On the subject of immortality and resurrection the teaching is entirely that of the Sadducees; a few passages will illustrate this: When a man dieth he inheriteth Worm and maggot, lice and creeping things (x. 11). It is callous counsel which Ben-Sira gives to a mourner, for after telling him to mourn for “a day or two,” and to be moderate in his sorrow because “sadness of heart prostrateth vigour,” he concludes as follows: And let him no more occupy thy thoughts, Dismiss the remembrance of him, and remember (thy) end. Remember him not, for he hath no hope; Thou canst not profit him, while thou harmest thyself. Remember his doom, for it is the doom of thyself; His yesterday, and thine to-day! When the dead is at rest, let his memory rest; And be consoled when his soul departeth (xxxviii. 16-23). The same dreary belief, or rather non-belief, occurs in xli. 3, 4: Fear not death, it is thy destiny, Remember that the former and the latter share it with thee. This is the portion of all flesh from God, And how canst thou withstand the decree of the Most High! Be it for a thousand years, for a hundred, or for ten that thou livest, In Sheol there are no reproaches concerning life (cp. xvii. 27, 28). There are various other passages to the same effect, while none occur which show the slightest advance on the teaching which these contain. Regarding the attitude towards the non-Jewish world, Ben-Sira is distinctly tolerant; it was the Maccabæan struggle which hardened the Jews towards the Gentiles; nevertheless, Ben-Sira has no doubt about the superiority of his own race. The attitude which is more in accordance with that of the Sadducees may be seen in the whole passage xviii. 8-14, where he speaks of man generally, and teaches that God’s mercy is extended universally: The mercy of man is exercised upon his own kin, But the mercy of God is extended to all flesh, Reproving, and chastening, and teaching, bringing them back as a shepherd his flock (verse 13). The same universalistic spirit is exhibited in xxxvi. 17: Thou wilt hear the prayer of Thy servants, According to Thy good favour towards Thy people; That all the ends of the earth may know That Thou art the eternal God. A striking passage containing similar teaching is xxxvi. 1-5: Save us, O God of all, And cast Thy fear upon all the nations. Shake Thy hand against the strange people, And let them see Thy power. As Thou hast sanctified Thyself in us before them, So glorify Thyself in them before us; That they may know as we also know, That there is none other God but Thee.