2026 Edition
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 | 1.5h) - Historical Context. Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins
(Luca Arcari | 1.5h) - The Texts. Canonical and Non-Canonical Jewish Scriptures
(Laura Carnevale – Edmondo Lupieri | 1.5) - The Texts. Canonical and Non-Canonical Jewish Scriptures
(Laura Carnevale – Edmondo Lupieri | 1.5) - 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)
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Module 2
Exegesis between Translations and Traditions
(coordinators: Luca Arcari and Anna Mambelli)
- Traditions, Translations, Exegesis.
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.
Traditions, Fluxes of Transmission and Translations in early Christian Writings
(Dorota Hartman | 1.5h) - The Greek Versions of the Bible between Translation, Revision, Rewriting, and Exegesis.
The Greek Versions of the Bible in Ancient Judaism
(Eberhard Bons, Daniela Scialabba | 1.5h) - The Greek Versions of the Bible between Translation, Revision, Rewriting, and Exegesis.
The Greek Versions of the Bible in Ancient Judaism
(Anna Mambelli | 1.5h) - The Greek Versions of the Bible between Translation, Revision, Rewriting, and Exegesis.
The Greek Versions of the Bible in Ancient Judaism
(Israel Kohl | 1.5h) - The Greek Versions of the Bible between Translation, Revision, Rewriting, and Exegesis.
Origen’s Hexapla: The Ancient Example of a Polyglot Bible
(Antonio Cacciari | 1.5h) - The Sheperd of Hermas and its Translations
(Emanuele Castelli | 1.5h) - The Latin Versions of the Bible.
The Latin Versions of the Bible: The ‘Vetus Latina’ and the Vulgate
(Sincero Mantelli | 1.5h) - The Coptic Versions of the Bible;
the Bible in the Nag Hammadi Manuscripts
(Costanza Bianchi | 1.5h) + Guest Lecture: Reading and Translating the Writings of Nag Hammadi Today (Andrea Annese – Daniele Tripaldi | 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) + Guest Lecture: Poetic Exegesis (Arianna Rotondo | 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 Scialabba | 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 Vinel | 1.5h) - The Bible in Contemporary Controversies.
Hermeneutics of the Book of Job
(Manuela Consonni | 1.5h) - The Bible in Contemporary Controversies.
The Bible in Political Debates in the Middle East
(Antonella Bellantuono | 1.5h) - The Bible in Contemporary Controversies.
The Bible in Political Debates in Russia
(Marianna Napolitano | 1.5h)
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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
(Jan Willem van Henten | 1.5h) - Bible
(Joseph Sievers | 1.5h) - Second Temple Judaism
(Giovanni Ibba | 1.5h) - 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)
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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, once a week for the duration of the course.
Ancient Greek: Tuesdays, 7.00 PM – 8.30 PM
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: Tuesdays, 3.30 PM - 5.00 PM
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 classes June 16, 23).
Biblical Hebrew: Thursdays, 2.00 PM – 3.30 PM
January 23, 30 | February 5, 12, 19, 26 | March 5, 12, 19, 26 | April 9, 30 | May 7, 14, 21, 28 | June 4, 11, 18, 25.
Aramaic: Tuesdays 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
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).
Coptic: tbd