New Hebrew Text of Ben Sira Chapter 1 in Ms A (T-S 12.863)

The article proposes a reading of some of the offset letters in Hebrew Ms A, that is, the letters that have transferred from the preceding and still
missing first folio page of the manuscript. Among other things, the article proposes that the offset letters in Ms A I recto, lines 1-4 are the remnants of Ben Sira chapter 1, the Hebrew text of which is not otherwise known. Surprisingly, the Hebrew text matches closely the Syriac translation at the end of chapter 1 and not the Greek. The Syriac translation contains what are considered to be secondary, later additions. It is this additional material that is reflected in the offset Hebrew letters of Ms A I recto, lines 1-4.