Abstract

Within the context of strong economic growth and therefore an increased need for capital and investments, Ben Sira offers an interesting and novel reflection about the use of money, specifically about loans, almsgiving, surety and hospitality, seemingly disparate topics that are actually cohesive. While the practice of lending must always flow from mercy, the Jerusalem sage nevertheless warns both creditors and debtors: the former from the danger of turning the loan into legal theft, the latter from extortion and lying practices. Harkening back to the possibility of exile and, more generally, to the lust for money that the practice of lending and surety can generate, Ben Sira, in the end, praises the beauty of a home where the inhabitants live in simplicity and harmony.