Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1894-2005 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
15,70 linear meters of textual records
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
In 1890, Father Marie-Joseph Lagrange opened the "Ecole pratique d'Etudes bibliques" in the Convent of Saint-Etienne to study the Bible within the framework of its development.
In the following years, the buildings of the School, the convent and the basilica were successively built, the dedication of which was celebrated on May 13, 1900.
In 1920, the French government recognized the École Biblique as the French Archaeological School of Jerusalem. The School is then attached to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.
From the first generation of professors, we can mention Father Édouard Dhorme, a great assyriologist, Father Louis-Hugues Vincent, who dedicated his life to Palestinian archaeology, Father Abel, a specialist in biblical history and geography, or Father Antonin Jaussen and Raphaël Savignac, who brought back from their explorations an impressive archaeological, epigraphic and ethnographic treasure.
Under the direction of Fr. Roland de Vaux, the second generation worked no less. It undertook real archaeological excavations in several places, starting with Abu Gosh (1946) and Emmaus-Nicopolis. The largest excavations were those of Tell el-Far'ah nord (1946-1960), identified by Fr. de Vaux as the former Tirça, and the exploration of Khirbet Qumran from 1951 onwards. The Qumran excavations were accompanied by a work as long as it was of primary importance on the famous manuscripts. A team of epigraphers was then formed, which worked for many years to identify and publish the fragments found in the caves. At the death of Fr. de Vaux (1971), the archaeology department was taken over by Fr. Benoit, his collaborator for many years, a fine connoisseur of Jerusalem.
The same Fr. Benoit also played an important role in the publication of the first Jerusalem Bible immediately after the Second World War. This new French edition of the Bible, later published in many other languages, was distinguished by its rich notes and in-depth theological reflection. Following the first edition, in fascicles, many reprints were published, promoting the progress of exegetical research, up to the famous Jerusalem Bible of the year 2000.
The scientific activity of the School is also illustrated by its periodical publications, whether it is the Revue Biblique (RB), founded in 1892, the only journal covering the entire biblical field, or the collections of Bible Studies (since 1903) and the Cahiers de la Revue Biblique.
The convent of Saint-Etienne/Biblical School has also housed an important library since the beginning, specialising in the exegesis and archaeology of the Near East.
Name of creator
Administrative history
On his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in April-May 1882, a Dominican, Father Mathieu Lecomte, submitted to the Master of his Order the plan to restore a convent of preachers in the Holy City. He wanted to open a house there for the assistance of pilgrims and the study of theology, in order to better understand the doctrine of Eastern Christians, Jews and Muslims.
On 27 December 1883, land was acquired for this purpose near the Damascus Gate, where a church dedicated to Saint-Etienne once stood. A convent was established there on 26 December 1884, the feast of Saint Stephen. Fr. Mathieu Lecomte died two years later.
His successor, Fr. Paul Meunier, proposed in 1886 to found a course in Sacred Scripture in this convent. The Provincial of Toulouse immediately promised him the assistance of Fr. Marie-Joseph Lagrange. When he arrived in Jerusalem at the beginning of 1890, Fr. Lagrange opened what he insisted on calling a practical School of Biblical Studies, intended to study the Bible within the framework of its development, on 15 November of the same year.
The Dominicans of Jerusalem constitute the monastery of Saint-Étienne (in France, we would speak of a "convent"), a community made up of about twenty brothers, most of them permanent, others who came for some time for study at the French Biblical and Archaeological School in Jerusalem, and some associate members.
The brothers and their friends celebrate religious services (Lauds, Mass and Vespers) in the Basilica of St. Stephen, rebuilt on the very remains of the 5th century Byzantine basilica. The entire estate is part of the holy sites of Jerusalem.
Archival history
The Convent and Biblical School archives' fonds is surprisingly small compared to the amount of activities of the institution since its creation nearly 130 years ago. It was found as such in the archives’ room of the school at the beginning of 2014.
Several reasons needs to be considered to explain the relative thinness of the fonds.
- During the First World War, the convent was occupied by troops; a number of documents may have been destroyed or loosed at that time.
- Until recent times, clercs were often used to destroy their personal records when they were feeling the end of theirs lives, probably for the sake of humility and discretion.
- The documents located in the archives' room are the only ones that have been arranged and described. It is highly probable that an amount of historical archives (documents from the general administration, the Procuracy, the Priory, etc.) is still in the rooms dedicated to these offices. These documents will need to be described in the future. Moreover, current and semicurrent records also stored in the various offices will be arranged only after they become historical archives. Currently there is no records retention schedule dealing with them.
The documents from the EBAF's repository were arranged as a whole for the first time in February-March 2014. Before that, only Lagrange's collection had been arranged, by Father Montagnes, o.p., in order to prepare the beatification request for the said Lagrange. At the same time, Father Montagnes had also began to arrange Father Couroyer's collection.
These two arrangement operations, along with the inventory realised, were processed again in 2014 to get an identical arrangement plan for the whole fonds. The present inventory results from this new process of arrangement.
Throughout this arrangement work, only duplicates and day-to-day accounting documents (invoices) aged more than 25 years have been destroyed.
The whole materials have been rehoused into archival containers and folders. The available quantity of pH neutral supplies at that moment was not sufficient to rehouse all the files. They might be rehoused in the future; espcecially to remove the current boxes, which are far from an adequate storage container: they do not prevent dust from penetrating into them and they are made from acid plastic
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds contains the archives of the Dominican Fathers who were members of the convent of Saint-Etienne and died there. Their archives were then transferred to the conventual archives. We therefore find a certain number of collections, classified by Father, grouping together scientific archives - preparation of courses, publications - and personal archives. The fonds is of a private nature.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Collection is still increasing.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
With the authorization of the management of the EBAF and the Priory of St. Stephen
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Couvent Saint-Étienne de Jérusalem, Ecole biblique et archéologique française, archives, Répertoire numérique Établi par Marie-Alpais Torcheboeuf, après classement des archives, Février – avril 2014
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
MURPHY O’CONNOR, Jerry, Cent ans d’exégèse à l’École biblique. Nouveau Testament, Cahiers de la Revue biblique, Paris, 1990.
Cent ans d’exégèse à l’École biblique. Ancien Testament, Cahiers de la Revue biblique, Paris, 1990.
BENOIT, Pierre, Un siècle d’archéologie à l’École biblique de Jérusalem (1890-1990), Jérusalem, 1988.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G), Second Edition, Ottawa 2000.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
February - April 2014
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Authors: Marie-Alpais Torcheboeuf, février-avril 2014 ; Vincent Boully (fonds Father Benoît)