anna angelini

University of Siena / Università di Siena, Dipartimento di Filologia e Critica delle Letterature Antiche e Moderne, Faculty Member

University of Lausanne, Institut romand des sciences bibliques, Department Member

University of Zurich, Switzerland, Theologische Fakultät, Research associate

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Papers by anna angelini

Representing Yhwh as the master of the stars in the context of ancient Near Eastern astral cults: Job, Amos, and beyond

Semitica et Classica, 2025

This article examines the representation of Yhwh as master of the stars in the books of Amos (4:1... more This article examines the representation of Yhwh as master of the stars in the books of Amos (4:13; 5:8; 9:5-6) and Job (chapters 9 and 38). These passages propose a unique divine configuration in which Yhwh is presented not only as the creator of the constellations but also as the holder of ordered cosmic knowledge, breaking with the prophetic tradition that devalued astronomy and astral cults. The analysis places these texts in the broader context of the astralization of deities in the Levant and the emergence, during the Persian period, of a theology in which divine power is expressed through the organization of the heavens. The article also highlights the cultic, sapiential, and epistemic implications of this figure of Yhwh, particularly through the confrontation between human knowledge and divine knowledge in Job 38, and in comparison with Aramaic mantic traditions. Finally, this study highlights the consequences of this representation in terms of the transformations of Israelite monotheism during the Second Temple Period, paying attention to the semantic shifts in divine attributes, especially in the epithet Sabaoth, now associated with universal sovereignty rather than with a strictly military function.
Astral cults – Job – Amos – Enoch – wisdom – divination - Sabaoth – heavenly host

Cette contribution examine la représentation de Yhwh en tant que maître des étoiles à partir des livres d’Amos (4:13 ; 5:8 ; 9:5-6) et de Job (chapitres 9 et 38). Ces passages proposent une configuration divine singulière dans laquelle Yhwh est présenté non seulement comme créateur des constellations mais aussi comme celui qui possède la connaissance des lois célestes, en rupture avec la tradition prophétique qui dévalorisait l’astronomie et les cultes astraux. L’analyse replace ces textes dans le cadre plus large de l’astralisation des divinités au Levant et réfléchis à la signification de l’émergence, à l’époque perse, d’une théologie dans laquelle le pouvoir divin s’exprime à travers l’organisation céleste. L’article met également en lumière les implications cultuelles et épistémiques de cette figuration du dieu Yhwh, notamment à travers la confrontation entre savoir humain et connaissance divine dans Job 38, en comparaison avec les traditions de sagesse et la mantique araméenne. Enfin, l’étude analyse les conséquences de cette représentation sur le plan des transformations du monothéisme israélite à l’époque du Second Temple et des glissements sémantiques des attributs divins, en particulier autour de l’épithète Sabaoth, désormais associée à la souveraineté universelle plutôt qu’à une fonction strictement militaire.

Cultes astraux – Job – Amos – Hénoch – sagesse – divination - Sabaoth – armées célestes

The Language of Colour in the Bible

by Emanuela Valeriani and anna angelini

Riti strani tra avversione e fascino: i riti alimentari ebraici agli occhi dei Greci e dei Romani

Piccole curiosità delle religioni antiche, ed. Ginevra Benedetti e Francesca Prescendi, Firenze University Press, https://books.fupress.com/catalogue/piccole-curiosit-delle-religioni-antiche-un-approccio-antropologico/16103, 2025

This essay explores the various attitudes which Greek and Latin authors assumed toward the Jewish... more This essay explores the various attitudes which Greek and Latin authors assumed toward the Jewish food prohibitions, in the Greek and especially Roman context between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE. Such attitudes vary from simple curiosity, to mockery, to strong critique, without excluding some fascination toward what was perceived as one of the most representative features of the Jewish religion. The analysis examines the primary historical, social, and cultural contexts in which a discourse on Jewish food prohibitions emerged in classical literature and the responses to such discourse offered by Jewish-Hellenistic authors. The interpretation goes beyond the traditional political or identitarian readings of these passages. It highlights the potential of discourses regarding animals (and animal consumption) to foster intellectual and intercultural engagement in ancient religions and philosophies.

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Biblical Law, Royal Decrees and Jurisdiction: Linguistic and Historical Perspectives

Semitica et Classica 17, 2024

This introductory essay sets the research topics addressed in this volume, namely the study of th... more This introductory essay sets the research topics addressed in this volume, namely the study of the processes of adaptation and rewriting of law in the Hebrew Bible, in the Septuagint and in the broader context of the legal traditions of the ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman milieu. It highlights, moreover, the potential that a contrastive analysis of different corpora (especially the Septuagint and Judeo-Hellenistic literature), provides to this line of research, considering that in this period not only the Jews had to deal with foreign powers and different legal systems, both in Judea and in the diaspora, but also that the question of the type of authority exercised by Jewish law became increasingly central and salient in the discourse of its interpreters. Finally, it examines the specific contribution of each article to the set research questions.

"Like a Lion from the Thickets of the Jordan" The Lexicon of Feline Carnivores in the Hebrew Bible and Greco-Roman Traditions - uncorrected proofs

S. Lazaris, S. Aragon (ed), Identification des espèces animales de l'antiquité à nos jours, Valenciennes, Presses Universitaires de Valenciennes , 2025

The nomenclature of large predators is quite rich in ancient Hebrew, especially with regard to th... more The nomenclature of large predators is quite rich in ancient Hebrew, especially with regard to the names for “lion” (’aryēh; lāby’; šaḥal; layiš; kǝpîr; gûr). In Hebrew poetry, where references to large predators are mostly concentrated, the lion is often mentioned together with the leopard (nāmer) or with the bear (dōb / dôb). Such a vocabulary allows the reconstruction of the behavioural patterns associated with these animals, of their relationship with specific environments and, to a certain extent, of a relative taxonomy. Translations of these names in the ancient versions show a variety of tendencies. Although ancient renderings are quite consistent, the lexicon employed nonetheless reveals a certain degree of interpretation. While some interpretations can be justified by textual difficulties, they might also reflect different zoological patterns or a variation in landscape. This paper reconstructs the history of identifying a number of “biblical” predators in antiquity. It analyzes the lexicon of feline carnivores in the Hebrew Bible and its ancient translations, with a focus on the renderings in the Septuagint, which will be examined against the background of Greco-Roman zoology. Readings from the Peshitta, the Targum and the Vulgate are also included to enlarge the comparative perspective.

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Rethinking Images in the Septuagint and Greek Traditions: εἴδωλον, εἰκών, and ὁμοίωμα

Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, 2024

This article analyses the semantics of εἴδωλον, εἰκών, and ὁμοίωμα in the LXX in light of Greek l... more This article analyses the semantics of εἴδωλον, εἰκών, and ὁμοίωμα in the LXX in light of Greek literary and documentary evidence. By addressing the issue of the relationship between the vocabulary of images and the vocabulary of idols, (1) it deconstructs some oppositions inherited from early Christian interpretations of biblical passages (especially regarding Genesis 1). Moreover (2) it shows the interest of including evidence from the LXX in a broader discussion on the role of visual representation in antiquity.

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Divine Names, Heavenly Bodies, and Human Visions: The Septuagint and the Transformation of Ancient Israelite Religion, in C. Bonnet et al. (eds.), What’s in a Divine Name? Religious Systems and Human Agency in the Ancient Mediterranean, Berlin, De Gruyter, 2024, 735-758

C. Bonnet et al. (eds.), What’s in a Divine Name? Religious Systems and Human Agency in the Ancient Mediterranean, 2024

One of the major changes with regard to the transition of ancient Israelite religion into Early J... more One of the major changes with regard to the transition of ancient Israelite religion into Early Judaism is the transformation of Yhwh from being the patron god of Israel, enthroned in Jerusalem, to being a universal (and invisible) deity residing in heaven. The first part of this paper surveys how the study of divine onomastic attrib-utes has been approached by Septuagint scholarship, highlighting how this corpus crucially attests to a reconfiguration of Yhwh’s power and status, but also pointingout some methodological shortcomings which emerged in past research. The second part of the paper seeks to provide a new framework for the study of divine onomastic attributes in the Septuagint. Paying attention to the relationship between divine name and embodiment, it correlates the deterritorialisation process of Yhwh, as attested by the onomastic attributes, with broader issues concerning the conditions, forms and limits of experiencing the divine presence in cultic contexts.

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La place de l'animal dans l'étude des religions antiques

Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie, 2022

The first part of this article offers selected comments on the articles found in the present vol... more The first part of this article offers selected comments on the articles found in the
present volume. It then discusses key issues in regard to the epistemological paradigms
used in the study of the relationship between animals and ancient religions and seeks
to identify some perspectives for further research on this topic.

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Divine Names from the Hebrew Bible to the Septuagint: Methodological Remarks and a Case Study

HeBAI 11/3, 2022

Focusing on the translation of Shadday as a test case, this paper advances a methodology to appr... more Focusing on the translation of Shadday as a test case, this paper advances a methodology to approach the study of divine names and epithets in ancient Jewish traditions. Unlike other divine epithets, the renderings of Shadday in Greek are divergent and inconsistent, although some patterns can be detected. The fact that the epithet was probably received as a divine attribute by translators with a blurred knowledge of its etymological meaning made room for multiple strategies of translation, each of which highlights a different aspect of the power of the deity. The comparison with the available Greek epigraphical evidence and the large distribution of the epithet throughout the biblical books allows us to identify a tension between the tendency to standardize the renderings (attested, for example, in the Pentateuch), and the certain degree of variety (witnessed in books such as Psalms and Job), which requires an explanation. More generally, the treatment of the title »Shadday« seems to call for new models for understanding the relationship between divine names and divine attributes both in the Hebrew Bible and in the Septuagint.

Héraclès dans le bassin méditerranéen à l'époque hellénistique. Aspects mythiques et cultuels.

In G. Lenzo, C. Nihan, M. Pellet (eds), Les cultes aux rois et aux héros à l'époque hellénistique: continuités et changements, Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2022

In this essay I examine some of the evidence for the cult of Heracles in the Hellenistic period. ... more In this essay I examine some of the evidence for the cult of Heracles in the Hellenistic period. The spread of the cult of Heracles throughout the Mediterranean makes it an ideal case for studying cultic changes in Hellenistic times and can be explained, among other factors, by Heracles « malleability » and by his status as both hero and god. I first examine (1) the role of Heracles in royal and Hellenistic cult. The genealogical dimension – claiming Heracles as a royal ancestor- is but one aspect of a multifaced strategy which plays upon the twofold nature of Heracles as a god and as a hero, these two aspects being perceived as complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Then I analyze some examples documenting the (2) “translations” of the god into local deities across the Mediterranean. I focus on his association with Melqart in Tyre, Carthage and Gades; (3) on the development of his cult as a sea-god and (4) on selected evidence for the cult of Heracles in ANE (Hatra and Palmyra). These examples allow highlighting the internal differences regarding the balance between Greek and Phoenician/Punic or Greek and “Near eastern” components. They show that the developments of the cults to Heracles in the Hellenistic Mediterranean does not simply reflect the imposition of Greek elements on non-Greek cultures: hence it cannot be simply described as “assimilation” or “syncretism”, but involves more complex negotiations of religious, cultural and even esthetic nature.

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Review of: The SBL commentary on the Septuagint: an introduction, Septuagint and Cognate Studies. Dirk Büchner (ed.). Atlanta: SBL Press, 2017

SBL Central, Mar 12, 2020

From Jonah to Pinocchio: on the Biblical Origins of a long-lasting Motif in Sea Epics

This paper (1) analyzes the motif of the fish swallowing Jonah in light of similar episodes attes... more This paper (1) analyzes the motif of the fish swallowing Jonah in light of similar episodes attested in Hellenistic Greek epics and other Hellenistic literary traditions and myths. In light of this evidence, it proposes a possible context in which the biblical story emerged. In addition, the paper (2) also analyzes how this motif developed in early Jewish and early Christian traditions, showing how both traditions shape this motif to fit familiar patterns of sea epics. From a larger perspective, this study both allows us (3) to rethink the attitudes towards seafaring that were traditionally attributed to Judeans in Hellenistic times, while also (4) offering new suggestions as to how we might reposition the epic genre in the Hebrew Bible.

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Unclean Birds in the Hebrew and Greek Versions of Leviticus and Deuteronomy

The Text of Leviticus, 2020

volume open access: https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/190571/1/OBO_292_Himbaza_The_Text_of_Leviti... more

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Les sirènes du Physiologos et le savoir hérétique : les périls de l’hybridité entre Antiquité et Moyen Âge

Les sirènes ou le savoir périlleux, 2014

Cette contribution concerne la représentation du savoir des Sirènes dans les bestiaires de l’Anti... more Cette contribution concerne la représentation du savoir des Sirènes dans les bestiaires de l’Antiquité tardive à partir de l’ancienne version grecque du Physiologos. Alors que, dans la plupart des encyclopédies tardo-antiques et des bestiaires médiévaux, l’aspect diabolique de la sexualité féminine est mis en évidence, dans le récit de la collection la plus ancienne du Physiologos grec les Sirènes sont interprétées comme figures de l’hypocrisie et du discours hérétique. Elles deviennent donc un véhicule de la transmission du savoir faux et séduisant par excellence, le savoir du diable, qui conduit à l’idolâtrie. Dans le cadre de l’interprétation chrétienne, où l’histoire naturelle des animaux se déroule toujours à partir de la signification spirituelle qu’ils revêtent, cette mauvaise qualité est directement mise en relation avec leur nature hybride. De ce point de vue, l’hybridité des Sirènes, loin de poser un problème du côté du vraisemblable, est lue comme le reflet physique d’une duplicité hypocrite de l’âme et, par conséquent, du discours.The paper aims to analyse representations of the Sirens’ knowledge in Late Antiquity’s bestiaries, with a specific focus on the Greek version of the Physiologos. Whereas the diabolical aspect of female sexuality is prevailing in most of late antique and medieval bestiary, in the Greek collection of Physiologos Sirens are understood as figures personifying hypocrisy and heretical discourse. By definition, they stand out as vehicles transmitting false and seductive knowledge, the knowledge of the devil, which leads to idolatry. According to the Christian interpretation, where the natural history of animals always develops from their spiritual meaning, this negative understanding is directly related to their hybrid nature. Accordingly, far from questioning the scientific credibility, the hybridism of the Sirens is analysed as a reflection of the physical duplicity of the soul, and therefore of the speech

Garbati Giuseppe, Pedrazzi Tatiana (eds.), 2016, Transformations and Crisis in the Mediterranean: “Identity” and Interculturality in the Levant and Phoenician West during the 8th-5th Centuries BCE, Suppl. Rivista di studi fenici, xliv, CNR Edizioni, Roma, 300 p

Sociétés plurielles, 2020

HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific re... more HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

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« Leur nature est différente » : les démons dans l’Israël ancien à la lumière de leur contexte proche-oriental

L’imaginaire du démoniaque dans la Septante, 2021

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Naming the Gods of Others in the Septuagint: Lexical Analysis and Historical-Religious Implications

Kernos, 2019

This paper discusses the representation of foreign gods as demons found in the Greek translation ... more This paper discusses the representation of foreign gods as demons found in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. It investigates the category of δαιμόνιον in some Septuagint texts against the background of the Hellenistic literature, and the relationship between the notion of demon and that of idol. In doing this, it shows the relevance of the Septuagint for a better understanding of religious notions emerging during the Hellenistic period. Moreover, focusing on some uses of εἴδωλον in the Pentateuch, the paper proposes a new interpretation for the word in the Greek version of the decalogue, in light of papyrological evidence. Résumé : Cette contribution analyse la représentation des dieux étrangers comme démons dans la traduction grecque de la Bible hébraïque. Elle porte notamment sur la notion de δαιμόνιον dans la Septante, approchée à partir d'autres témoignages hellénistiques, ainsi que sur la relation entre démons et idoles. Cette étude démontre également l'intérêt de la Septante pour une meilleure compréhension de l'émergence de nouvelles catégories religieuses à l'époque hellénistique. Enfin, en se focalisant sur des occurrences spécifiques d'εἴδωλον dans le Pentateuque et en les comparant avec la documentation papyrologique, elle propose une nouvelle interprétation du mot dans la version grecque du décalogue.

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Translating colors in antiquity: the semantics of κόκκινος in the Septuagint

Semitica et Classica, 2017

This article has been prepared within the framework of the "Language of colour in the Bible: from... more This article has been prepared within the framework of the "Language of colour in the Bible: from word to image" (FUSPBS-PPC09/2015) research program financed by University CEU San Pablo and Banco de Santander. My deeper thanks go to Lourdes Garcia Ureña for having invited me to participate in this fascinating project and for her insightful criticism on this paper. I would also like to thank Julia Rhyder for her valuable support with the preparation of the paper and for her revision of my English, and the anonymous readers

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Introduction: Comparing Animal Lexica in Ancient Cultures

Altorientalische Forschungen, 2019

The present collection of essays goes back to a mini-conference that was organized in October 201... more The present collection of essays goes back to a mini-conference that was organized in October 2017 at the University of Lausanne. The purpose of the conference was to gather scholars working on animal lexica in various fields of the ancient Mediterranean and Western Asian world in order to compare the nature of their sources, the methodological issues they face, and the strategies they have developed in order to address these issues. Overall, animal lexicography is relevant for the study of ancient societies in three main respects. Firstly, the animal lexicon constitutes a significant area in the study of ancient languages 1 and also raises specific linguistic issues, since animal names (or zoonyms), like the names of plants and minerals, often belong to a fairly specialized lexicon. Secondly, the study and identification of zoonyms is also a key element in reconstructing the cultural history of animals in ancient societies. Thirdly, since animal lexica are cultural constructs, they also have the potential to illuminate larger aspects of the anthropology of these societies, such as the relationship between animals and space, the conceptualization of wild versus domestic, as well as the construal of complex relationships between humans and animals (including the metaphorical use of zoonyms for humans), among others. Animal lexica have been the subject of several previous studies, which have tended to develop in two directions mainly. Especially in the context of the Western Asian world, lexical and semantic research on zoonyms usually involves a broad range of comparative materials, although it often focuses on the philological and linguistic levels and does not necessarily discuss the larger historical and cultural implications of the analysis of zoonyms in ancient societies. 2 On the other hand, several studies have addressed zoonyms within the context of a social, cultural and anthropological history of the ancient world, but have usually focused on one cultural area in particular, mainly Greece and Rome, 3 but also Egypt 4 and Western Asia. 5 An approach which integrates these social, cultural and anthropological aspects of zoonyms within a larger comparative perspective remains largely a scholarly desideratum, and the conference was meant to be a first step in that direction.

format_quoteThe exceptional nature of Greek and Roman sources necessitates distinct approaches for studying animal names outside their contexts.format_quote

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Biblical translations and cross-cultural communication: a focus on the animal imagery

Semitica et Classica, 2015

In this contribution I will focus on bestiaries as privileged subject-matter to analyze semantic ... more In this contribution I will focus on bestiaries as privileged subject-matter to analyze semantic variations deriving from the translations of the Bible as a space of cultural encounter. Through specific examples-such as formicaleon, deer-goat, behemoth, sirens and so on-the semiotic value of monstrous creatures in the Hebrew Bible, in the Greek Septuaginta and eventually in Jerome’s Vulgata, will be investigated. I will explain the reasons why processes of cultural interaction become more evident in the case of monstrous or “aporetic” animals (i.e. animals that cannot be included in ordinary taxonomies). Finally, with reference to Christian commentaries ad loca, I will show the cultural proceedings underpinning the translation and the interpretation of the biblical bestiary.

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