Jan Alberto Soggin was a leading Italian Biblical scholar. He took his first degrees in law at the Sapienza University of Rome

University of Rome La Sapienza

The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...

 and in theology at the Waldensian

Waldensians

Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...

 Theological Seminary in Rome. He became professor for Old Testament

Old Testament

The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

, Hebrew

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

, and Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 at the University of Buenos Aires

University of Buenos Aires

The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...

, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and then until his retirement at the Waldensian Theological Seminary and at the Sapienza. Among other things he was a fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary

Princeton Theological Seminary

Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...

, at St John's College, Cambridge

St John's College, Cambridge

St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....

 and at the Hebrew University. He lectured widely and published various articles and books. He was a member of the editorial board of Henoch, Vetus Testamentum

Vetus Testamentum

Vetus Testamentum is an academic journal covering various aspects of the Old Testament....

and of Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

The Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft is an academic German journal established in 1881. It is concerned with theological, linguistic and historical criticism of the Old Testament. Formerly, it represented a strictly Protestant point of view...

.

Works

• (2001) Israel in the Biblical Period: Institutions, Festivals, Ceremonies, Rituals (transl. John Bowden, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, p. xiii, 209, ISBN 0-567-08811-1)
• (1999) An Introduction to the History of Israel and Judah (transl. John Bowden, 3rd ed., London: SCM, p. xxii, 442, ISBN 0-334-02788-8)
• (1989) Introduction to the Old Testament: From Its Origins to the Closing of the Alexandrian Canon (transl. John Bowden, 3rd ed., Philadelphia: Westminster, p. xxxvi, 508, ISBN 0-664-21385-5)
• (1987) The prophet Amos: A Translation and Commentary (transl. John Bowden, London: SCM, p. xix, 150, ISBN 0-334-00053-X)
• (1987) Judges: A Commentary (transl. John Bowden, 2nd ed., London: SCM, p. xx, 309, ISBN 0-334-02108-1)
• (1975) Old Testament and Oriental Studies (Rome: Biblical Institute, p. xv, 256)
• (1972) Joshua: A Commentary (transl. R.A. Wilson, London: SCM / Philadelphia: Westminster, p. xvii, 245)
• (1965) When the Judges Ruled (London: United Society for Christian Literature - Lutterworth Press / New York: Association Press, p. 80)