Eighth Enoch Seminar (2015 Milan), conference

Sixth and Eighth Enoch Seminar, at Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy (2011, 2015)

Plenary session

Dinner at Villa Cagnola

Lorenzo DiTommaso, Concordia University Montreal, Canada

Daniel Boyarin, University of California at Berkeley, USA

Elliot Wolfson, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA

The Eighth Enoch Seminar (June 21-26, 2015), is an international conference organized by the Enoch Seminar.

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Eighth Enoch Seminar Overview

Theme: “Apocalypticism and Mysticism”

Chairs: Lorenzo DiTommaso (Concordia University Montreal), Daniel Boyarin (University of California at Berkeley), and Elliot Wolfson (University of California at Santa Barbara), in collaboration with Gabriele Boccaccini (Director of the Enoch Seminar) and Jason M. Zurawski (secretary).

Date: June 21-26, 2015

Place: Gazzada, Italy, Villa Cagnola

Area of Focus:

The Seminar topic is apocalypticism and mysticism, their natures and relationship, in Judaism and Christianity from the Second Temple era through the late antique and early mediaeval centuries. Our aim is to discuss the main issues in light of new evidence, methodologies, and approaches, oriented by a desire to advance the discussion along a broad front. While we do not expect to address every issue or answer every question, we do anticipate that the published results of our Seminar will stand as a foundational study for future research.

Registration

Online registration for invited participants is now available. Please click HERE to register by February 15, 2015.

Attendance at the Enoch Seminar is by invitation only and is limited to university professors and scholars in the field. If you are interested in attending or participating in the Eighth Enoch Seminar, please contact the Secretary of the Enoch Seminar, Jason Zurawski.

Lodging

Contribution (5 nights lodging, including meals) To be paid in Milan at the Seminar.

• 0: Authors of major papers
• 325 euros: All other participants
• 200 euros: Guests, spouses, etc. (children under 5 years old: free)

Schedule

SATURDAY 20 JUNE 2015

Arrivals – Villa Cagnola, Gazzada (optional)

SUNDAY 21 JUNE 2015

Arrivals – Villa Cagnola, Gazzada

13:00 – Lunch

17:30-17:45 – Opening of the Eighth Enoch Seminar: (Room A) Gabriele Boccaccini, Founder and Director of the Enoch Seminar

17:45-19:15 – Session 1

Plenary Session I: Apocalypticism and Mysticism (Room A)

• Seminar Objectives: Daniel Boyarin and Lorenzo DiTommaso (10 min)
• Lorenzo DiTommaso, “Apocalypticism and Mysticism: The status quaestionis.” (40 min)
• Moderated Discussion (40 min)

19:30-21:00 - Dinner

21:00 - Outdoor concert "Flautando con Mozart" (tickets 15 euros)

MONDAY 22 JUNE

08:00-09:15 – Breakfast

09:20-10:45 – Session 2

Plenary Session II: A Farewell to the Merkevah Tradition? (Room A) (moderator Lorenzo DiTommaso)

Andrei Orlov, “A Farewell to the Merkavah Tradition”

• Introduction: Andrei Orlov (10 min)
• Respondent: Anders Klostergaard Petersen (10 min)
• Respondent: Daniel Boyarin (10 min)
• Respondent: Gabriel Boccaccini (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

10:45-11:15 – Coffee Break

11:15-12:45 – Session 3

Short Paper Session I

Group 1 – Early Judaism (Room A) (Moderator: Esther Chazon)

• 1. Deborah Forger, “Mystical Ascent in Philo of Alexandria” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 2. Cana Werman, “Mysticism in the Service of Apocalypticism in Late Second Temple Literature” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)

Group 2 – Post-Biblical Judaism (Room B) (Moderator: Annette Reed)

• 1. Magdalena Diaz Araujo, “Yahoel, Barbēlō, and Metatron: ‘My Name is in him’” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 2. Paul Mandel, “Between Magic and Mysticism: The Textual Evolution of Shimush Tehillim and its Significance for the Relationship between Bibliomancy and Jewish Mysticism” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 3. Annalies Kuyt, “Initial Reflections on Dreams in Judaism in relation to Jewish Mysticism and Magic” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)

12:45-14:15 – Lunch

14:30-15:45 – Session 4

Special Session (Room A) (moderator: Lorenzo DiTommaso)

Stephen Pfann, "An Introduction to an early Medieval prayer book with an eye toward its apocalyptic contents”

• Introduction (45 min.)
• Moderated Discussion (30 min.)

15:45-16:15 - Coffee Break

16:15-18:35 - Session 5

Plenary Session III: Apocalypticism and Mysticism in Late Antique Christianity (Room A) (moderator: Daniel Boyarin)

Bob Hall, “Perfecting Heavenly Glory in the Ascension of Isaiah.”

• Introduction: Bob Hall (10 min)
• Respondent: Randy Chesnutt (10 min)
• Respondent: April DeConick (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

April DeConick, “Traumatic Mysteries: Modes of Mysticism among the Early Christians.”

• Introduction: April DeConick (10 min)
• Respondent: Annette Reed (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

19:30-21:00 – Dinner

TUESDAY 23 JUNE 2015

08:00-09:30 – Breakfast

Trip to Museo Egizio, Torino, and Lago Maggiore.

WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE

08:00-09:30 – Breakfast

09:30-10:45 – Session 6a

Plenary Session IVa: Apocalypticism and Mysticism in Early Judaism and Beyond (Room A) (moderator Gabriele Boccaccini)

Gerbern Oegema, “The Heritage of Jewish Apocalypticism in Late-Antique and Early Medieval Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.”

• Introduction: Gerbern Oegema (10 min)
• Respondent: Paul Mandel (10 min)
• Respondent: Kenneth Atkinson (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

10:45-11:15 - Coffee Break

11:15-12:30 - Session 6b

Plenary Session IVb: Apocalypticism and Mysticism in Early Judaism and Beyond (Room A) (moderator Gabriele Boccaccini)

James H. Charlesworth, “Apocalypticism and Mysticism in the Self-Glorification Hymn or Poem and in the Hymn According to Philippians 2:6-11.”

• Introduction: James H. Charlesworth (10 min)
• Respondent: Archie Wright (10 min)
• Repondent: Andreas Bedenbender (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

12:30-14:00 – Lunch

14:00-15:30 – Session 7

Short Paper Session II

Group 3 – Early Judaism and Early Christianity (Room A) (Moderator: Stefan Beyerle)

• 1. Michael Cover, “The Name Above Every Name” (Phil 2:9): Paul at the Nexus of Apocalyptic and Apophatic Mysticism” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 2. Oliver Dyma, “The Temple in Relation to Apocalyptic Expectations” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 3. Archie Wright, “Social and Economic Injustice: An Examination of the Use of Apocalyptic language in the Apocalypse of John, The Epistle of Enoch and the Parables of Enoch” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)

Group 4 – Late Antique/Early Mediaeval (Room B) (Moderator: Dylan Burns)

• 1. Kenneth Atkinson, “The Relationship Between Jewish Apocalypticism, Mysticism, and Traumatic Historical Events in Ancient Palestine: Jewish Religious Perceptions of Islam from Muhammad to the Fall of the Umayyad Caliphate” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 2. Federico Dal Bo, ““Egypt is only second to Israel”: Josef ben Abraham Gikatilla’s political theology” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 3. Naomi Koltun-Fromm, “mythological stones that ‘emerge’ in the 2nd-4th centuries as focal points or lightning rods for apocalyptic literature of the 7th and 8th century” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)

15:30-16:15 – Coffee Break

16:15-18:40 – Session 8

Plenary Session V: Apocalypticism and Mysticism: Contexts and Continuity (Room A) (moderator Lorenzo DiTommaso)

Annette Yoshiko Reed, “Collection and the Construction of Continuity: 1 Enoch and 3 Enoch in and beyond ‘Apocalypticism' and ‘Mysticism.’”

• Introduction: Annette Yoshiko Reed (10 min)
• Respondent: Jim Davila (10 min)
• Respondent: James Charlesworth (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

Daniel Boyarin, “Reframing the Question: Between Second-Temple Apocalypse and the Talmud.”

• Introduction: Daniel Boyarin (10 min)
• Respondent: Ra’anan Boustan (via Skype) (15 min)
• Moderated Discussion (45 min)

18:45-19:45 - Shinrin'yoku: Tour of Villa Cagnola grounds (lead by Gabriele Boccaccini)

19:45-21:15 – Dinner

THURSDAY 25 JUNE

08:00-09:15 – Breakfast

09:15-11:25 – Session 9

Plenary Session VI: Apocalypticism, Mysticism, Esotericism (Room A) (moderator: Daniel Boyarin)

Florentina Badalanova Geller, “Acquiring Esoteric Knowledge (Enochic Traditions in Slavic).”

• Introduction: Florentina Badalanova Geller (10 min)
• Respondent: Eshbal Ratson (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (40 min)

Michael E. Stone, “Secret Societies in Ancient Judaism.”

• Introduction: Michael E. Stone (10 min)
• Respondent: Lester Grabbe (10 min)
• Respondent: Esther Chazon (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (40 min)

11:25-11:35 – Pause

11:35-12:35 – Plenary Meeting of the Membership of the Enoch Seminar (Room A) (chaired by Gabriele Boccaccini)

12:45-14:00 – Lunch

14:30-15:30 – Session 10

Short Paper Session III

Group 5 – Dead Sea Scrolls/Second-Temple Judaism (Room A) (Moderator: Archie Wright)

• 1. Stefan Beyerle, “Mysticism and Apocalypticism within Eschatological Texts from the Dead Sea” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 2. Ron Herms, “The Spirit of Abel: An Exploration of Petitionary Prayer Traditions in 1 Enoch” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)

Group 6 – Apocalyptic Time (Room B) (Moderator: Lorenzo DiTommaso)

• 1. Calum Carmichael, “Time in Apocalyptic Writing” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)
• 2. Lester Grabbe, “Calculating the End Time: Apocalyptic Chronology in Second Temple Literature” (5 min. + 25 min. discussion)

15:30-16:15 – Coffee Break

16:15-18:35 – Session 11

Plenary Session VII: Gnosis and Revelation, Mysticism and Apocalypticism (Room A) (moderator: Lorenzo DiTommaso)

Dylan Burns, “The Gnostic Apocalypses and Early Jewish Mysticism.”

• Introduction: Dylan Burns (10 min)
• Respondent: Emma Wassermann (10 min)
• Respondent: Stefan Beyerle (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (40 min)

Anders Klostergaard Petersen, “What Has Apocalypticism to Do with Platonism?.”

• Introduction: Anders Klostergaard Petersen (10 min)
• Respondent: Ilaria Ramelli (read) (10 min)
• Respondent: Dylan Burns (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (40 min)

19:15-21:00 – Banquet Dinner

21:00 - Outdoor concert "Mendelssohn dall’infanzia alla fede" (tickets 15 euros)

FRIDAY 26 JUNE

08:00-09:00 - Breakfast

09:00-11:00 - Session 12

Plenary Session VIII: Enoch/Metatron (Room A) (moderator: Daniel Boyarin)

Michael Schneider, “Metatron and the Explicit Name: The Tradition of r. Abbahu in Hekhalot Literature?”

• Introduction: Michael Schneider (10 min)
• Respondent: Annalies Kuyt (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (30 min)

Jim Davila, “Roles of Angels in 1 Enoch and the Hekhalot Literature.”

• Introduction: Jim Davila (10 min)
• Respondent: Gerbern Oegema (10 min)
• Respondent: Michael Stone (10 min)
• Moderated Discussion (40 min)

11:00-11:10 - Pause

11:10-12:20 - Session 13

Plenary Session IX: Table-ronde: Apocalypticism and Mysticism: What Has Been Learned? (Room A) (introduced and moderated by Daniel Boyarin, Lorenzo DiTommaso)

12:20-12:30 – Closing of the Eight Enoch Seminar: Gabriele Boccaccini, Founder and Director of the Enoch Seminar

12:30 - Lunch

Departures

Participants

1. Araujo, Magdalena Diaz*
2. Atkinson, Kenneth*
3. Badalanova Geller, Florentina*
4. Bedenbender, Andreas*
5. Beyerle, Stefan*
6. Boccaccini, Gabriele*
7. Boustan, Ra'anan (via skype)
8. Boyarin, Daniel*
9. Burns, Dylan*
10. Carmichael, Calum*
11. Charlesworth, James*
12. Chazon, Esther*
13. Chesnutt, Randall*
14. Collins, Jack*
15. Cover, Michael*
16. Dal Bo, Federico*
17. Davila, James R.*
18. DeConick, April*
19. DiTommaso, Lorenzo*
20. Dyma, Oliver*
21. Forger, Deborah*
22. Grabbe, Lester*
23. Hall, Bob*
24. Harkins, Angela Kim*
25. Herms, Ron*
26. Ida, Batsheva
27. Katzin, David*
28. Koltun-Fromm, Naomi*
29. Kuyt, Annelies*
30. Levi, Joseph
31. Mandel, Paul*
32. Meroz, Ronit*
33. Oegema, Gerbern*
34. Orlov, Andrei
35. Petersen, Anders Klostergaard*
36. Ratson, Eshbal*
37. Reed, Annette Yoshiko*
38. Schneider, Michael*
39. Stone, Michael E.*
40. Wasserman, Emma*
41. Werman, Cana*
42. Wright, Archie*
43. Ziony, Zevit*
44. Zurawski, Jason*

Arrival Times at Malpensa Airport

• Saturday, June 20

11:10 Michael Cover (Air Canada AC0894)

13:30 Magdalena Díaz Araujo

15:05 Lester Grabbe (British Airways BA0562, LINATE)

• Sunday, June 21

7:55 Gerbern Oegema (Brussels Airlines SN 3153)

8:25 Archie Wright (British Air 1582)

9:40 Annelies Kuyt (LH 270, LINATE)

10:05 Chava and Daniel Boyarin (Lufthansa AG 1854)

10:40 Federico Dal Bo (BERGAMO)

11:00 Michael Stone

11:00 Esther Chazon (El Al 381)

11:00 Paul Mandel (El Al 381)

12:30 Leah and Michael Schneider (PS 311)

13:25 Jack Collins (Swiss 1628)

13:45 Andrei Orlov (Aeroflot 2612)

13:50 Angela Harkins (Alitalia AZ 0121, LINATE)

14:10 Ziony Zevit (Alitalia 2038, LINATE)

14:25 Dylan Burns (LH280, LINATE)

15:55 Florentina Geller (EasyJet 4673)

16:15 Jim Davila (EasyJet 2684)

• Monday, June 22

11:00 Eshbal Ratson (El Al 381)

Getting to the Seminar

Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

www.villacagnola.it

From Malpensa Airport

Taxi: ~25 minutes; ~60 Euros (see above for sharing a taxi)

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See trenitalia.com, Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

• Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
• The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa (see map)

From Milan

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See trenitalia.com, Departure - "Milano Porta Garibaldi" or "Milano Centrale" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

• You can find direct connections between Milano Porta Garibaldi station and Gazzada. If you depart from the "Milano Centrale" station, you will need to connect to another train to get to Gazzada (connection will depend on time of day. check the schedule).
• The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa (see map).

From Linate

Taxi: Cost - ~120 euros; There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

External Links

• Enoch Seminar Website