On Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem will host a new lecture as part of the “Thursdays at the ÉBAF” series. Fr Jakub Bluj, OP, Doctor of Old Testament Studies at the École Biblique, will present a lecture in English entitled Metamorphoses of an Ancient Text: Different language forms of Sir 37:7–15 as a Test Case.
This lecture will focus on a phenomenon well known to scholars of ancient texts: the plurality of linguistic forms of the same biblical passage. Fr Jakub will examine the passage from Sirach 37:7–15 as a true “test case,” providing insight into how an ancient text can circulate and transform itself through different linguistic traditions.
The book of Sirach, preserved in several languages and transmitted in various textual traditions, offers a particularly rich terrain for observing these transformations. By comparing the different forms of the text—from Hebrew, Greek, and other ancient traditions—the lecture will show how these variants can shed light on both the history of the text’s transmission and the processes of interpretation that accompanied its reception over the centuries.
Through this specific example, Fr Jakub Bluj will also offer a broader reflection on how biblical texts evolve in the course of their transmission, and on what these “metamorphoses” of the text reveal about the intellectual and religious life of the communities that copied, translated, and interpreted them.
Important notice: Due to the state of emergency in Jerusalem, access to this conference will be reserved exclusively for residents of the ÉBAF. Unfortunately, outsiders will not be admitted to the ÉBAF grounds for this event. However, in order to allow as many people as possible to follow this presentation, the lecture will be recorded and posted as a video on the ÉBAF YouTube channel later in the week.
We thank our friends and partners for their understanding in this particular context and look forward to sharing this lecture online very soon.