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Dictionary of Nature Imagery of the Bible
The DNI Bible is a research project formulated and led by Prof. Dalit Rom-Shiloni, The Department of Biblical Studies
Using DNI Bible
DNI Bible
Dictionary of Nature Imagery
of the Bible
The Dictionary of Nature Imagery of the Bible
DNI Bible is targeted at biblical scholars and students of Bible world wide. The Dictionary further gives professionals in the various fields of life & natural sciences and ecology in general access to the use of nature imagery in the literary texts of the Bible.
The corpus for DNI Bible is mainly the Hebrew Bible, although Second Temple literature and the New Testament are also addressed.
What do biblical scholars need to know
in their exegetical work when addressing a plant (e.g. 'eshel "tamarisk"), an animal (e.g., hasidah "stork"), a watercourse (e.g., 'afiq "stream"?), a climate phenomenon (e.g., ruah qadim "the east wind"), or a landscape characteristic (to give a more complexed example, carmel as "border of the desert")?
What do biblical scholars often miss in their interpretation?
Bible scholars are trained to explain texts in their textual, linguistic, historical, cultural, sociological, and theological contexts, and possibly bring other fields to bear as well. But the natural and life sciences information as well as the ecological contexts in which the Bible was written and to which the texts relate are regrettably minimized, sporadic, fragmentary, or avoided altogether. As the materials remain out of reach to many biblical scholars, they regretibly avoid or minimize this aspect in their interpretations
DNI Bible is designed to expand the exegetical toolbox by becoming a recognized device that Bible scholars can turn to when addressing aspects of nature and landscape as part of their critical scholarship.
The point of departure for this project is the recognition that knowledge of diverse aspects of natural and life sciences ecology of the biblical world is essential for exegesis. DNI Bible is aimed at deciphering nature images in terms of their biblical occurrences, their history of identifications, investigating their natural and life sciences and ecological backgrounds. To produce informed exegetical studies, we look at how nature imagery plays a role in or changes across diverse biblical texts. Furthermore, the scope is wide enough to include material culture findings and interpretive traditions of the reception history of any given item.
The DNI Bible takes an interdisciplinary approach
On the literary side, it is focused on the Bible's use of nature metaphors and imagery, using philological tools to examine the literary corpora with clear sensitivity to differences of genre, authorship, and compositional history, employing the rich and varied critical methodologies of biblical studies. On the natural and life sciences side, the DNI Bible addresses five fields of nature: fauna, flora, landscape characteristics, climate systems, and water sources, each studied according to its specific methodology by professionals in the respective fields. In addition, material culture findings are introduced where relevant, bringing mainly the data of archaeobotany, arachaeozoology, and iconography, based on excavations from the second and mostly first millennia BCE in the land of Israel, the Levant, within the ancient Near East, and the Eastern Mediterranean at large.
icon, calve
icon, trees
icon, map
Landscape Characteristics
icon, cloud
Climate Systems
icon, sea
Multi layering and Multidisciplinary Study
DNI Bible Six Layers of Study
Participating Disciplines
Biblical Data
History of Identification
Textual Criticism of Biblical Versions & Translations
Ancient Literatures:
Assyriology, Egyptology, Hittitology, other Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, Classical Studies of the Greco-Roman Cultures
Life and Natural Sciences Information
Life and Natural Sciences:
Botany, Zoology, Clenatology, Geographv and Human Environmet Studies, Hidrology, Geology, and more
Archaeology:
Aracheobotany, Archaeozoology, lconography
Reception Literature
Reception Literatures:
Second Temple Literature, Classical Studies, New Testament, Early Christianity, Rabbinic Literature, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Medieval Exegesis, Modern and Post-modern Hermeneutics, History of Art, and more
DNI Bible is a research project structured and led by Prof. Dalit Rom-Shiloni of Tel Aviv University
The project is funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF 462/15, 2015–2019).
The website was developed by Web3D, and the domain and computer services are with Tel Aviv University.
DNI Bible Project
Department of Biblical Studies
The Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities
Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv
Email: dniproject@tau.ac.il
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