SSH/RSCS Institut de recherche Religions, spiritualités, cultures, sociétés (RSCS)
De Doncker, Ellen. Anthropomorphisms in the Septuagint: Status Quaestionis and New Perspectives. In: collectif d'auteurs, God's Body: Divine Embodiment in the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, and Early Christianity, 2026. 9789004439962 (Soumis).
De Doncker, Ellen. No Regrets! Gen 6:6-7 and LXX’S Rendering of Anthropopathies. In: Robert J. V. Hiebert, Jonathan Numada , Dongshin Don Chang, Kyung S., Themes and Text: Genesis and Beyond, T & T Clark: London, 2026. 978-0-567-70548-8 (Accepté/Sous presse).
De Doncker, Ellen ; Bryan Beeckman. Cunning or Clever? An Analysis of the Unique Rendering of עָרוּם by φρόνιμος to Denote the Snake in Gen 3:1. In: Journal of Early Christian History, Vol. 15 (2025) (Accepté/Sous presse).
De Doncker, Ellen. Pour une critique sensorielle de la LXX : Jalons vers une herméneutique du sensible en traduction. In: Revue théologique de Louvain, Vol. 57, no.1, p. X-x (2026) (Soumis).
De Doncker, Ellen. Review of: Bryan BEECKMAN. One or Two Translators? Translation Technique and Theology of LXX Proverbs and Its Relation to LXX Job (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 549). Berlin, De Gruyter, 2023. (16×24), xviii-368 p. ISBN 9783111041094. €99.95.. In: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, Vol. 101, no.1, p. 147-149 (2025). doi:10.2143/ETL.101.1.0000000.
De Doncker, Ellen. Review of: Guillaume LEPESQUEUX. L’exposition du nom divin dans le livre de l’Exode: Étude exégétique d’Ex 3,1–4,18; 6,2–7,7; 33–34 (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II/102). Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2019. (15,5×23), xv-437 p. ISBN 978-3-16-156734-6. €114.00.. In: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, Vol. 101, no.1, p. 150-152 (2025). doi:10.2143/ETL.101.1.0000000.
De Doncker, Ellen. Between Tradition and Innovation: God’s ‘Long Nose’ as μακρόθυμος. In: Andrew Keenan, Robert Walker (eds.), Postclassical Greek and Cultural Identity in the Septuagint. In Memoriam: James K. Aitken (1968-2023) (Studies on the Septuagint within the History of Greek; 1), De Gruyter: Berlin, 2025. 9789464770414 (Accepté/Sous presse).
De Doncker, Ellen ; Recalcati, Camilla. Identities and Ideologies: The Greek Translator(s) of the Pentateuch and God's Arm. In: Collectif, Theological and Ethical Transformations in Ancient Bible Translations (Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology), Peeters: Leuven, 2025. 9789042949478 (Soumis).
De Doncker, Ellen. Teshuva as Philosophical View on History: The Problem of Silence. In: Saldukaitytė, Jolanta, Morality on the Edge: Modernity and the Holocaust in Lithuania (Philosophy in Dialogue / Philosophie im Dialog; 9), LIT Verlag: Münster, 2025, 201-258. 9783643915207.
De Doncker, Ellen. Jesaja’s Dochter Sion: Een verhaal van vallen en opstaan. Didachè 2025: Jesaja spreekt. Van profetie tot vandaag (Leuven, du 19/08/2025 au 20/09/2025).
De Doncker, Ellen ; Bonanno, Beatrice ; Anna Mambelli ; Laura Bigoni. Presentazione del volume The Septuagint of Ruth Translation Technique, Textual History, and Theological Issues. Dialoghi sulla Bibbia dei Settanta (Bologna, 07/05/2025).
De Doncker, Ellen. A human God? A comparative analysis of anthropomorphisms in the Hebrew and Greek Pentateuch, prom. : Ausloos, Hans, 02/04/2025.
De Doncker, Ellen. Substituting Anthropomorphisms? God’s Mouth in Num 20:24 and the Possibility of a Different Vorlage. In: Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 1, no.1, p. 1-20 (2024). doi:10.1163/15685330-bja10163.
De Doncker, Ellen. Het exodusverhaal als bron van hoop. In: Paul Kevers, Apocalyps vandaag ? De Bijbel als bron van hoop, VBS: Leuven, 2024, p. 25-53. 978-94-6477-041-4.
De Doncker, Ellen. The Septuagint: Why Was the Hebrew Bible Translated into Greek?. In: Philippe Guillaume, Diana V. Edelman (eds.), The Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures in Five Minutes (Biblical Studies), Equinox: Sheffield, 2024, p. 167-171. 9781800504523.
De Doncker, Ellen. A Hearing God: ἐπακούω Reinvented in the LXX. SBL Annual Meeting (San Diego, California, du 22/11/2024 au 26/11/2024).
De Doncker, Ellen. Anatomie divine. Ou comment la Bible présente-t-elle le corps de Dieu?. Séminaires connectés de l'Université de Laval (Université de Laval (online), 23/10/2024).
De Doncker, Ellen ; Beeckman, Bryan. Cunning or Clever? An Analysis of the Unique Rendering of עָרוּם by φρόνιμος to Denote the Snake in Gen 3:1. LXXSA Annual Conference: Stories Through the Ages. Approaching LXX Narratives Afresh (Potchefstroom (South Africa), du 15/04/2024 au 17/05/2024).
De Doncker, Ellen ; Recalcati, Camilla. Identities and Ideologies: The Greek Translator(s) of the Pentateuch and God’s Arm. EABS Annual Conference 2024 (Sofia, du 15/07/2024 au 18/07/2024).
De Doncker, Ellen. The Divine Mouth Avoided in LXX? A Vorlage-Centric Analysis of Anthropomorphism, with a Focus on LXX-Numbers 20:24. Midwest Regional Meeting for Biblical Studies (South Bend (IN), du 15/03/2024 au 17/03/2024).
De Doncker, Ellen. Translating God’s Senses in LXX-Pentateuch : A Prefixed Theology?. Montreal Septuagint Colloquium (Montreal, du 17/06/2024 au 20/06/2024).
De Doncker, Ellen. Incestual Duplication by Female Sex Offenders: Lot’s Daughters (Genesis 19:30–38) as Challenge to Typologies and Violent Family-Systems. In: Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, Vol. 5, no.1, p. 16-37 (2023). doi:10.17613/76k6-g684.
De Doncker, Ellen. Review of: Francesca Stavrakopoulou, God. Een anatomisch onderzoek. In: Ezra Bijbels Tijdschrift, Vol. 58, no.1, p. 89-90 (2023).
De Doncker, Ellen. The Lexeme panîm and its Greek Rendering in Exodus 33: Between Grammaticalized Idiom and Playfulness. In: BABELAO : Electronic Journal for Ancient and Oriental Studies, Vol. 11, p. 45-78 (2023).
De Doncker, Ellen. "E' stata la mano di Dio": God's Hand in the Septuagint. EABS Graduate Symposium (Jerusalem, Israel, du 27/03/2023 au 29/03/2023).
De Doncker, Ellen. A Nosy Translator? The LXX-Translation of the Divine AP Between Tradition and Innovation. Language and cultural identity in Postclassical Greek (Cambridge, du 13/09/2023 au 15/09/2023).
De Doncker, Ellen. Gods voedsel (לחם) in de Septuaginta-versie van Leviticus: Een antropomorfisme vermeden?. 239e vergadering van het Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap (Utrecht, 20/01/2023).
De Doncker, Ellen. God’s Nose in LXX-Pentateuch: An Anthropomorphism Avoided or Metaphor Installed?. EABS Annual Conference (Siracusa (Italia), du 10/07/2023 au 13/07/2023).
De Doncker, Ellen. Het Exodusverhaal als bron van hoop. Didachè Bijbel 2023: De Bijbel als bron van hoop en vertrouwen in donkere tijden (Leuven, du 22/08/2023 au 23/08/2023).
De Doncker, Ellen ; Anne Létourneau (co-first author) ; Olivier Roy-Turgeon (co-first author). A Parade of Adornments (Isa 3:18–23): Daughters Zion in the Light of Gender and Material Culture Studies. In: Open Theology, Vol. 8, no.1, p. 445-459 (2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. Review of: Avrom Sutzkever, Heures rapiécées : Poèmes en vers et en prose, traduits du yiddish et préfacé par Rachel Ertel (Paraboles) Paris : L’Eclat, 2021, 592 p.. In: Ezra: Bijbels Tijdschrift, Vol. 53, no. 4, p. 130-132 (2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. Review of: Eberhard Bons (ed.). Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint. Volume 1: Alpha-Gamma. Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2020. (18×24,5), clxiii-1979 p. ISBN 978-3-16-150747-2. €289.00. In: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, Vol. 97, no.4, p. 694-696 (2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. A Way In Between? Avrom Sutzkever Between Historical and Transhistorical Perspective. The Possibility of a New Way after Shoah by Bullets: Religion, Ethics, Politics (Vilnius (online), 24/11/2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. God Eating Bread or God Receiving Gifts: LXX-Leviticus and the Anthropomorphism of God's Food. SBL Annual Meeting (Denver (Colorado), du 18/11/2022 au 22/11/2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. Le corps divin dans le Pentateuque . Séminaire sur le corps dans la littérature biblique (Université de Montréal, 08/11/2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. The Song of the Sea (Ex 15:1-18) in the Septuagint. LXX’s Treatment of Anthropomorphisms. EABS Graduate Symposium (Prague, du 30/03/2022 au 01/04/2022).
De Doncker, Ellen. 'Van aangezicht tot aangezicht': Exodus 33 en huidhonger. In: Ezra Bijbels Tijdschrift, Vol. 49, no. 1, p. 1-12 (2021).
De Doncker, Ellen. Review of: Thomas Römer – Hervé Gonzalez – Lionel Marti (eds.). Représenter dieux et hommes dans le Proche-Orient ancien et dans la Bible: Actes du colloque organisé par le Collège de France, Paris, les 5 et 6 mai 2015 (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, 287). Leuven – Paris – Bristol, CT, Peeters, 2019.. In: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, Vol. 97, no.3, p. 503-507 (2021). doi:10.2143/ETL.97.3.3289716.
De Doncker, Ellen. Uncovering Moses Ben Sabbataï: A Fourteenth-Century Critic of Philosophers and Kabbalists. In: Mediterranea. International journal on the transfer of knowledge, Vol. 6, no.1, p. 191–208 (2021). doi:10.21071/mijtk.v6i.
De Doncker, Ellen. Rosenzweig and Chalier on Teshuva: Repentance and Redemption. In: Irène Kajon, Luca Bertolino (eds.), Gebet, Praxis, Erlösung / Prayer, Praxis, Redemption (Rosenzweig Jahrbuch; 12), Verlag Karl Alber: Freiburg, 2021, p. 205-219. 978-3-495-46413-7.
De Doncker, Ellen. Footloose or Footless God? LXX and anthropomorphisms in Ex. 24:10. Divine Bodies (Glasgow University, 01/04/2021).
De Doncker, Ellen. Les aspects anthropomorphiques du don de Dieu : la main divine puissante dans la LXX. Colloque du séminaire transversal: Le don de Dieu (Louvain-la-Neuve, du 17/06/2021 au 18/06/2021).
De Doncker, Ellen. Les filles "hautaines" de Sion: Identité textile et dépouillement en Es 3,16-4,1. Colloque du RRENAB 2021 (Genève, du 03/06/2021 au 05/06/2021).
De Doncker, Ellen. “From Your Mouth to God’s Ears”: LXX’S Treatment of God’s Ears in the Pentateuch. SASNES, LXXSA and OTSSA Annual Meeting (University of the Free State, South Africa (Online), du 30/08/2021 au 03/09/2021).
De Doncker, Ellen. “Is it too late now to say sorry?” Gen 6:6-7 and LXX’s rendering of anthropopathies. 2021 SBL Annual Meeting (San Antonio TX (online), du 19/11/2021 au 23/11/2021).
De Doncker, Ellen. Back to the Concept of Revelation: Rosenzweig and Teshuva. International Conference: "Back to Redemption: Rosenzweig Star 1919-2019" (Jerusalem, du 17/02/2019 au 20/02/2019).
Chargée de recherches F.R.S.-FNRS (October 2025 - October 2028)
Supervisor: Professor Hans Ausloos
Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια? Exploring Truth in Biblical Greek
In a world where disinformation threatens truth, this project examines the concept of ‘biblical truth’ as portrayed in 'biblical Greek', with a particular focus on the use and development of ἀλήθεια (‘truth’) and cognates from the Septuagint (LXX), through the Old Testament-Pseudepigraphs (OTP) and to the New Testament (NT). Three aims are pursued: (1) make an inventory of ‘truth terms’ in Hebrew and Greek within different biblical corpora; (2) conduct an exegetical analysis of key passages to understand the semantic, metaphorical and theological frameworks of these terms; and (3) trace the development of ἀλήθεια and its cognates in ‘biblical Greek’ in the broader context of Postclassical Greek (PCG). The proposed project combines insights from sociolinguistics, translation studies and biblical exegesis to investigate the different (theological) nuances of biblical Greek uses of ἀλήθεια. The study rejects the strict ‘Hebrew versus Greek’ dichotomy regarding 'biblical Greek' ἀλήθεια and instead highlights subtle semantic, metaphorical and theological shifts and frames these developments within broader tendencies in PCG. This includes examining differences with extrabiblical Greek sources, as well as the translation techniques of the LXX and their impact on the portrayal of truth, and further development throughout OTP and NT. By analysing the thematic clusters, metaphors and word pairs around ἀλήθεια, this project offers a nuanced understanding of how ‘truth’ was shaped in ‘biblical Greek’ and how these concepts evolved and were shaped in LXX, OTP and NT.
Aspirante F.R.S.-FNRS (October 2020 - April 2025)
Doctoral research, supervisor: Professor Hans Ausloos
Dissertation: “A Human God? A Comparative Analysis of Anthropomorphisms in the Hebrew and Greek Pentateuch”
This study focuses on anthropomorphisms (i.e., descriptions of God in human guise) in the Pentateuch and their translation in different textual traditions. It compares the Hebrew sources (Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch) with the Septuagint (LXX), the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The central question is whether the translators of the LXX deliberately toned down the anthropomorphisms, revealing an anti-anthropomorphic tendency, or whether the differences can be explained by translation choices or textual variants. The study is structured in several key phases. First, it defines anthropomorphism and draws up an inventory of anthropomorphic descriptions in the Pentateuch. Next, it analyzes how these anthropomorphisms are translated in the Hebrew and Greek texts. In the case of discrepancies, it seeks to determine whether these are the result of translation choices, ideological changes or whether the differences are due to a different text that was the basis of the LXX (Vorlage). As such, this analysis is part of a broader framework of textual criticism, as well as the study of translation techniques. This thesis examines whether differences in the representation of God in the LXX reflect deliberate theological developments, linguistic adaptations or other contextual factors. The comparative analysis reveals no systematic tendency to avoid anthropomorphisms in the LXX. Some expressions appear to be softened, but this mainly reflects the adoption of Greek idioms, rather than a rejection of humanlike imagery of God. Thus, this research nuances the idea that the LXX-Pentateuch represents a distinct theological tradition, different from the MT. While some choices reflect theological concerns, many differences are better explained by linguistic and cultural factors. God remains anthropomorphic in the Greek translation: far from erasing God's humanity, the LXX-Pentateuch offers a diversified image of God, where he appears above all as a guide and interlocutor; a humanlike God for the sake of humans.
Renewed Philology - Yale University
Affiliated Early Career Researcher for the Renewed Philology group at Yale. Renewed Philology is an international working group of scholars in biblical studies whose work reflects critically on the intellectual frameworks brought to bear in philological practice. The work of this group is diverse in its interests, interdisciplinary in its readings of ancient texts and the recovery of ancient world-views, and meta-critical in its practices.
Link: https://renewedphilology.yale.edu
Historical Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint Working Group
I am part of the working group for the HTLS - The Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (HTLS, Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 4 vols., 2020-). This is a collective, interdisciplinary project, working towards a multi-volume dictionary on the most significant terms or vocabulary groups found in the Septuagint Bible. Each term is analyzed within Classical and Hellenistic Greek, papyri and inscriptions, the Septuagint and its Hebrew equivalents, Jewish literature in Greek, the New Testament and early Christian literature, in order to investigate its meanings, usages, and possible semantic evolutions. HTLS fills an important gap in philological, historical and biblical research. The FSCIRE project, directed by Eberhard Bons and Daniela Scialabba and coordinated by Anna Mambelli, plans to release four volumes for Mohr Siebeck publishing house, Tübingen.
“Modernity and Holocaust in Lithuania: Philosophical Analysis of Moral Dilemmas” (2021-2022)
Project with University of Vilnius: Participation in research-project “Modernity and Holocaust in Lithuania: Philosophical Analysis of Moral Dilemmas”, led by Prof. Jolanta Saldukaityte
Une deuxième peau à vif: vêtement, genre et violence dans la Bible hébraïque (2020-2022)
Project with Université de Montréal: Participation in research-project on gendered violence through textile in the Hebrew Bible, led by Prof. Dr. Anne Létourneau