On Monday, 16 February 2026, the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem hosted the defence of a doctoral thesis in Sacred Scriptures. Fabrizio Marcello, a priest from the diocese of Bologna, presented his thesis entitled Spatialising Religion: The Rhetoric of Synagogue Space in Luke-Acts and Philo of Alexandria.
The event brought together a mixed audience of students, researchers, religious figures, family members, and friends of the School from Jerusalem, Italy, and the Institut Catholique de Paris, where Fabrizio teaches New Testament.
The defence was held before an international jury composed of Fr. Olivier Poquillon, director of the School, Fr. Anthony Giambrone, supervisor of the thesis, and Professors Knut Backhaus (LMU Munich), Yunus Demirci, ofmCap (École biblique) and Michael Cover (Marquette University).
The work presented combined New Testament exegesis and the study of ancient Judaism. How does the space of the synagogue function as a rhetorical and theological place in Luke’s work (Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles), in dialogue with the writings of Philo of Alexandria? Is the synagogue merely a narrative or historical setting, or is it a structuring literary device? By organising the proclamation, does it not define the audience and contribute to the very understanding of the nascent Christian mission in its relationship to Judaism?
The candidate’s presentation opened the door to discussions on the comparative method between Hellenistic Jewish sources and New Testament texts, on the use of spatial rhetoric in antiquity, and, in particular, on the historical and theological implications of this reading. The dialogue with the jury made it possible to clarify the hermeneutical scope of the work and to highlight its contributions to the study of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity in the early centuries.
At the end of the deliberations, the jury praised the scientific quality of the research, its philological rigour and its original contribution to the interpretation of Luke-Acts, awarding the candidate the distinction of summa cum laude. On this occasion, the new doctor received congratulations from Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, his archbishop and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
The first of the new doctoral programme offered by the ÉBAF, this defence was an important moment in the academic life of the School, illustrating its vitality at the crossroads of text and context.
The École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem extends its warmest congratulations to Fabrizio on the completion of his doctoral work and its best wishes for his academic career.
The theses are available at the ÉBAF library.