2026 Edition
To apply, please send an email to bigoni@fscire.it with a CV, a brief cover letter with your motivations to follow the course, and your language skills.
Please note that for those who do not have a good command of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin the additional language courses will be strongly recommended.
Applications for the 2026 edition can be sent until 16th December 2025.
The scientific committee will let you know about your admission by 31st December 2025.
Course structure
Module 1
Texts and Contexts. Jewish and Christian Scriptures: Beyond the Concept of Canonicity
(coordinators: Laura Carnevale and Edmondo Lupieri)
- Methodological Issues and Bibliographical Suggestions
(Laura Carnevale – Edmondo Lupieri | 1.5h) - Historical Context. History of the Israelite/Jewish World Until the Exile Included
(Caterina Moro | 1.5h) - Historical Context. Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins
(Dario Garribba – Luca Arcari | 3h) - The Texts. Canonical and Non-Canonical Jewish Scriptures
(Laura Carnevale – Edmondo Lupieri | 3h) - The Texts. Canonical and Non-Canonical Early Christian Scriptures. Paul and New Testament Epistolography
(Giulio Mariotti | 1.5h) - The Texts. Canonical and Non-Canonical Early Christian Scriptures. Synoptic Gospels and Acts
(Edmondo Lupieri | 1.5h) - The Texts. Canonical and Non-Canonical Early Christian Scriptures. John and Revelation
(Luca Arcari | 1.5h) - The Texts Canonical and Non-Canonical Early Christian Scriptures. Apocryphal New Testament
(Vittorio Secco | 1.5h)
__________
Module 2
Exegesis between Translations and Traditions
(coordinators: Luca Arcari and Anna Mambelli)
- Traditions, Translations, Exegesis (I)
Traditions and Fluxes of Transmission in Ancient Judaism + The ‘Perfect’ Translation as an Anthropological Topic in the Epistle of Aristeas
(Luca Arcari | 1.5h) - Traditions, Translations, Exegesis. (II)
Traditions, Fluxes of Transmission and Translations in early Christian Writings
(Dorota Hartman | 1.5h)
Exegesis between Translations and Traditions
(coordinators: Luca Arcari and Anna Mambelli) - The Greek Versions of the Bible between Translation, Revision, Rewriting, and Exegesis (I)
The Greek Versions of the Bible in Ancient Judaism
(Eberhard Bons, Daniela Scialabba, Anna Mambelli, Israel Knohl | 4.5h) - The Greek Versions of the Bible between Translation, Revision, Rewriting, and Exegesis (II)
Origen’s Hexapla: The Ancient Example of a Polyglot Bible
(Antonio Cacciari | 1.5h) - The Latin Versions of the Bible (I)
The Latin Versions of the Bible: The ‘Vetus Latina’ and the Vulgate
(Sincero Mantelli | 1.5h) - The Latin Versions of the Bible (II)
The ‘Vetus Latina’ and the Vulgate of the Gospels
(Emanuele Castelli | 1.5h) - The Coptic Versions of the Bible;
the Bible in the Nag Hammadi Manuscripts
(Costanza Bianchi | 1.5h) - The Armenian Versions of the Bible;
the Bible in Ancient Armenian Literature
(Federico Alpi | 1.5h)
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Module 3
From Lorenzo Valla to the Semantic Web
(coordinators: Laura Bigoni and Davide Dainese)
- Philologia sacra et profana in Dialogue
(Laura Bigoni, 1.5h) - Erasmus and His Legacy
(Antonio Gerace, 1.5h) - Maimonides’ Exegesis in Spinoza
(Myriam Silvera, 1.5h) - Confessionalization and Holy Scriptures. The Bible between the 16th and 17th Centuries
(Wim François | 1.5h) - Reading the Bible in the Age of Reason: The Jewish Legacy between the 18th and 19th Centuries
(Cristiana Facchini | 1.5h) - Theology, Linguistics, and Computing: Father Busa and His Legacy
(Marco Passarotti | 1.5h) - Introduction to the Semantic Web
(Valentina Pasqual | 1.5h) - Editing Texts Digitally: The TEI Initiative and Alternative Approaches
(Paolo Monella | 1.5h) - Sacred Book and Sacred Library in the Digital Age
(Fabio Cusimano | 1.5h) - Between Methodological Innovation and Textual Resilience: Studying Sacred Texts Today
(Davide Dainese – Anna Mambelli | 1.5h)
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Module 4
Hermeneutics and Meanings
(coordinators: Eberhard Bons and Daniela Scialabba)
- “Do You Understand What You Are Reading?” (Acts 8:30):
Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics. Understanding and Interpreting Biblical Texts
(Eberhard Bons – Daniela Scialabba | 1.5h) - There Is Not Only One Bible – Diversity of Ancient Texts and Diversity of Interpretations. A Different Editions, Different Texts, Different Meanings
(Hindy Najman | 1.5h) - The Origins of Jewish and Christian Exegesis. From Qumran to Rabbinic Exegesis;
Specific Features of Rabbinic Exegesis
(Jonathan Ben Dov | 1.5h) - The Origins of Jewish and Christian Exegesis. Currents of Patristic Exegesis
(Alessandro Capone – Daniela Scardia | 1.5h) - There Is Not Only One Bible – Diversity of Ancient Texts and Diversity of Interpretations.
The Usage of Different Bibles in the Various Christian Churches
(Eberhard Bons – Daniela Scialabban | 1.5h) - Does the Bible Lend Itself to Different Interpretations? Ancient and Medieval Exegesis.
Medieval Readings of the Bible
(Riccardo Saccenti | 1.5h) - Does the Bible Lend Itself to Different Interpretations? Ancient and Medieval Exegesis.
(Françoise Vineln | 1.5h) - The Bible in Contemporary Controversies (I)
Hermeneutics of the Book of Job
(Manuela Consonni | 1.5h) - The Bible in Contemporary Controversies (II)
The Bible in Political Debates in the Middle East
(Antonella Bellantuono, 1.5h) - The Bible in Contemporary Controversies (III)
The Bible in Political Debates in Russia
(Marianna Napolitano, 1.5h)
__________
Module 5
War and Peace
(collective coordination by the scientific committee)
- Introduction
(Alberto Melloni | 1.5h) - Martyr: History of a Word, a Word in History
Edmondo Lupieri – Laura Bigoni | 1.5h) - Bible (tbd)
- Second Temple Judaism
(Giovanni Ibba | 1.5h) - Ancient Christianity
(Edmondo Lupieri |c1.5h) - Ancient Christianity
(Emiliano Rubens Urciuoli | 1,5h) - Quran
(Luca Patrizi | 1.5h) - Islam
(Giuseppe Cecere | 1.5h) - China
(Valentina Bottanelli | 1.5h) - Japan
(Chiara Ghidini | 1.5h)
Language Courses: 30h, weekly
Teachers: Laura Bigoni (Greek), Fabio Caruso (Latin), Giulio Mariotti (Biblical Hebrew), Eberhard Bons (Aramaic), Costanza Bianchi (Coptic)
Calendar
All time references are CEST time zone!
Friday 10:00-11:30 (Session 1), 11:30-12:00 (break), 12:00-13:30 (Session 2), 13:30-14:30 (lunch break), 14:30-16:00 (Session 3) + 16:30-18 guest lectures (optional, circa 1 for every module)
Saturday: 10:11-30 (Session 4), 11:30-12:00 (break), 12:00-13:30 (Session 5) + 15:00-16:30 guest lectures (optional, circa 1 for every module)
__________
January 23
Module 1, Sessions 1,2,3
January 24
Module 1, Sessions 4,5
February 6
Module 1, Sessions 6,7,8
February 7
Module 1, Sessions 9,10
February 20
Module 2, Sessions 1,2,3
February 21
Module 2, Sessions 4,5
March 6
Module 2, Sessions 6,7,8
March 7
Module 2, Sessions 9,10 + guest lecture
March 20
Module 3, Sessions 1,2,3
March 21
Module 3, Sessions 4,5
April 10
Module 3, Sessions 6,7,8
April 11
Module 3, Sessions 9,10
May 8
Module 4, Sessions 1,2,3
May 9
Module 4, Sessions 4,5
May 22
Module 4, Sessions 6,7,8
May 23
Module 4, Sessions 9,10 + guest lecture
June 5
Module 5, Sessions 1,2,3
June 6
Module 5, Sessions 4,5
June 19
Module 5, Sessions 6,7,8
June 20
Module 5, Sessions 9,10
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Language courses: online, 19:00-20:30, once a week for the duration of the course.
Ancient Greek:
Tuesdays (January 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, June 2, 9 (with optional catch-up lessons June 16, 23).
Latin: tbd
Hebrew: tbd
Aramaic: tbd
Coptic: tbd