CASTELLI, DAVID

CASTELLI, DAVID (1836–1901), Italian scholar. Castelli was born in Leghorn. From 1876 until his death he taught Hebrew at the Institute of Higher Studies in Florence. Castelli introduced higher biblical criticism, which was developing in Germany and in Italy. He translated books of the Bible, including Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs, and wrote various studies on the Bible, Della poesia biblica (1878) and La profezia nella Bibbia (1882), and on the Talmud, Leggende Talmudiche (1869). His studies on Jewish history, politics, and law include Storia degli Israeliti dalle origini fino alla Monarchia (2 vols., 1888), Gli Ebrei (1899), La Legge del popolo Ebreo (1884), and Il diritto di testare nella legislazione Ebraica (1878). Castelli published a scholarly edition of shabbetai donnolo 's commentary   to Sefer Yeẓirah, Il commento di Sabbatai Donnolo sul Libro della Creazione (1880). -ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: C. Facchini, Ebraismo e laicità. David Castelli e le concezioni del Giudaismo nell'Europa dell' Ottocento (2004). (Alfredo Mordechai Rabello)