Objectives: This course introduces students to Jewish and rabbinic readings of the Psalms within the historical context of Christian censorship of Hebrew books in early modern Europe. It aims to examine these interpretive traditions and the theological questions they raised for Christian readers, while providing students with scholarly tools to approach the texts in their historical, intellectual, and theological settings. The course is designed as an academic and comparative inquiry into the history of interpretation and transmission of the Psalms, and seeks to foster a respectful and informed engagement with both Jewish and Christian traditions.

Learning Outcomes: Through the study of censored, altered, or suppressed passages in early printed editions, students will explore how theological disagreements, editorial practices, and processes of self-censorship shaped the transmission of the Book of Psalms and, in less visible ways, contributed to forms of intellectual exchange and mutual influence between Jews and Christians. Particular attention will be paid to the historical diversity of Christian attitudes toward Jewish learning and Hebrew scholarship.

Content : The course opens with an introduction to rabbinic literature and to the religious and intellectual context of sixteenth century Europe, with particular attention to the development of Hebrew printing and to the mechanisms of Christian censorship. It then focuses on selected rabbinic interpretations of the Psalms that address theological themes, which became points of discussion and tension between Jewish and Christian readers.

Methodology : The course is based on guided reading of rabbinic texts and historical sources. Class sessions combine close textual analysis, including translation, with collective discussion. This approach enables students to engage confidently with primary sourc es while developing a nuanced understanding of their historical and theological contexts.

Means of Evaluation : The evaluation will take the form of a an Elaborato.