"Wisdom." This was the theme of the 45th course of Biblical-Theological of the SBF, "Studium Biblicum Franciscanum". The SBF is a scientific institution for the research and academic teaching of Sacred Scripture and the archaeology of biblical countries. It was conceived by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in 1901 and has operated continuously since 1924. The SBF conducts biblical research from the linguistic, historical, exegetical, theological and environmental aspects. In its teaching activities, it gives particular importance to biblical languages and to personal and prolonged contact with the biblical world of the East. This year's edition of the Biblical-Theological Refresher Course was held from April 19 to 22, at the "Immaculate" Auditorium of St. Saviour's Convent, in Jerusalem. Prof ROSARIO PIERRI, ofm Deacon - Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "The scripture fascinates. We get requests from "friends," we're talking about an audience, in a general sense, of faithful. This type of training course is in high demand. We've had experience with it over the years." Prof ALESSANDRO CONIGLIO, ofm Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "The theme of Wisdom evidently falls perfectly within the context we are living. We think not only of the pandemic that is still present, but we also think of the wars that are devastating the world. There is a need to return to the roots of Wisdom, a Wisdom that comes from God, a Wisdom that is a gift of God but that then serves to change, in practice, man's behavior". In their lectures, the speakers wanted to highlight very important themes starting from the origin of sapiential literature. The topics covered in the various lectures were: Introduction to the reading of the sapiential texts; Sapiential theology and the Psalms; The Book of Wisdom; The Book of Job: How to Speak to God in Trial; The "Testament of Job"; Wisdom from above; Wisdom and the Spirit in St. Paul; Yet wisdom has been shown to be righteous by its works; Wisdom Reasons. Prof ROSARIO PIERRI, ofm Deacon - Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "We've talked about Job, we've talked about Wisdom, and now we're seeing how this literature is present in the New Testament but not as a "book." So what is Jesus' relationship with Wisdom? Starting from these results, which I believe are very positive, we are spurred to propose a new edition of the CABT next year as well." Prof CLAUDIO BOTTINI, ofm Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "Over 40! I remember who founded these courses, Father Bellarmino Bagatti. Then I collaborated for many years, 9, as Deacon, organizing them myself. I have seen with great pleasure that those who came afterwards, thanks also to Canção Nova and the Christian Media Center, have further promoted participation in this course. So a lot of people come from outside, they used to be much less. Here is a really useful course held here in Jerusalem, not only for local people, but especially for religious men and women, religious teachers who after Easter take a break from work and lift their minds and spirits by studying a particular theme, mostly biblical." Prof ROSARIO PIERRI, ofm Deacon - Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "We work for the Church, for the Gospel, and Evangelization. So whoever wants, you are invited to participate in our courses, you are welcome. Know that this approach of ours is rigorous but also aimed at Evangelization." The afternoons of the refresher course are always devoted to an integrative activity involving guided tours of various sites and museums in Jerusalem. The most important biblical-archaeological excursion this year was held in the Negev, with a visit to the great works of God and man in the desert. Br AMEDEO RICCO, ofm Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "In our excursion we try to learn about and deepen the Christianization of the Negev today, particularly in Avdat and Shivta. We learned about the Christian antiquities of these places, the basilicas and baptistries to establish contact with those who preceded us, the Christians of these places." Fr GIANANTONIO URBANI Invited professor at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum "We chose again this year, for the 45th biblical refresher course, the way of the Negev. We went to explore the sapiential strand within the Desert." Those attending the excursion were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and learn more about the biblical and archaeological stories of the area. Fr STEFANO VUARAN Diocese of Concordia-Pordenone, Italy "The first place we visited on this excursion was Ein Avdat, a natural spring named after the city of Avdat. The second stop was Avdat, the city that gives its name to this spring, a city of Nabatean foundation. The third stop on this excursion will be Shivta, another city of Nabatean foundation, cities then both conquered by the Romans and inhabited until the arrival of the Arabs in the 7th century." At the end of the excursion Holy Mass was celebrated among the ruins of the ancient city of Shivta. An unforgettable experience to keep in memory. Sister MIRIAM MICHALAK Pious Disciples of the Divine Master "It's a very nice, rich experience. And we were also able to enjoy this beautiful weather. We are here together, we prayed, but it was also an opportunity to deepen our faith, return to the sources of our faith." MIRKO CARPELLETTI Participant "Since my wife is a History major and loves this kind of activity, while the baby and I are a bit more curious, we decided to trust it and discovered so many wonderful things, first of all a beautiful group that welcomed us, even if we were meeting each other for the first time." Read More