École Biblique
Encyclopedia
The École Biblique, strictly the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, is a respected French academic establishment in Jerusalem, founded by Dominican
s, and specialising in archaeology
and Biblical
exegesis
.
, a Dominican priest. In 1920, it took its current name, following its recognition, by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
, as a national archaeological school in France.
The École is situated close to an ancient church to which the alleged relics of Saint Stephen
were transferred in 439; in the Byzantine Era this church was the centre of the cult of this particular saint.
and the adjacent territories. Its principle disciplines are epigraphy
, the Semitic languages, Assyriology
, Egyptology
, other aspects of ancient history, geography
, and ethnography
.
It has the power to confer official doctorates in Holy Scripture. It publishes the Revue Biblique
, which is a diverse collection of scholarship from its fields of excellence, and it also publishes material addressed to larger audiences, including a particular French translation of the Bible
, known as the Jerusalem Bible
(a work which strove both for critical translational rigour and for quality as a piece of literature).
Among its most illustrious members, in addition to Marie-Joseph Lagrange, are Marie-Emile Boismard
, Roland de Vaux
, Raymond-Jacques Tournay, and Pierre Benoit
.
, the scholars at the École have been heavily involved in the translation and interpretation of the texts.
authorities, as a consequence of the Modernist Crisis
. Lagrange himself, like other scholars involved in the 19th century renaissance of biblical studies, was suspected of being a Modernist. The school was briefly closed.
In 1909, conflict between the Dominicans and the Jesuits, common at the time, resulted in the Pope's creation of the Pontifical Biblical Institute
, as a Jesuit rival to the École. The dispute between the Jesuits and the Dominicans (and their respective institutions) has gradually calmed down, particularly after the 1943 papal encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu
.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
s, and specialising in archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
.
Foundation
The École was founded in 1890 under the name École pratique d’études bibliques by Marie-Joseph LagrangeMarie-Joseph Lagrange
Marie-Joseph Lagrange was a Catholic priest in the Dominican Order and founder of the École Biblique in Jerusalem...
, a Dominican priest. In 1920, it took its current name, following its recognition, by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres is a French learned society devoted to the humanities, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France.-History:...
, as a national archaeological school in France.
The École is situated close to an ancient church to which the alleged relics of Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
were transferred in 439; in the Byzantine Era this church was the centre of the cult of this particular saint.
Disciplines
Since its creation, the École has been involved in the exegesis of biblical text, and has carried out archaeological research, in a complementary manner and without secrecy, in PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and the adjacent territories. Its principle disciplines are epigraphy
Epigraphy
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
, the Semitic languages, Assyriology
Assyriology
Assyriology is the archaeological, historical, and linguistic study of ancient Mesopotamia and the related cultures that used cuneiform writing. The field covers the Akkadian sister-cultures of Assyria and Babylonia, together with their cultural predecessor; Sumer...
, Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
, other aspects of ancient history, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
.
It has the power to confer official doctorates in Holy Scripture. It publishes the Revue Biblique
Revue Biblique
Revue Biblique is an academic journal published by a French Dominican order based in Jerusalem. It was founded in 1892 by Pierre Batiffol and Marie-Joseph Lagrange.-External links:* Official Website: * at the Internet Archive...
, which is a diverse collection of scholarship from its fields of excellence, and it also publishes material addressed to larger audiences, including a particular French translation of the Bible
Bible translations (French)
After a number of French Bible translations in the Middle Ages, the first printed translation of the Bible into French was the work of the French theologian Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples in 1530 in Antwerp, Belgium. This was substantially revised and improved in 1535 by Pierre Robert Olivétan...
, known as the Jerusalem Bible
Jerusalem Bible
The Jerusalem Bible is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible which first was introduced to the English-speaking public in 1966 and published by Darton, Longman & Todd...
(a work which strove both for critical translational rigour and for quality as a piece of literature).
Among its most illustrious members, in addition to Marie-Joseph Lagrange, are Marie-Emile Boismard
Marie-Émile Boismard
Claude Boismard was a French biblical scholar.He was educated in Rome, he was professor of the New Testament. As part of the École Biblique, he was one of the translators who created the Jerusalem Bible...
, Roland de Vaux
Roland de Vaux
Father Roland Guérin de Vaux OP was a French Dominican priest who led the Catholic team that initially worked on the Dead Sea Scrolls. He was the director of the Ecole Biblique, a French Catholic Theological School in East Jerusalem, and he was charged with overseeing research on the scrolls...
, Raymond-Jacques Tournay, and Pierre Benoit
Pierre Benoit (archaeologist)
Maurice Benoit , better known as Pierre Benoit, was a French catholic priest, exegete, and theologian.-Biography:...
.
Qumrân discoveries
Following the discovery of the Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
, the scholars at the École have been heavily involved in the translation and interpretation of the texts.
Relationship to the Vatican authorities
The École and its founder were, for a long time, regarded as 'suspect' by the VaticanHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
authorities, as a consequence of the Modernist Crisis
Modernism (Roman Catholicism)
Modernism refers to theological opinions expressed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but with influence reaching into the 21st century, which are characterized by a break with the past. Catholic modernists form an amorphous group. The term "modernist" appears in Pope Pius X's 1907...
. Lagrange himself, like other scholars involved in the 19th century renaissance of biblical studies, was suspected of being a Modernist. The school was briefly closed.
In 1909, conflict between the Dominicans and the Jesuits, common at the time, resulted in the Pope's creation of the Pontifical Biblical Institute
Pontifical Biblical Institute
The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy is an institution of the Holy See run by the Jesuits that offers instruction at the university level...
, as a Jesuit rival to the École. The dispute between the Jesuits and the Dominicans (and their respective institutions) has gradually calmed down, particularly after the 1943 papal encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu
Divino Afflante Spiritu
Divino Afflante Spiritu is an encyclical letter issued by Pope Pius XII on September 30, 1943. It inaugurated the modern period of Roman Catholic Bible studies by permitting the limited use of modern methods of biblical criticism. The Catholic bible scholar Raymond E...
.