“Pillars of Gold on a Silver Base:” Female Beauty as the Cause of Anxiety and Praise in the Book of Ben Sira Reading Women’s Bodies in Early Jewish Literature

The paper examines various comments of Ben Sira on beauty, body and body parts of primarily women. The investigation takes into account the context of the passages and the fact that the saying refelct a life-long teaching, and it concludes that beauty can be positive in a good marriage, while it can be negative inn other contexts, such as regarding one's daughter, or immoral women. It also demonstrates that attributes, such as haghtuy eyes are characteristics not only of women, but also of men. While women represent the most anxiety for men and should be watched over, men are also responsible for their actions when it comes to being succumbed to beauty and the desire it awakens.