The Stoic enumeration of the human senses seems to have been in the mind of one who added these words after xvii. 4: “They [i.e., men] received the use of five powers [i.e., the five senses] of the Lord; but as sixth He also accorded them the gift of understanding (_nous_), and as a seventh the Word (_logos_), the interpreter of His powers.” In one passage Ben-Sira utters words which sound rather like an echo of Epicurean philosophy: Give not thy soul to sorrow, And let not thyself become unsteadied with care. Heart-joy is life for a man, And human gladness prolongeth days. Entice thyself, and soothe thine heart, And banish vexation from thee; For sorrow hath slain many, And there is no profit in vexation. Envy and anger shorten days, And anxiety maketh old untimely. The sleep of a cheerful heart is like dainties, And his food is agreeable unto him (xxx. 21-25, according to the Hebrew). In summing up the traces of Greek influence upon Ben-Sira, Prof. Israel Levi says: “The fatalistic philosophers whose opinions he contests were doubtless the Stoics; and the philosophical discussions instituted by him were innovations and probably borrowed. His criticisms of sceptics and would-be freethinkers are further evidences of his knowledge of Hellenism; and some of his views find close analogues in Euripides. Not only does he share characteristic ideas with the Greek tragedians and moralists, but he even has the same taste for certain common topics, such as false friendship, the uncertainty of happiness, and especially the faults of women. The impression of Greek influence is strengthened by the presence of a polish quite foreign to Hebrew literature.”[116] This may or may not be somewhat over-stated, but there can scarcely be any doubt that, although the Judaic elements in the book preponderate to an overwhelming degree, yet Hellenic traits are to be discerned to a certain extent. Prof. Levi sees the results of Greek influence in some other directions in the book; thus he says that “the customs which he (i.e., Ben-Sira) describes are taken from Greek rather than from Hebrew society; thus he mentions banquets accompanied by brilliant conversation,[117] at which musical instruments were heard, and over which presided ‘the master of the feast.’” At the same time it is only right to point out that some scholars deny that there are any signs of Greek influence in the book. We turn now to the book of Wisdom which, as a product of the Judaism of the Dispersion, is full of the Hellenistic spirit. The best way to deal with this interesting but somewhat intricate subject will be to illustrate by quotations the different Greek philosophical ideas contained in the book, and then to indicate the teaching of the Greek philosophers in each case; in this way the influence of Greek philosophy in the book will be clearly seen.