Benedict of Bari (c. 1150 – 1220?), Italian Benedetto da Bari, Latin Benedictus Barensis, was a

Benedictine monk , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

of Santissima Trinità della Cava dei Tirreni who wrote the Christian theological treatise ''De septem sigillis'' (On the Seven Seals).Rosario Jurlaro
"Benedetto da Bari"
''

Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani The ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'' ( en, Biographical Dictionary of the Italians) is a biographical dictionary published by the Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, started in 1925 and completed in 2020. It includes about 40,000 biograp ...

'', Vol. 8 (Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 1966). This is the only major work of theology written at La Cava. Benedict was a native of

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

. He identifies himself as ''Barensis dictus'', "called the Bariot". He was probably born early in the second half of the 12th century.Jurarlo 1966 writes that he was "''nato probabilmente a Bari nella seconda metà del sec. XII''" and places "''sua nascita intorno alla metà dei sec. XII''". He wrote ''De septem sigillis'' between 1208 and 1232. According to a later note discovered by

Jean Mabillon Dom Jean Mabillon, O.S.B., (; 23 November 1632 – 27 December 1707) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar of the Congregation of Saint Maur. He is considered the founder of the disciplines of palaeography and diplomatics. Early life Mabil ...

, it was completed around 1227. A 19th-century abbot, however, reported an entry for Benedict in the abbey's

necrology An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

for 1220. J. B. Silvestre with J. J. Champollion-Figeac and A. Champollion, trans. by F. Madden, ''Universal Bibliography, or Fac-similes of Writings of All Nations and Periods'', Vol. 2 (London: H. G. Bohn, 1850), pp
405–407
''De septem sigillis'' survives in a single

illustrated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...

Beneventan script The Beneventan script was a medieval script which originated in the Duchy of Benevento in southern Italy. It was also called ''Langobarda'', ''Longobarda'', ''Longobardisca'' (signifying its origins in the territories ruled by the Lombards), or so ...

kept at La Cava (Cavensis 18). It may be Benedict's

autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...

. It contains a miniature, perhaps also by Benedict himself, depicting the author handing a copy of his work to his abbot, who is depicted mitred and seated on a chair. The author is depicted advanced in age with a younger man's head imposed above him. This single double-headed figure is probably intended to represent the author when he began and when he finished. ''De septem sigillis'' is the product of a lifetime. The caption identifies the abbot as Balsamon. ''De septem sigillis'' is divided into six books subdivided into 361 chapters. The six books are: *''De incarnatione Verbi'' (On the Incarnation of the Word) *''De circumcisione et baptismo'' (On Circumcision and Baptism) *''De passione et morte'' (On Suffering and Death) *''De resurrectione Christi'' (On the Resurrection of Christ) *''De ascensione et adventu Spiritus'' (On the Ascension and the Advent of the Spirit) *''De misterio resurrectionis et forma iudicii'' (On the Mystery of the Resurrection and Judicial Forms) Benedict is not systematic in his approach. His work covers the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

, theology, morality and

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

. His writing is elegant, his

Latinity Latinity (''Latinitas'') is proficiency in Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) ar ...

good and he incorporates several songs. He may have been influenced by

Joachim of Fiore Joachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora and in Italian Gioacchino da Fiore (c. 1135 – 30 March 1202), was an Italian Christian theologian, Catholic abbot, and the founder of the monastic order of San Giovanni in Fiore. According to the ...

. His handling of the ''

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...

'' is notable for its clarity.

Editions

*Giuseppe Micunco (ed.), ''I setti sigilli'', Per la Storia della Chiesa di Bari-Bitonto, Vol. 32 (Edipuglia, 2018).

References

External links

Video presentation of Cavensis 18
{{Authority control 1150s births 1220 deaths People from Bari 13th-century Latin writers Italian Benedictines Benedictine writers Benedictine theologians