BARTOLOCCI, GIULIO

Eminent Hebraist; b. Celano, in the Abruzzi, April 1, 1613; d. Rome, Oct. 20, 1687. He made his profession as a Cistercian monk of the Italian congregation of the Feuillants (reformed Bernadines) at the monastery of St. Pudentiana in Rome. He studied theology at Mondovi and Turin, did extensive research in Jewish literature in the libraries of Italy, and taught Hebrew at Rome. He was named Scriptor Hebraicus at the Vatican Library, where he was assisted by convert from Judaism Jehudah jonah ben jishaq. He was appointed a consulter to the Congregation of the Index, served as superior of Cistercian houses in Brisighella and Rome, presided at their general chapter, was visitor for the Roman province, and became titular abbot of San Sebastiano ad Catacumbas. His chief work was the Bibliotheca magna rabbinica de scriptoribus et scriptis hebraicis, which appeared in four volumes in 1675, 1678 (dedicated to Pope Innocent XI), 1683, and 1694 (edited posthumously by his pupil Carlo Imbonati). Despite its shortcomings, this vast account of Jewish writers and literature was valued greatly by later compilers. Bartolocci's unpublished works include Liber Tobiae, a Hebrew version with interlinear Latin translation; Defensio Christiana; and Collectanea de Trinitate, Messiae divinitate ac gentium vocatione.

Bibliography: j. m. canivez, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Paris 1912—) 6:1050–51. Encyclopaedia Judaica: Das Judentum in Geschichte und Gegenwart (Berlin 1928–34) 3:1102–03. c. j. morozzo, Cistercii reflorescentis… chronologica historia (Turin 1690) 123. j. olivieri, Dictionnaire de la Bible (Paris 1895–1912) 1.2:1474–75. k. spahr, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche (Freiburg 1957–65) 2:17–18.

[c. bernas]