Les Nouvelles de Jérusalem - Numéro 105 - Printemps 2023

esearch skills that will occupy us
for the next few years of our lives.
Once these steps have been taken,
two semesters are devoted to
doctoral seminars. You choose a
book of the Bible - Isaiah, Acts,
Sirach, to name but a few. Then,
under the guidance of professors
from the École and invited guests
from other faculties around the
world, we read ancient texts along
with modern commentaries, trying
to discover some of their hidden
treasures. In turn, each of us presents
a book or an article and leads the
discussion among the participants
for hours on end. We are also asked
to do some personal research,
which is presented to the others at
the end of the course. Suggestions,
criticism and comments help
everyone to improve and reinforce
the idea that personal study is never
an isolated task.
I am in the middle of my doctoral
journey and what I have experienced
so far is something exceptional
for which I feel very lucky. I have
the time and resources to study the
Scriptures in a very lively academic
environment.
Not only does the fact of being in
close contact with people from all
over the world and with a wide
variety of interests constantly
stimulate my questions, but also
the very special geographical
context - Jerusalem - gives an extra
dimension to my readings, since
it is in these very places that the
Bible was inspired, conceived and
written.
The École biblique is like a
workshop where we try to forge
a common knowledge, as broad
as possible. And while our eyes
are trained to run between the
lines and the words to make new
connections, we are left with
the strong feeling that it is God
himself who is “reading” within us,
relentlessly provoking us to rethink
ourselves, our way of seeing others
and the world.
In short, our way of reading life.
Fr. Fabrizio Marcello
Priest and doctoral student
Portrait
Frère Jonas et la quête des origines
Yunus Demirci assure le cours
de topographie pour cette année
2022-2023. Yunus, ou Jonas : faisons
connaissance avec ce capucin,
fils d’Orient.
Naître sous une peau et muer : expérience,
peu banale. C’est celle
de Yunus Demirci. Ce capucin
assure depuis cette année le cours
de topographie à l’École biblique.
« Toujours souriant, très vif, des
parcours découvertes plus que
nourris » : les étudiants, manifestement,
apprécient.
D’où lui vient cette énergie ? Né
Turc à Iskenderun il y a 45 ans, il se
découvre peu à peu Arménien. Sa
mère qu’il croyait syriaque était,
en réalité, beaucoup plus que cela.
Des syriaques, il y en a dans la famille,
des musulmans aussi, et des
chrétiens, bien sûr. Terre bigarrée.
Ce destin, Yunus, ou Jonas, le découvre
à Jérusalem où il est assigné
en 2007. Ironie de l’histoire : il est
Turc ? Parce que la France disposa
de sa région natale en la cédant à
la Turquie en 1939 pour prix de sa
Nouvelles de Jérusalem - N° 105 - Pâque 2023
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