Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
His name was Jesus, and he wrote a book of the Bible. No, not THAT Jesus.
This episode: is it canon? This week's contender has more names than a witness protection program: Sirach, Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus. It came closer than almost any book to making the Jewish canon, written in Hebrew around 180 BCE and translated into Greek by the author's own grandson. So why'd it get left out? The author made one fatal mistake: he was honest about who he was and when he wrote it. The guys who lied about being ancient prophets? They made the cut.
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For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at:
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Follow us on the various social media places:
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facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod
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Have you ordered Dan McClellan's New York Times bestselling book The Bible Says So yet???
Buy at this link: static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466
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Chapters:
0:00 Welcome + this week's mystery book
1:10 Meet Sirach: a book by many names
1:50 The grandson's Greek translation
2:18 Dating it: a king, a high priest, a 21-year window
4:46 The surviving Hebrew manuscripts
6:00 Was it ever scripture? Why it got left out
8:03 Wisdom literature — and Wisdom as Torah
10:10 An honest (and doomed) gambit
11:44 Reading the prologue
15:58 The versification problem (Hebrew vs. English)
19:02 Dreams, ancestors, and a "wear sunscreen" vibe
24:27 So... is it canon?
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#podcast #oldtestament #bible #biblestudy #biblestories #biblereading #bibleteaching #religion #Jesus #jesuschrist #god #adonai #athiest #athiesm #faith #faithjourney #podcasting #podcastclips #podcastlife #podcasters #podcastshow #skeptic #skepticism #judaism #hebrew #hebrewbible #christianbible #christianity #newtestament #christian #christianity #christianityexplained #holybible #doubt #believe #believer #belief #utah #saltlakecity #lds #mormon #scholar #middleeast #israel #religious #church
His name was Jesus, and he wrote a book of the Bible. No, not THAT Jesus.
This episode: is it canon? This week's contender has more names than a witness protection program: Sirach, Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus. It came closer than almost any book to making the Jewish canon, written in Hebrew around 180 BCE and translated into Greek by the author's own grandson. So why'd it get left out? The author made one fatal mistake: he was honest about who he was and when he wrote it. The guys who lied about being ancient prophets? They made the cut.
----
For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at:
patreon.com/DataOverDogma
Follow us on the various social media places:
instagram.com/dataoverdogmapod
facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod
tiktok.com/@data.over.dogma.pod
Have you ordered Dan McClellan's New York Times bestselling book The Bible Says So yet???
Buy at this link: static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466
_____________________________________________
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome + this week's mystery book
1:10 Meet Sirach: a book by many names
1:50 The grandson's Greek translation
2:18 Dating it: a king, a high priest, a 21-year window
4:46 The surviving Hebrew manuscripts
6:00 Was it ever scripture? Why it got left out
8:03 Wisdom literature — and Wisdom as Torah
10:10 An honest (and doomed) gambit
11:44 Reading the prologue
15:58 The versification problem (Hebrew vs. English)
19:02 Dreams, ancestors, and a "wear sunscreen" vibe
24:27 So... is it canon?
____________________________________________
#podcast #oldtestament #bible #biblestudy #biblestories #biblereading #bibleteaching #religion #Jesus #jesuschrist #god #adonai #athiest #athiesm #faith #faithjourney #podcasting #podcastclips #podcastlife #podcasters #podcastshow #skeptic #skepticism #judaism #hebrew #hebrewbible #christianbible #christianity #newtestament #christian #christianity #christianityexplained #holybible #doubt #believe #believer #belief #utah #saltlakecity #lds #mormon #scholar #middleeast #israel #religious #church
