God’s commandments. The idyllic picture painted here in 3:1 contrasts with other descriptions of this period. While one has to be cautious about reading social history from a wisdom work such as Sirach, nevertheless Sirach’s repeated emphasis on almsgiving as atoning for sin (3:30) and the frequent discussion of relationships between rich and poor (e.g., 13:15–23) suggest an imbalance in society. The pre-Maccabean writing of 1 Enoch 1–11 also points to tensions within Judean society. The symbolic