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The Biblindex seminar on Friday 20 May was led by our collaborator Jean-Marie Auwers, professor of patristics and ancient history at the Catholic University of Louvain, on the subject: “The exegetical chains and the polysemous reading of the Song of Songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“From Philo of Alexandria to Photius, it is in the chains that the most important and, let us say, the best part of Greek exegesis has been preserved. It is one of our best sources of information on the thought of Christian antiquity that remains hidden in the chains and, so to speak, unknown”, wrote Robert Devreesse in 1928. Since then, the study of the exegetical chains has progressed considerably.
The question will be asked whether Devreesse’s words are still relevant in the case of the Song of Songs, and it will be shown that the chains are not only of documentary interest, but also offer a mirror of the exegesis of the Song in the early centuries. This is particularly true of Procopius’ Epitome. The juxtaposition of the various commentaries in the Epitome provides a contrasting picture of the exegesis of the Song between the third and fifth centuries and shows the originality of each commentator, as well as the profound influence of Origen on early exegesis. In their diversity, the Epitome of Procopius and related chains reflect the biblical culture of their time. As such, they are a cultural phenomenon that deserves to be studied for its own sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n