author
David Castelli
1836–1901
An Italian Jewish scholar and teacher, he helped bring modern biblical criticism into Italian intellectual life. His writing ranges from translations and studies of biblical books to broader works on Jewish history and 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 city’s rabbinical college and began his career teaching Hebrew and Italian in the local Jewish schools from 1857 to 1863. He later worked in Pisa as secretary of the Jewish congregation while also teaching privately, before moving into a more prominent academic role.
From 1876 until his death in Florence in 1901, he held the chair of Hebrew at the Institute of Higher Studies in Florence. Sources consistently describe him as an important Italian scholar of Jewish studies and note that he helped introduce modern, historically minded biblical criticism to Italy.
His books show both range and depth: they include studies such as Il Messia secondo gli ebrei and Della poesia biblica, as well as translations and critical work on Ecclesiastes, Job, and the Song of Songs. He also wrote larger historical works, including Storia degli Israeliti, reflecting a lifelong interest in explaining Jewish texts and history to a wider readership.