author
David Castelli
1836–1901
An Italian Jewish scholar and teacher, he helped bring modern biblical criticism into Italian intellectual life while still writing with a close knowledge of Hebrew sources. His work ranges from translations and poetry studies to wider histories of the Israelites and Jewish thought.
1 Audiobook
La legge del popolo Ebreo
by David Castelli
About the author
Born in Livorno on December 30, 1836, he studied at the rabbinical college there and went on to teach Hebrew and Italian in the city’s Jewish schools. He later worked in Pisa before becoming, in 1876, a professor of Hebrew at the Institute of Higher Studies in Florence, where he remained for the rest of his life.
He is remembered as an important figure in 19th-century Italian Jewish scholarship. Reference works describe him as one of the scholars who introduced modern biblical criticism to Italy, and his writing shows both deep traditional learning and a strong interest in historical and literary analysis.
His books include translations and studies of biblical texts such as Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, along with broader works on Hebrew poetry, messianic ideas, and the history of the Israelites. He died in Florence in 1901.