Liber Annuus

The paper examines Ex 15:1-18, a song that poetically celebrates the crossing of the Sea of Reeds by God’s people, an event previously narrated historically. The song is examined from the point of view of structure, philology, composition and style, and of its actual perspective. The composition consists of two proclamations of faith and/or God’s praise (vv. 1-3 and 11) enclosing the crossing of the Sea (vv. 1-12) and the guidance of the chosen people toward the Promised Land (vv. 13-18), respectively. A correct analysis of the verb forms is essential for a proper evaluation of the song perspective. The analysis of yiqtol - jussive (vv. 1-2, 9, 12, 16, 17, 18), or indicative in the axis of the past (v. 5, 14, 15) and in the axis of the future (vv. 6, 7) - is especially important. Further, the chiastic order of the foreign peoples, i.e., a) Philistines, b) Edomites and Moabites, a’) Canaanites, and the way they are mentioned indicate that the perspective of the song is the guidance through Transjordan before the entrance into the Promised Land, a situation similar to the one outlined in Josh 2:9-11. While the actual crossing is datable around the end of the XIIIth cent. B.C., the composition of the song is later, around the XIth cent.

It is fitting to acknowledge the value of recent commentaries about the Book of Numbers (the new ATD and the BK) for their contribution to the re-evaluation that they propose on the documentary hypothesis (especially the BK). However, it is necessary to condemn the lapses that have occurred in relation to the priestly document (P). Future exegesis risks being damaged by this as it has been in the past. In order to avoid this risk the author reaffirms his hypothesis, the fruit of a vast amount of study.

The third and final editing (P^ss), which unites the Tetrateuch and the Deuteronomic work, moved some passages (P^g in Deut 32,48-52 e 34,7-8, e P^s in Joshua 13-22) of the priestly document from the end of Numbers. It is extremely dangerous to consider that the editor is also the author as this could lead to the conclusion that some original antique passages are attributed to him and thus are late.

First, we propose an outlook of the Psalter not in five books but in three collections: a) Jahwist (1-41); b) Elohist (42-89); c) Jahwist (90-150). In this frame, three topics appear, each of them mainly in one of the three collections: a) Messiah; b) Sion; c) Torah. Therefore a kind of progression of these subjects is readable all along the book of Psalms. Approximately, we can say like this: a) the Messiah is the man obedient to the Torah; b) Sion is the city of the Messiah, or of the messianic peace; c) the Torah is the spiritual factor that builds Jerusalem. Therefore the relationships between these three topics can be seen as the theological structure of the Psalter.

This article is a study of Mt 13 (the Parables of the Kingdom), with particular attention to the composition of the chapter as a whole, using the Biblical Rhetorical Analysis method. After a study of the composition of the single passages (pericopes), the present study analyzes the text at a “superior” or autonomous level of textual organization and formulates the hypothesis that Mt 13, as a whole, constitutes a section of the Gospel of Matthew, composed of two sequences in parallel, each of which rotate around a quotation of the First Testament. This composition introduces Jesus as the one who proclaims and fulfills the Kingdom, who fulfills the history of Israel and of all humanity.

The article of G. Giurisato studies the relation between the critical edition of Nestle-Aland²⁷ and the Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209 or Codex B, to which “a position of undisputed precedence in the Gospels” is recognized. The research is about the Gospel of Luke and considers the following aspects: the transpositions of terms within a sentence, the use of simple or compound verbs, and some selected expressions. The study reveals consistency between NA and B and verifies several variations that are sometimes found without an evident reason.

St. Paul uses the term δικαιοσύνη (ṣ^edaqāh) in the same way as it is used in the Old Testament: pertaining to the ontological plan from both a cosmological point of view (creation is based on the ṣ^edaqāh), and an anthropological point of view (righteousness is a gift from JHWH). The term ἔλεος (hesed) is associated with the story of salvation in the framework of the covenant, both the old and the new covenant. Paul emphasizes the role of δικαιοσύνη in his controversy with contemporary Judaism. For him it is a gift of the mercy of God in Christ, who alone justifies without the works of the law, but by faith alone. He also emphasizes the role that mercy has in justifying both pagans and Jews, who have been imprisoned in disobedience (άπείθεια). As an attribute of the person of Christ, mercy, synthesizes in itself the entire history of salvation, preaching universal reconciliation and anticipating the final gathering of all in the glorious body of Christ, where and when ὀργή, ζῆλος and ἀπείθεια will disappear and δικαιοσύνη and ἔλεος will become one in ἀγάπη.

This article studies Josephus’ treatment (in Ant. 3.208-211) of the death of the priests Nadab and Abihu vis-à-vis both its biblical Vorlage, Lev 10,1-7, and the remarks of Philo and rabbinic tradition concerning the episode. In comparison with its biblical source, Josephus’ rewriting, e.g., focuses attention on the character of Aaron and his response to the tragedy, while also eliminating the figures of Mishael and Elzaphan (see Lev 10,4) as those charged with removing the culprits’ remains from the camp. In contrast to Philo, Josephus does not allegorize Nadab and Abihu’s initiative as an act of throwing off the encumbrance of the body that is pleasing to God and leads to their being awarded a heavenly existence. His version likewise does not evidence the theodicean concerns reflected in the rabbis’ remarks on the Leviticus happening, just as it refrains from attributing the long list of crimes to the pair that one finds in rabbinic tradition, and makes no mention of the figure of Elisheba, the wife of Aaron and mother of the two priests, whose grief over their loss is featured in that tradition.

The italian translation of the Targum of Ruth is presented in this article. The translation was carried out on the consonant text edited by A. Sperber, The Bible in Aramaic Based on Old Manuscripts and Printed Texts (vol. IV, pp. 120-124). The translation is deliberately highly literal in order to maintain the morphological elements of the original Aramaic as much as possible. The Targumic text is compared with the Masoretic text and the common elements are emphasized by italics.

The article proposes 65 alternative readings in respect to DJD to or the other editions of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In many cases these new readings are «only« alternatives in orthography, in some cases they correct printing errors in the editions, some are substantial changes of the published text, in some cases I have noted that the published text is problematic but without being able to propose a better reading. Most of the new readings are based on material evidence, i.e. on the examination of the published photographs. For some readings, especially for some reconstructions, grammatical reasons are given.

The attempt to systematically and coherently classify the uses of the article in the Greek language has long been an interesting field of research for many scholars. It is not always possible to give an unequivocal explaination as to why a given construct, found in similar contexts, sometimes can be found with the article and sometimes without. Grammarians and Exegetes have formulated varying interpretions of the function of the article, consequently leading to noteworthy differences at the level of interpretation.

This article summarizes and discusses some of the fundamental aspects of the theory proposed by D. Burk on the use of articular infinitives, found in his monograph dedicated to this subject. One of the results of this present research is that the linguistic approach used by Burk while on the one hand, provides a comprehensive analyisis of the syntax of the use of the articular infinitive, on the other, does not propose a clear theory for a better understanding of articular infinitives in the New Testament as an alternative to the traditional grammar theory.

The life and work of the Franciscan Father Mario from Calascio (usually refered to as Calasius) is presented in the so-called “golden century of catholic esegesis”. His expertise has made him the competent author of many important works for the study of the Hebrew Bible. This article, initially composed and delivered in 2005 at a conference in Father Mario’s native town and re-written for this present pubblication, describes how the Bible was read and studied in Italy in the XV-XVII centuries, providing precise references to names, dates and events.

This article presents the Italian translation of two songs (carmina) composed in Syriac and in Hebrew by the Dominican Father Francesco Donati in honor of his Franciscan friend Father Mario from Calascio. These texts may be found in their original language in the first pages of Father Mario’s Biblical Concordance (cf. Liber Annuus 55, 217ss). The Syriac text has not yet been published, but has been translated into Italian by I.C. Mansourati and into Latin by R. Köbert. Both of these translations are published here along with the Italian translation that was based on Köbert’s Latin version. The Hebrew song is translated for the first time.

The archaeological research of the ancient synagogues in Israel has been enriched by the recent discoveries of synagogal buildings in Jericho (1998) and in Magdala (2009). The two buildings are both of the hasmonean period, i. e. middle of the 1st century B.C. The article summarises the archaological findings of those discoveries and then compares it with other synagogues of the same period (Gamla, Magdala, Herodium, Masada). The study of the ancient synagogues has shown that these were all very small square buildings, with columns to delineate the place of prayer, graded banks along the sides of the main area (that oriented the attentions to the center of the building where the Torah was brought); and these early synagogues had no fixed orientation. The ancient synagogue had a double function: liturgical and social, that appears evident in the synagogues found in Israel and in the Jewish Diaspora belonging to the roman and byzantine period.

This article presents the history and traditions of the sacred building known as the Templum Domini. Its history is connected to that of the Crusades and of the Pauperes commilitones Christi templique Salomonis, commonly known as the Templars. On the 15th of July 1099, Godfrey of Bouillon, together with his troops and with the help of war machines provided by the city of Genoa, finally succeeded in opening a breach in the walls of Jerusalem thus conquering the city at the end of a long siege. The Temple Mount was consistently the last part of the city to be conquered, as had already happened in the past, for example, during the siege of the Roman army of Pompeii and Titus.

Most probably two distinct religious realities shared the area when the Temple Mount was first built: a Benedictine Abbey or the Rectory of a Church that was called Templum Domini and the King’s Palace, later inhabited by the Templars, the Templum Salomoni. From a certain time on it seems, at least according to written scources, that the latter had control of the former.

The image of King David in the Gaza synagogue mosaic (508/9 CE) is depicted in an ambiguous iconographical adaptation: as Orpheus and as an early Byzantine emperor. Based on Jewish literary sources, David’s harp/lyre or kithara, together with King David himself, can be perceived as a symbol expressing the Divine Providence – forgiveness and redemption, with Messianic salvation, in addition to the didactic aspect.

The Charon’s Steps or the Charonian Stairway are to date a unique dramaturgic phenomenon in the architecture of ancient Greek theatres, especially those of the Hellenistic period. The few known examples were found only in Greece. In the 1990’s, a sunken square room in the middle of the orchestra with a vaulted subterranean passageway, leading towards the stage building (skene), was accidentally re-uncovered in the Roman theatre at Caesarea Maritima. The comparison with the Greek theatres, as well as some archaeological-architectural considerations suggest that the Charon’s Steps were probably part of the dramaturgic means for the performances that took place in the Herodian theatre at Caesarea Maritima.

This article examines the results of the 2006 and 2009 seasons in the far northern end of the site - a large mosaic floor winepress with a Greek inscription in the center of its treading floor. The inscription reads: “One God only, help / Cassianos together with (his) wife / and children and everyone.” Such commemorative inscriptions are mostly known from Samaritan cult buildings (synagogues). Both the inscription and the finds discovered in the area point to a Samaritan ownership over the complex in Byzantine times (ca. fifth-sixth centuries CE). The winepress is thus analyzed against its inscription and other Byzantine winepresses with inscriptions found in Palestine. Based on the archaeological evidence the winepress ceased to function in the first half of the sixth century CE (possibly in relation to the Samaritan revolt [529 CE]).

This Preliminary Report presents the most valuable achievements and results of the 2007 and 2008 Archaeological Campaigns carried out by the SBF-Magdala Project’s Team in the site of Migdal/Taricheae, on the West coast of the Sea of Galilee. Among the major discoveries of the two seasons of excavations, here illustrated by 42 inedited maps and plans and 140 pictures, are: in the Western Area (H1-3), new residential quarters along a well preserved paved decumanus (USM 5); five plastered and stepped pools (C3, D1, D3, E11, E22) belonging to the thermal bath complex which has been completely excavated, as well as many different water installations and devices (E2-7, E12-13, E21-22a-23-26, C14, D8, E5) to supply or discharge the publicae thermae or to collect, drain, heating, mix, clean or pressurize water for the balnea. This work also concerns a new portion of the paved cardo maximus (V2); some residential buildings (Area I) located next to the urbic aqueduct on arcationes; a castellum aque (A1, A2-3-5); a newly discovered plastered basin, probably equipped with a water wheel device – the noria – (M31); a first-order conduit covered by basaltic slabs (E5-20); a calidarium/ tepidarium with the pilae stacks for the upper floor – the suspensurae – of an hypocaustum, and arranged with clay box-flue tiles – the tubuli – inside the walls (E18-19); a possible praefurnium with remains of a testudo alvei (E30); an aquarium decorated by polychrome sectilia (E27-28). Of great interest is the discovery of a built-in quay (USM 317-USM 328) in the Eastern branch of the quadriporticus (F). This city’s harbour includes: a plastered basin (USM 317-318- 376), an Hasmonean tower with casematte (E32-33-35), built of ashlars stones with dressed margins (USM 328); a limestone masonry staircase; stone ramps – slipways – to haulage the ships (USM 331); and six intact basaltic mooring stones in situ. The above listed remains have been related with other ruins located farther to the East, which were recorded and described in the 1960s as part of the ancient port of Magdala/Taricheae. Written and Archaeological sources, briefly presented in the Summary, enable the outline of the history of the site from the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE and from the 4th/5th century CE – with the settlement of a monastic compound after the earthquake of 363 CE – to 1948. In order to contribute to the actual debate on the “Historical Jesus”, in the Conclusions are offered some considerations and remarks regarding the city extension, its urban character, the time of its foundation, its economical profile in the Roman period, the Jewish or Pagan ethos of its inhabitants and the stratigraphical evidences of destruction and abandonment related to the First Jewish War (66-67 CE) described by Flavius Josephus.

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