92936 - Bible Literature (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

Upon a successful completion of this course, students will achieve basic notions and skills in interpreting Biblical texts as literature, and re-framing their production and fortune as a distinctively historical, philological and literary phenomenon, between authoring and copying, translating and interpreting, from the Ancient Near East down to the Graeco-Roman Mediterranean world and contemporary literature.

Course contents

From 'Myth' to the End of History: Reading 'Apocalypses'.

The time of origins is time missed, time lost, time recalled... and at the same time, time hoped for, time dreamed of. The Israel of the Abrahamic covenant, the Israel of the desert, and the Israel of the united monarchy are no exception: within today's Jewish biblical canon, while historiography (the so-called 'Former Prophets': Joshua through 2 Kings) strives to cultivate and reshape the memory of this 'myth' - or rather, these 'myths' - of origins, the prophetic writings (the so-called 'Later Prophets': Isaiah through Malachi, except Daniel) gather, preserve, and define hopes and dreams relating to it/them. The course aims first of all to contextualize Israelite and Biblical prophetism within the broader framework of ancient Near Eastern practices of contact with the supernatural world, meant to bridge the distance between deities and 'spirits', on the one hand, and human society, on the other, and involving ritual performance as well as both oral and written forms of communication. The course will then focus on the critical interpretation of selected passages from the book of Daniel as a case study of particular relevance. Finally, the attempt will be made to review and reconstruct per specimina the afterlife of Daniel's visions, as they were adapted, discussed and re-interpreted to imagine a thousand and one versions of the end of the world, a thousand and one returns of and to the paradise of 'origins'.

The course will address the following issues:

Part 1 (10 hours):

– beyond the canon: Israel between history and literature;

– dreaming of 'apocalypses': politics, divination, and ecstasy in the Ancient Middle-East;

Part 2 (10 hours):

– philological, literary, and historical analysis of selected passaged from the book of Daniel;

Part 3 (10 hours):

– after the apocalypse: the book of Daniel and the end of history between prophecy, philology, and literature;

N.B. No previous knowledge of ancient Hebrew and/or Aramaic required. Translations from ancient Hebrew and Aramaic will be provided and discussed by the teacher during the course. 

Readings/Bibliography

a) Text and Translations

Daniele e Addenda, in La Bibbia dei Settanta. IV: Profeti, Morcelliana 2019 (required exclusively of students of Classical Philology);

Danihel Propheta, in Biblia Sacra Vulgata, ediderunt R. Weber-R. Gryson, Stuttgart 1969 (5th ed. 2007; required exclusively of students of Classical Philology);

Daniele in Bibbia, a cura di E. Bianchi - M. Cucca - F. Giuntoli - L. Monti, Einaudi 2023;

Daniele, introduzione, traduzione e commento a cura di M. Settembrini, San Paolo Edizioni 2019;

b) Approaching Hebrew Visionary Texts:

L. Arcari, Vedere Dio. Le apocalissi giudaiche e protocristiane (IV sec. a.C. - II sec. d.C.), Carocci 2020; 

A. Catastini, Profeti e tradizione, Giardini 1990; 

c) Studies

1. Integral Readings for Attending Students

G. Boccaccini, I giudaismi del Secondo Tempio. Da Ezechiele a Daniele, Morcelliana 2008;

R.G. Kratz, Israele storico e biblico. Storia, tradizione, archivi, GBP 2021;

C. Martone, Il giudaismo antico: 538 a.e.v. - 135 e.v., nuova edizione, Carocci 2026;

2. Integral Readings for Non-Attending Students

G. Garbini, Storia e ideologia nell'Israele antico, Paideia 1986 (e successive ristampe);

W.M. Schniedewind, The Finger of the Scribe. How Scribes Learned to Write the Bible, Oxford University Press 2019;

S. Schwartz, Imperialism and Jewish Society, 200 BCE to 640 CE, Princeton University Press 2001;

Teaching methods

Lectures; analysis of literary texts; use of bibliographic and electronic databases; audio- and video resources.

Assessment methods

Oral exam. Students will have to prove their abilities

• to read and understand the book of Daniel in Greek or Latin (required exclusively of students of Classical Philology) or, if they are not students of Classical Philology, to read and understand the book of Daniel in a modern translation (supra, Bibliography under the entry Text and Translations);
• to interpret and profile the book of Daniel as a historical and literary artifact, supplementing and integrating class notes with one reading of their choice from those cited supra in Bibliography under the entry Approaching Hebrew Visionary Texts;
• to sketch and discuss the material, historical, and cultural processes that led to the formation of Israel's sacred writings as reflected in them, in the light of one reading of their choice selected from the list offered supra in Bibliography under the entry Studies, point 1. (Integral Readings for Attending Students);

Additionally, students who cannot attend the lessons will substitute class notes with one volume of their choice from those cited supra in Bibliography under the entry Studies, point 2. (Integral Readings for Non-Attending Students).

Skills will be assessed according to the following guidelines:
- failing grade (< 18): inability to translate short sections from the Greek/Latin text of the book of Daniel (exclusively required of LM15 students); inability to provide a correct interpretation of the texts discussed during the course or, as for non-attending students, to comment on the critical essays of their choice.
- passing grade (between 18 and 24): elementary ability to translate short sections from the Greek/Latin text of the book of Daniel (exclusively required of LM15 students); inaccuracy and lack of autonomy in providing a correct interpretation of the texts discussed during the course or, as for non-attending students, in commenting on critical essays of their choice.
- positive grade (between 24 and 30): good comprehension of the grammatical and syntactical structures of the Greek/Latin text of the book of Daniel (exclusively required of LM15 students); interpretation of the texts discussed during the course is correct, but mostly superficial and not entirely autonomous; as for non-attending students, the critical essays of their choice are cursorily commented upon.
- excellent grade (30L): in-depth knowledge of the grammatical and syntactical structures of the Greek/Latin text of the book of Daniel (exclusively required of LM15 students); precision and full autonomy in interpreting, contextualizing and critically comparing the texts discussed during the course; as for non-attending students, critical discussion of the essays of their choice is detailed and deep-ranging. 

Every academic year 6 exam sessions are scheduled for the following months: February, April, June, October, November, December - for all students.

Teaching tools

Computer and projector; bibliographic and electronic databases; fotocopies; texts and segments of texts in PDF format uploaded by the teacher as teaching materials. Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Tripaldi