 19 (Leiden: Brill, 2004), 209.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Sirach 39:4 and 4Q213 1:16

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