{"id":2561,"date":"2026-02-12T13:35:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/bibbia-senza-filtri-paul-wallis\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T09:01:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T09:01:45","slug":"bible-without-filters-paul-wallis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/en\/bible-without-filters-paul-wallis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bible without filters: a conversation with Paul Wallis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row fade_scroll=&#8221;yes&#8221; enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930724485{padding-bottom: 25px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;abstract&#8221;]When I finish a recording, I always take a few minutes of silence to check if I have kept to the point that really matters to me: not replacing one dogma with another, returning to the text, letting it speak, and then reasoning.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s what happened in my recent conversation with Paul Wallis on <i>The 5th Kind<\/i>. Paul recalled my work on interlinear biblical texts for Edizioni San Paolo: a technical job, repetitive at times, but revealing for that very reason. When you translate word for word without \u201cadjusting\u201d the text to make it sound more edifying, you realize that many theological certainties are based on interpretative choices, not linguistic data.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1767098866913{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_video link=&#8221;https:\/\/youtu.be\/rf9fxKQTfV8&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1769679912406{margin-top: 50px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]The part I appreciated most, however, was our actual convergence, born of two very different paths. Paul comes from years of ecclesiastical and academic life: his method involves hermeneutics, form analysis, source study, and systematic comparison with Near Eastern literature and parallel traditions. I come from language: grammar, lexicon, context of use of Hebrew terms, and a simple obsession\u2014not to make words say what they do not say. Different approaches, then: one \u201cfrom the outside\u201d (the text in its cultural ecosystem), the other \u201cfrom the inside\u201d (the text in its linguistic mechanics). Yet the outcome is surprisingly similar: read without theological filters, the Bible tells a different story from the one that doctrine has constructed.<\/p>\n<p>In these lines, I want to give you the essence of the conversation precisely because, when two independent methods arrive at the same conclusions, I think it is worth pausing for a moment.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1769679912406{margin-top: 50px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>The starting point: reading without filters<\/h2>\n<p>I began with a premise that I often repeat and that some people find annoying: the point is not to \u201cbelieve\u201d or \u201cnot believe\u201d; the point is to understand what is written.<\/p>\n<p>If we read the Bible without theological filters, some things stand out with almost embarrassing clarity.<\/p>\n<p>The first: <i>Elohim<\/i> is a plural. It is not a nuance. It is grammar. And when a theological tradition needs to systematically turn it into a singular, it means that there is an underlying problem: not in the text, but in the interpretation that is being imposed.<\/p>\n<p>Second: in the lexicon of biblical Hebrew, there is no term that corresponds to our \u201cGod\u201d understood as a transcendent, omnipotent, absolute creator. The text speaks of specific figures: <i>Elohim<\/i>, <i>Yahweh<\/i>, <i>Elyon<\/i>, and also other names related to national or territorial deities (Milkom, Chamosh, etc.). This leads to a simple consequence: when we translate everything as \u201cGod,\u201d we are already performing an interpretive operation, not a translation.<\/p>\n<p>Third: the text is not \u201cspiritual\u201d in the sense that it has been described for centuries. It is concrete. It describes encounters, orders, movements, conflicts, alliances, punishments, and logistical operations. It is a book that speaks of power, territories, hierarchies, and often brutal relationships.<\/p>\n<p>Paul was perfectly in tune with these three points. And from there, the conversation got to the heart of the matter: if <i>Elohim<\/i> is not the \u201cGod\u201d of theology, then what are these beings? Inventions? Metaphors? Memories?[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1767098929894{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2539&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930770591{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cPowerful ones,\u201d not \u201cgods\u201d: what the text really says<\/h2>\n<p>When Paul asked me what I think <i>Elohim<\/i> are, I answered in the most straightforward way: the text describes them as powerful entities.<\/p>\n<p>Not as ideas. Not as moral symbols. Paul often uses the phrase \u201cthe powerful ones.\u201d It is useful because it forces us not to slip immediately into religious language. I added something that I consider crucial: the biblical authors are not \u201cinventing\u201d a pantheon for the sake of literature. They are recording memories, as is the case in many ancient cultures.<\/p>\n<p>And here the convergence with Paul is evident: he has worked extensively on the parallels between biblical accounts and Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, but also extra-Eurasian traditions. I come from the Hebrew text. He comes from cultural comparison and the history of forms. The two paths, however, often lead to the same intersection.<\/p>\n<p>And here I have insisted on a passage that, for me, sweeps away many ambiguities: the Bible does not speak of a universal God. It speaks of a \u201cruler\u201d assigned to a specific group.<\/p>\n<p>If we take seriously the structure that emerges from Deuteronomy 32 and related texts, we find a picture of distribution: <i>Elyon<\/i> (the \u201csuperior\u201d) assigns portions, territories, peoples; and <i>Yahweh<\/i> is assigned the \u201cpart\u201d that concerns exclusively the family of Jacob. This is not theology. It is administration of the world in the ancient style: hierarchies, assignments, property.<\/p>\n<p>When you put it that way, many react with annoyance because it undermines the comforting idea of monotheism as the \u201coriginal heart\u201d of the Bible. But we are not in therapy here. We are in the text.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1767098929894{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2547&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930838361{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Yahweh and morality: the problem is not \u201cscandalous,\u201d it is logical<\/h2>\n<p>Paul asked a clear question: if we read these stories as stories about \u201cGod,\u201d enormous moral problems emerge. And why, despite this, have generations of translators continued to render everything as if it were a story of the good and just God?<\/p>\n<p>Here the answer is uncomfortable but simple: if you translate Yahweh as \u201cGod,\u201d you are forced to try to justify the unjustifiable: centuries of \u201ctheodicy\u201d are proof of this. The text contains orders for total extermination, formulas for annihilation that include men, women, children, and even animals. If the source of those commands is \u201cGod,\u201d then you have to turn genocide into \u2018mystery\u2019 or \u201cdivine justice.\u201d If, on the other hand, you respect the hierarchy of the story and recognize that Yahweh is one of the Elohim\u2014a leader, a military chief, a local ruler\u2014then violence remains human violence (or that of powers described as such), and you don&#8217;t have to make it say that it is \u201cgood\u201d just because \u201cheaven\u201d ordered it.<\/p>\n<p>This is a question of method, not provocation.<\/p>\n<p>It is not a question of \u201cattacking\u201d a faith. It is a question of avoiding a translation that forces ethics to bow to dogma.<\/p>\n<p>Paul added a passage that I found very clarifying: \u201cwe become what we worship.\u201d If you worship a violent god, you have to justify violence; and once justified, you practice it. It is a psychological and cultural chain that history demonstrates all too well.<\/p>\n<p>For my part, I brought the issue back to the choice of translators and theologians: for centuries they have preferred to hide the plural, to standardize figures, to spiritualize what is concrete. Not always out of individual bad faith: often because the entire doctrinal system does not hold up if you leave plurality and hierarchy in place.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Shadday: when a translation invents an attribute<\/h2>\n<p>At one point, I gave an example, because theory without examples is just rhetoric.<\/p>\n<p>The term <i>Shadday<\/i> is almost always rendered as \u201cAlmighty.\u201d The problem is that it is not a translation but a theological label. And when Paul commented that it appears to be an \u201cinvented\u201d translation, I nodded: it is a misleading translation that does not describe but constructs.<\/p>\n<p>Paul also recalled an alternative philological hypothesis: Shadday could be linked to a semantic field of destruction. I added that the root shadad refers to violence, to devastation. From there, a reading as \u201cThe Violent One\u201d is not a whim: it is an option consistent with a certain semantic use of the term. And above all: it is consistent with the story, where that entity presents itself in an intimidating way and, shortly thereafter, in the narrative flow, exemplary destruction takes place.<\/p>\n<p>This passage is useful not so much to \u201cwin\u201d a dispute as to show the mechanism: a theological translation tends to place a desired and necessary attribute (omnipotence, goodness, transcendence) on top of the text. A more bare translation forces you to remain within the register of the story.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1767098929894{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2416&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Why leave some terms in Hebrew<\/h2>\n<p>Here we come to a point that emerged clearly in the dialogue and is also one of the reasons why my collaboration with a certain type of \u201cconfessional\u201d publishing has broken down.<\/p>\n<p>When I translated technically, word for word, I insisted on one choice: to leave some terms in Hebrew, not because they sound exotic, but because their theological translation erases the behavior they have in the text.<\/p>\n<p>Elohim, Ruach, Kavod: these are three key examples.<\/p>\n<p>If you translate Kavod as \u201cglory\u201d in a spiritual sense, the reader imagines a mystical aura. But when you read Exodus and Ezekiel, Kavod does concrete things: it moves, rises, produces noise, light, physical effects, even dangerous ones. It does not behave like a moral concept. It behaves like a physical phenomenon.<\/p>\n<p>If you translate Ruach as \u201cspirit,\u201d the reader imagines an immaterial presence. But in the text, Ruach moves like wind, coming from specific directions, lifting, carrying. And if you \u201cspiritualize\u201d it, you lose the main clue: the authors describe observable dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>Paul agreed wholeheartedly on this point and expressed it in a way that I like: leaving key words \u201cuntranslated\u201d is an invitation to a more honest, but also more challenging, type of reading. I don&#8217;t give you a label right away; I force you to observe what is really happening in the story and what the context makes unambiguously clear.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1767098929894{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2543&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Technology: not UFOs, but IFOs<\/h2>\n<p>When Paul drew attention to Ezekiel, the ark, the descriptions of sounds, movements, and perceived vibrations, I repeated a phrase I often use to confirm this: the Bible does not talk about UFOs, it talks about identified flying objects.<\/p>\n<p>Not because I want to \u201cmodernize\u201d the text by force, but for the opposite reason: the text describes, identifies, locates, and attributes functions. The object \u201cis\u201d something in the story. It is not a deliberately ambiguous \u201cmystery.\u201d The ambiguity comes later, when it is spiritualized.<\/p>\n<p>And here I clarified a methodological point that I consider essential: I do not want to replace one dogmatic lens with another. I don&#8217;t want \u201ctechnology\u201d to become the new magic word. I want the word \u2018glory\u2019 to stop being the carpet under which concrete descriptions are hidden.<\/p>\n<p>If, while reading, one notices similarities with technological phenomena, it is a matter of comparison, not translation. First comes the text. Then comes the question: \u201cWhat does it resemble?\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1769683783956{margin-top: 40px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Opposition: my answer remains the same<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>Paul asked me what kind of opposition I encountered when I began to speak publicly about the real meanings of terms and their behavior in the text.<\/p>\n<p>The answer, in fact, is monotonous: yes, there was opposition. And my reply is always the same: let&#8217;s pretend that the text tells the truth and translate it literally. Let&#8217;s see what happens.<\/p>\n<p>Resistance arises when you understand that what is at stake is not linguistic but cultural: if Yahweh is not \u201cGod\u201d but a leader among others, then violence is not sacred. If Kavod is not \u201cspiritual glory\u201d but a phenomenon, then many liturgies become posthumous reinterpretations. If Elohim is not singular but plural, then the idea of original monotheism is not a given, but a historical result.<\/p>\n<p>This shifts the center of gravity. And when the center of gravity shifts, many power structures tremble. It is normal for some people to react with annoyance, and I now accept this calmly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661934423901{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;}&#8221; row_hide=&#8221;hidden-xs&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661934759256{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;border-left-color: #000000 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #000000 !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #000000 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #000000 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}&#8221;][vc_row_inner content_placement=&#8221;middle&#8221; gap=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243; enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Left&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661934743455{padding-left: 40px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>Gods of the Bible<\/h3>\n<p>A new interpretation of the Bible reveals the oldest secret in history.A fundamental work for understanding all my work.[\/vc_column_text]<style>.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69.btn-icon-solid .btn-icon{background:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69.btn-icon-circle.btn-icon-ripple .btn-icon:before{border-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69.btn-icon-solid:hover .btn-icon{background:rgb(255, 255, 255);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69{background-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);border-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(255, 255, 255);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69:hover{background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69 .btn-gradient-bg-hover{background:-webkit-linear-gradient(to right, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0%, rgb(255, 255, 255) 100%);background:linear-gradient(to right, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0%, rgb(255, 255, 255) 100%);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69 .btn-gradient-border defs stop:first-child{stop-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69 .btn-gradient-border defs stop:last-child{stop-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69:hover .btn-gradient-border defs stop:first-child{stop-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69:hover .btn-gradient-border defs stop:last-child{stop-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);}<\/style><a href=\"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/en\/gods-of-the-bible\/\" title=\"Gods of the Bible\" class=\"btn btn-solid border-thick btn-has-label ld_button_6aa9b6b78ba69\" >\n\t<span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn-txt\" data-text=\"Discover\" >Discover<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/a>\n[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243; enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Right&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661934262406{border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;border-left-color: #000000 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;}&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;998&#8243; img_size=&#8221;medium&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661935047164{margin-top: 40px !important;margin-bottom: 40px !important;}&#8221; row_hide=&#8221;hidden-sm hidden-md hidden-lg&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661934693946{border-left-width: 0px !important;border-left-style: solid !important;}&#8221;][vc_row_inner content_placement=&#8221;middle&#8221; gap=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243; enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Right&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661935062220{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;border-left-color: #000000 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #000000 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #000000 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;998&#8243; img_size=&#8221;medium&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243; enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Left&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1661935117468{border-bottom-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;border-bottom-color: #000000 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}&#8221; responsive_align=&#8221;text-center&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>Gods of the Bible<\/h3>\n<p>A new interpretation of the Bible reveals the oldest secret in history.A fundamental work for understanding all my work.[\/vc_column_text]<style>.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2.btn-icon-solid .btn-icon{background:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2.btn-icon-circle.btn-icon-ripple .btn-icon:before{border-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2.btn-icon-solid:hover .btn-icon{background:rgb(255, 255, 255);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2{background-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);border-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(255, 255, 255);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2:hover{background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2 .btn-gradient-bg-hover{background:-webkit-linear-gradient(to right, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0%, rgb(255, 255, 255) 100%);background:linear-gradient(to right, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0%, rgb(255, 255, 255) 100%);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2 .btn-gradient-border defs stop:first-child{stop-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2 .btn-gradient-border defs stop:last-child{stop-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2:hover .btn-gradient-border defs stop:first-child{stop-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);}.ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2:hover .btn-gradient-border defs stop:last-child{stop-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);}<\/style><a href=\"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/en\/gods-of-the-bible\/\" title=\"Gods of the Bible\" class=\"btn btn-solid border-thick btn-has-label ld_button_6aa9b6b78bcd2\" >\n\t<span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn-txt\" data-text=\"Discover\" >Discover<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/a>\n[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1769683692722{margin-top: 50px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cThey are all inventions\u201d: what to answer without resorting to propaganda<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>At one point, Paul raised the typical objection: \u201cWhat if someone says it&#8217;s all fiction, all invention?\u201d I replied as I always do: I follow the work of Israeli archaeologists who, year after year, publish findings and comparisons with the texts. It is a complex, controversial, non-linear field, but dismissing everything as \u201cmade up\u201d is a shortcut. And here we need rigor: it does not mean that every detail of the biblical narrative is \u201cnews,\u201d it means that the narrative moves within a real historical, geographical, and cultural world. There is a material context: inscriptions, archives, and artifacts from the Near East that dialogue with the themes, names, practices, and mentalities of the time. And if we broaden our gaze to Egypt, the picture becomes even more concrete and confirms exactly the opposite of the uniform monotheistic fairy tale that is often projected retrospectively onto antiquity. Above all, the comparative argument returns: if similar narrative structures and recurring images appear in distant areas of the world, in eras without global communication, the hypothesis that \u201ceveryone invented the same thing by chance\u201d becomes fragile. It is not mathematical proof, but it is a strong clue. And on this Paul and I found ourselves, once again, in agreement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Paul&#8217;s method: hermeneutics, sources, context<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>One of the most interesting parts of the dialogue, in my opinion, was when I asked Paul to explain his method. Because convergence on results is important, but it is even more important to understand \u201chow\u201d you get there, especially if you come from a world (theological and clerical) that, as a rule, defends traditional interpretation.<\/p>\n<p>Paul described a research itinerary based on three complementary steps. First, form criticism, which establishes what kind of text we are dealing with, what genre it belongs to, what internal signs reveal its function and intention, and therefore what \u201creading rule\u201d is legitimate to apply. Then source criticism, which asks where the passage comes from, whether it is the result of stratification, reworking, or editorial stitching, and what theological or political agenda may have influenced its current form. Finally, linguistic analysis, which goes down to the level of words and constructions, reconstructs their semantic field, attested uses, and nuances, and verifies whether the translation truly conveys the meaning of the text or bends it to a pre-determined interpretation.<\/p>\n<p>Paul insisted, and I appreciated this point from a scholar of religions, on the risk of \u201cinterpretive\u201d translation, which grows over time. The more a text is translated in a religious context, the more it tends to be \u201cadjusted\u201d to appear consistent with doctrine. And often the oldest, or most \u201cbrutal,\u201d translations have value precisely because they do not try to make everything elegant. They render.<\/p>\n<p>This is exactly the point that I have been trying to get across to you for years: translating is not preaching. Translating is not \u201csaving\u201d the text. Translating is exposing oneself to what is written<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; responsive_css=&#8221;margin_top_large:50px|margin_bottom_large:20px|margin_bottom_small:30px&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2535&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>The \u2018bags\u2019 and \u201cpinecones\u201d: an example of convergence between text and images<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>I have studied and read with interest all of Paul&#8217;s books in the Eden series, because there we can appreciate another type of convergence: text, iconography, archaeology, and traditions dialogue with each other and lead us toward broader horizons.<\/p>\n<p>I asked him what he thought of those recurring images, especially in Neo-Assyrian bas-reliefs, in which \u2018priestly\u2019 figures or winged beings appear holding two objects: on one side a small bucket-shaped container (often called a \u2018bucket\u2019 in museum descriptions), on the other an oval, scaly object, similar to a pine cone. The best-known scenes are in the reliefs of the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Kalhu\/Nimrud, and in similar series from the Assyrian palace complexes of Khorsabad (Dur-Sharrukin) and Nineveh. It is a fascinating theme, and one on which often imaginative interpretations circulate; what interested me, however, was his \u2018concrete\u2019 proposal.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recounts a very explicit episode: he was in Tamil Nadu, India, during a guided tour by his friend Pravin Mohan. He says that the guide pointed out \u2018a particular version\u2019 of the bag\/pine cone motif in which \u2018you can see what&#8217;s inside the bag\u2019 and that \u2018two vials\u2019 emerge from inside the container. The point, in his argument, is that this iconographic detail forces us to change the question: not \u201cwhat does it symbolize?\u201d, but \u201cwhat does it contain and what use does it imply?\u201d. Hence the logical chain he explains: if there are vials, then there is a substance to be poured or applied; and if the figure also holds the \u201cpine cone\u201d object as a tool, then the gesture is operational (pouring, sprinkling, applying), not an abstract ritual pose.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; responsive_css=&#8221;margin_top_large:50px|margin_bottom_large:20px|margin_bottom_small:30px&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2556&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]The decisive step, however, was his connection with the \u201cdeep history\u201d of Anatolia and related regions: tales of a catastrophe, a new beginning, and a subsequent \u201crestart\u201d of agriculture. Paul correlated widespread stories (Noah, Ziusudra, Armenian, Iranian, and Norse traditions) and iconography (reliefs, paintings, scenes). The result was a coherent hypothesis: those figures are most likely performing a gesture of manual pollination, selection, crossbreeding, in short, an agricultural technique.<\/p>\n<p>Undoubtedly, this type of interpretation, beyond the specific conclusions of the studies still being carried out by Paul and his collaborators, is perfectly compatible with the concrete nature of the biblical texts. If you remove the spiritualist patina, the ancient world speaks of practical things: cultivating, building, organizing, dominating, transporting.<\/p>\n<p>We can say that even today, manual pollination is still used in certain contexts. So, before elevating everything to symbolism, let us remember that many ancient images could simply be descriptions of procedures.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; responsive_css=&#8221;margin_top_large:50px|margin_bottom_large:20px|margin_bottom_small:30px&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;1618&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>What I think of \u201cGod\u201d: the answer that those looking for slogans don&#8217;t like<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>The conversation ended with a question that always comes up: \u201cWhat do you think of God?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul responded by distinguishing between Hebrew and Greek vocabulary: in the New Testament, <i>theos<\/i> appears as the word closest to our concept of \u2018God\u2019. He explained how his idea has shifted towards an image of \u2018source of the cosmos\u2019, which is more philosophical, less institutional, and less linked to the figure of the \u2018king\u2019 and the \u2018puppet master\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>I have no reason to dispute his personal trajectory. But, from my point of view, what matters is another point: when we read ancient texts, using the word \u201cGod\u201d in the modern sense is often a distortion. It is better to say \u201csource,\u201d \u201cintelligence,\u201d \u201cprinciple,\u201d if that is what we mean. And if we are talking about <i>Elohim<\/i>, <i>Yahweh<\/i>, <i>Elyon<\/i>, then it is more honest to use the terms of the text or translations that respect their narrative function (powerful, superior, rulers, leaders, etc.) instead of merging everything into an abstraction.<\/p>\n<p>This is not a \u201cspiritual\u201d answer. It is a philological answer. And I know that some will find it cold. But I prefer the coldness of precision to the intoxication of misunderstanding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; responsive_css=&#8221;margin_top_large:50px|margin_bottom_large:20px|margin_bottom_small:30px&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2551&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>A new project: bringing together two paths that lead to the same point<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>And here we are at the part that, I admit, interests me greatly for practical reasons as well: Paul and I are preparing a new joint work, a book written by two authors who have different approaches to study and different roots, but who love to engage in open discussion even when their ideas differ.<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, my insistence on language, grammar, the contextual semantics of Hebrew terms, and the need not to spiritualize what the text describes in concrete terms. On the other, his expertise in hermeneutics, the history of forms, and comparison with parallel literatures and traditions: Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>Our promise is this: to take a few \u201ckey words\u201d and a few \u201cnarrative junctures\u201d and follow them on two tracks simultaneously. What does Hebrew say, and what happens when you put that story in a broader cultural context, without the confessional bubble?<\/p>\n<p>Paul and I are convinced that it will be a work that will force the reader to do what theology often avoids, namely to look at the text as an ancient document, not as a catechism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930857330{margin-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>The text does not need to be saved, it needs to be read.<\/h2>\n<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"9754071b-c0d5-4c95-bdcb-9e8ec4e21e37\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-72\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"b13d1230-f154-4fbb-87f5-dfbc1e760d50\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p>If I had to sum up the meaning of my conversation with Paul in one sentence, I would say this: when you stop defending an idea and start reading a text, the text allows new questions to arise.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible, read without theological filters, becomes an archive of memories, conflicts, hierarchies, encounters, and concrete descriptions. The plurality of the <i>Elohim<\/i>, the \u201cassigned\u201d figure of <i>Yahweh<\/i>, the problematic nature of his morality, the need to leave some terms in Hebrew so as not to distort them, the materiality of words such as <i>Ruach<\/i> and <i>Kavod<\/i>: these are all signs of a text that does not demand devotion, but attention.<\/p>\n<p>And here lies the most \u201csubversive\u201d part, if you will: philological honesty does not destroy the text. It destroys the superstructures that have used it.<\/p>\n<p>We will certainly not ask you, our readers, to \u201cbelieve\u201d it; on the contrary, we will ask you to do what is simplest: open the sources, look at the words, and accept that sometimes the most correct translation is also the most disturbing one.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row fade_scroll=&#8221;yes&#8221; enable_content_animation=&#8221;yes&#8221; animation_preset=&#8221;Fade In Up&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1747930724485{padding-bottom: 25px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;abstract&#8221;]When I finish a recording, I always take a few minutes of silence to check if I have kept to the point that really matters to me: not replacing one dogma with another, returning to the text, letting it speak, and then reasoning. That&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[44,50,355,55,99,120,356,59],"class_list":["post-2561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-antico-testamento-en","tag-bible","tag-ebraico-biblico","tag-elohim-en","tag-old-testament","tag-paul-wallis-en","tag-traduzione-biblica","tag-yahweh-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Bible without filters: a conversation with Paul Wallis - Mauro Biglino<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mauro Biglino recounts his conversation with Paul Wallis: plural Elohim, Yahweh \u201cassigned,\u201d dogma-free translations, and a new project ahead.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/en\/bible-without-filters-paul-wallis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Bible without filters: a conversation with Paul Wallis - 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