The similes used by Ben-Sira regarding himself as a successor to teachers of Wisdom who had gone before are interesting as showing that he claimed to be a link, though a humble one, in the great chain of Israel’s inspired writers. He says, for example, in one place: And as for me, I was as a stream from the river, And I came forth as a conduit into a garden; I said: “I will water my garden, I will abundantly water my garden beds”; And lo, my stream became a river, And my river became a sea ... Yet again will I pour forth doctrine as prophecy, And leave it for eternal generations. Look ye (and see) that I have not laboured for myself only, But for all those that diligently seek her (xxiv. 30-34). In another passage he says: I, indeed, came last of all, As one that gleaneth after the grape-gatherers; I advanced by the blessing of God, And filled my wine-press as a grape-gatherer. Consider that not for myself alone have I laboured, But for all that seek Wisdom (xxxiii. 16-18). And once again: Yet again will I fix my thoughts and make my doctrine to shine forth, As the full moon on the twelfth day. Hearken unto me, ye pious ... (xxxix. 12 ff.). All these passages show that Ben-Sira reckoned himself as following in the line—though the last in the succession—of the wise men such as the writers of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and that therefore his claim to be a teacher in Israel was justified. While quoting freely from the Old Testament writers, and thereby acknowledging his indebtedness to them, he often expands a quotation, especially from Proverbs, thus making the proverb into a little essay; so that although he does not show great originality of thought, he nevertheless has his own ideas which he sets forth in his own way. Some further details concerning the author may be gathered from his book; if, as seems reasonable, the words of xxxix. 1-3, quoted above, are taken as referring to the writer himself, then the same must be said of the words which follow in the text, viz.: Who serveth among great men, And appeareth before princes; Who travelleth through the lands of the peoples, And testeth good and evil among men (xxxix. 4); from these words we may gather that Ben-Sira had at one time been in the service of some influential person, and that he had spent some time in travel; of that he speaks more than once, for he says in xxxiv. 10-12: He that is without experience knoweth little, But the well-versed man hath skill. In my journeying I have seen much, And many things have befallen me. Often was I in danger even unto death, But was preserved because of these things (i.e. experience and knowledge of the world).