Anna Mambelli

Affiliated researcher

mambelli@fscire.it

Research interests

Biblical philology and exegesis: Septuagint studies, with a focus on the Book of Daniel (Masoretic Text, Qumran manuscripts, Septuagint, and other ancient Greek versions); New Testament; Ancient Christian Literature.

Education, academic and professional experience

Anna Mambelli is Assistant Professor at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Education and Humanities; Academic discipline: L-FIL-LET/06 – Ancient Christian Literature.
She is coordinating activities related to Biblical and Patristic philology and exegesis and the Digital Humanities applied to these research fields within the project “ITSERR - Italian Strengthening of the ESFRI RI RESILIENCE” (Project cod. IR0000014 – CUP B53C22001770006 – ITALIAN NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN [PNRR] – MISSIONE 4 “Istruzione Ricerca”, COMPONENTE 2 “Dalla ricerca all’impresa”, Investimento 3.1 “Fondo per la realizzazione di un sistema integrato di infrastrutture di ricerca e innovazione” funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU - rif. Avviso MUR 3264/2021 - Concession Decree n. 111, 20/06/2022 – Project duration: 01/11/2022 – 30/04/2025, unless extended by the MUR).
Anna Mambelli is scientific coordinator of the international and interdisciplinary project Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (HTLS, ed. Eberhard Bons [as of vol. I] and Daniela Scialabba [as of vol. II], Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, 2020-).
She is a member of the Steering Committee of the “Septuagint Studies” Unit within the SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) International Meetings.
She is a member of the editorial board of the Bologna Studies in Religious History series, published in the Brill catalog (Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Alberto Melloni).
She is a member of the editorial team of the journal “Cristianesimo nella storia. Studies in History, Theology and Exegesis”, of the editorial team of the journal “Annali di Storia dell’Esegesi” (Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Mauro Pesce), and of the team working on Plorabunt - Martyrology of People at Prayer, a FSCIRE research line.
Anna Mambelli participates in the National Research Group of PARS - Training and Information Portal for Fighting Religious Illiteracy with Knowledge (a project of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and FSCIRE), so far, in particular, through the creation of two training kits: 1) on historical-critical exegesis of the Old Testament, with Prof. E. Bons (March 22, 2021: https://pars-edu.it/percorsi-formativi/esegesi-storico-critica-dellantico-testamento); 2) on dreams in the Bible and its surroundings (December 1, 2022: https://pars-edu.it/percorsi-formativi/i-sogni-nella-bibbia-e-dintorni).
In 2021, she obtained a PhD in History of Religions from the University of Strasbourg and in Religious Studies from the Giuseppe Alberigo European School for Advanced Religious Studies, Bologna, in the context of an international co-tutorship agreement (cotutelle) between FSCIRE and the University of Strasbourg.
Her doctoral dissertation (supervisors: Prof. Eberhard Bons and Prof. Luca Mazzinghi) focuses on the Hellenistic context and the meaning of the dream reports in Daniel 2 and 4 in its two complete Greek versions, known respectively as the Old Greek and Theodotion.
Between 2017 and 2019 she spent several research periods at the University of Strasbourg, perfecting Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, and in September-October 2017 she carried out part of her research at the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem.
Previously, she studied at the School of Letters and Heritage of the University of Bologna, and graduated in July 2013, tutored by Professor Renzo Tosi, with her B.A. thesis entitled Δοῦλος nel Nuovo Testamento. In March 2016 she obtained her M.A. degree in Philology, Literature and Classical Tradition, tutored by Professors Renzo Tosi and Antonio Cacciari, with a thesis entitled La Seconda Lettera di Pietro. Ricerche linguistiche e problemi interpretativi.

Featured publications

Articles

D. Dainese, A. Mambelli, Intertestualità tra Bibbie e antichi commentari cristiani: l’esempio di simul nel De Genesi ad litteram di Agostino, in «Lexicon Philosophicum: International Journal for the History of Texts and Ideas», 11 (2023-2024), pp. 39-65. Open Access: https://lexicon.cnr.it/ojs/index.php/LP/article/view/872/726

A. Mambelli, Shaping Politics in the Bible and its Receptions. Introductory Note, in Reading Scriptures and Thinking Politics, ed. by A. Mambelli, monographic section of «Cristianesimo nella storia», 45, 2 (2024), pp. 349-355.

A. Mambelli, Introduzione, in “And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed” (Lam 1:6). Reactions, Responses, and Reflections on the Fall of Jerusalem from the 1st to the 4th Century CE, ed. by A. Mambelli, monographic section of «Annali di Storia dell’Esegesi», 41, 2 (2024), pp. 271-274.

A. Mambelli, «Verranno giorni…» nel Vangelo di Luca: l’influenza di Geremia LXX sulle profezie di Gesù riguardanti la distruzione di Gerusalemme, in “And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed” (Lam 1:6). Reactions, Responses, and Reflections on the Fall of Jerusalem from the 1st to the 4th Century CE, ed. by A. Mambelli, monographic section of «Annali di Storia dell’Esegesi», 41, 2 (2024), pp. 275-310.

A. Mambelli, Old Greek Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream as a Visible and Infallible Prophecy, in Words from Another World: Understanding Prophecy in Early Judaism and Christianity, eds. R.F. de Sousa and A. Mambelli, monographic issue of «Cristianesimo nella storia», 43, 2 (2022), pp. 425-470.

A. Mambelli, Costruzioni dell’eresia e dell’ortodossia nel cristianesimo antico, «Nuova Secondaria» 10 June 2020, pp. 28-31.

Volumes edited

A. Mambelli, M. Mülke (hrsg. von), Religionen und Freiheiten. Historische, theologische und exegetische Studien, Göttingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2025 [forthcoming].

A. Mambelli (ed. by), Reading Scriptures and Thinking Politics, monographic section of «Cristianesimo nella storia», 45, 2 (2024).

A. Mambelli (ed. by), “And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed” (Lam 1:6). Reactions, Responses, and Reflections on the Fall of Jerusalem from the 1st to the 4th Century CE, monographic section of «Annali di Storia dell’Esegesi», 41, 2 (2024).

R.F. de Sousa, A. Mambelli (eds.), Words from Another World: Understanding Prophecy in Early Judaism and Christianity, monographic issue of «Cristianesimo nella storia», 43, 2 (2022).

E. Bons, A. Mambelli, D. Scialabba (eds.), Exodos. Storia di un vocabolo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019.

A. Mambelli, V. Marchetto (eds.), Naming the Sacred. Religious Toponymy in History, Theology and Politics, Göttingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2019.

Chapters in books

A. Mambelli, Exodus, in Handbuch zur Septuaginta (LXX.H), vol. VI, Die Wirkungs- und Rezeptionsgeschichte der Septuaginta, eds. Martin Meiser, Florian Wilk, Gütersloh, Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2022, pp. 90-97.

A. Mambelli, The Second Epistle of Peter: A Different Approach to Lexical Analysis, in Defining Authorship, Debating Authenticity: Problems of Authority from Classical Antiquity to the Renaissance, eds. R. Berardi, M. Filosa, D. Massimo, Berlin-Boston, De Gruyter, 2020, pp. 235-256.

A. Mambelli, The Influence of the Septuagint on the Vocabulary of the Second Epistle of Peter. The Cases of ὁµίχλη, ἐµπαίκτης, ῥοιζηδόν and ἀµώµητος in 2 Peter 2:17; 3:3, 10, 14, in Die Septuaginta – Themen, Manuskripte, Wirkungen. 7. Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 19.-22. Juli 2018, eds. E. Bons, M. Geiger, F. Ueberschaer, Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2020, pp. 728-739.

A. Mambelli, L’uso di ἔξοδος nel Nuovo Testamento e nella letteratura cristiana antica, in Exodos. Storia di un vocabolo, eds. E. Bons, A. Mambelli, D. Scialabba, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019, pp. 131-164.

A. Mambelli, Le prime attestazioni di Ἔξοδος come titolo del secondo libro del Pentateuco, in Exodos. Storia di un vocabolo, eds. E. Bons, A. Mambelli, D. Scialabba, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019, pp. 167-177.

Dictionary/encyclopedias/catalogs entries

A. Mambelli, Vaccari Alberto, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. XCVII, Rome, Treccani, 2020, https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alberto-vaccari_(Dizionario-Biografico)

A. Mambelli, ἀνομέω, in Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (HTLS), vol. I, Alpha – Gamma, ed. E. Bons, Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2020, pp. 817-819, 821-824.

A. Mambelli, γίγας, in Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (HTLS), vol. I, Alpha – Gamma, ed. E. Bons, Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2020, pp.1860-1864.

Conferences, seminars and workshops

4 October 2024, Resilient Septuagint and uBIQUity: Interrelated Research Projects on Sacred Texts and their Heritages in the Digital World, panel, From the History of Exegesis to Reception History and Beyond, 10th Annual Meeting on Christian Origins (CISSR), Bertinoro.

4 October 2024, E. Bons, D. Scialabba (ed. by) in collaboration with A. Mambelli, Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (HTLS), 4 vols. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020–, panel, Book Discussion, 10th Annual Meeting on Christian Origins (CISSR), Bertinoro.

31 July 2024, WP8 ITSERR: Illuminating the uBIQUity of Sacred Texts Between the Ancient and Digital Worlds, panel, Septuagint Studies, International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), Amsterdam.

6 June 2024, direction and organisation with D. Dainese, Citazioni, allusioni, metafore. Questioni di metodo su forme e dinamiche della rappresentazione, Conference organised within the framework of the projects uBIQUity-WP8 ITSERR and PRIN 2022 “Resilient Septuagint”, FSCIRE, Bologna.

22 May 2024, Illuminating the uBIQUity of Sacred Texts: Between Tradition and Innovation in the Ancient and Digital Worlds, panel [proponent: A. Mambelli], Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint, Resilient Septuagint, uBIQUity: Transdisciplinary and Interrelated Research Projects on Sacred Texts and their Heritages, Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion, Palermo.

21 May 2024, uBIQUity: Illuminating the Greek and Latin Bibles, the Quran, and Their Receptions in the Age of Generative AI, panel, Strengthening the Research Infrastructure RESILIENCE: the Italian project ITSERR, Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion, Palermo.

21 March 2024, uBIQUity – WP8 ITSERR: illuminare i testi sacri delle religioni abramitiche tra mondo antico e digitale, HTLS Workshop Annuale, FSCIRE, Bologna.

21 April 2023, LXX and New Testament, LXX Conference in Honor and Lectio Ultima of Prof. E. Bons, Palais Universitaire, Université de Strasbourg.

14-15 March 2023, Origin, Methodology and Aims of the HTLS, HTLS International Workshop, FSCIRE, Bologna.

2 February 2023, Il ruolo delle figure angeliche in Daniele Old Greek tra rivelazione, protezione e persecuzione, Day of studies in honour of Prof. Antonio Cacciari, Letteratura cristiana antica fra grammatica e teologia, FICLIT - GIROTA, Bologna.

15-16 December 2022, Prophetic Dreams and Visions in Old Greek Daniel 2 and 4, HTLS – Beyond Canon International Meeting, Fakultät für Katholische Theologie, Universität Regensburg.

27 April 2021, Lineamenti di storia dell’esegesi delle fonti cristiane, Teacher training course, Storie, culture e religioni in dialogo. La ricchezza nella diversità per una società scolastica inclusiva, ICS Silvio Boccone project, Palermo.

11-13 July 2019, Costruzione dell’eresia e dell'ortodossia nel cristianesimo antico, Teacher training course, Il lessico storico-religioso di Fscire: lo sviluppo delle eresie tra Oriente e Occidente, FSCIRE, Bologna.

1-5 July 2019, Dreams and Visions: An Investigation into the Meaning of the Word ἐνύπνιον from Ancient Greek Literature to Early Christian Writings, International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), Hellenistic Greek Language and Linguistics, Pontificia Università Gregoriana, Rome.

4-7 March 2019, ʻShe reinforced her woman’s reasoning with a man’s courageʼ (2 Macc. 7:21). Heroic Virtues of the Suffering Materfamilias in 2 Maccabees 7 and 4 Maccabees, panel ʻWomen prove superiorʼ (1 Esdr. 3:12). Women and Power in Jewish Hellenistic Literature, Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion, Bologna.

17-20 November 2018, Exodos: Lexical History and Reception of a Greek Term, Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), Lexicography of the Greek Bible, Denver, Colorado.

19-22 July 2018, The Use of ὁµίχλη in the Septuagint and in the Second Epistle of Peter in the Context of Divine Judgment, 7. Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Die Septuaginta - Themen, Manuskripte, Wirkungen, Wuppertal.

5-8 March 2018, Exodus in the New Testament and Early Christian Literature, panel Exodus – An Investigation of Vocabulary and Concepts from Ancient Greek Literature to Early Christian Writings, First Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion, Bologna.

26-27 October 2017, The Second Epistle of Peter. Reflections on the Relationship between Pseudonymity and Canonicity, Prolepsis’ Second International Postgraduate Conference, «Auctor est aequivocum»: Authenticity, Authority and Authorship from the Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Bari.