«He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes and does not return» (Ps 78, 39)

Aimed at identifying the function of the aspects of remembering and forgetting in the Psalter, this opus seeks to offer a lexicographical synthesis of zkr and šk? in the Psalter and an analysis of their function in Book III (Pss 73-89) and in Ps 78, text in which the notions of remembering and forgetting occupy a relevant role. By doing so, the detailed focus on a particular portion of the Book of Psalms makes it possible to highlight the importance of the theme of memory and that of forgetting in the whole Psalter, both from the point of view of the composition of its global message, and from the point of view of a focused re-reading of the traditions that have to do with the origins of Israel. For its readers the Psalter turns out to be a book about remembrance and for remembrance.

Marco Pavan studied Theology in Florence, Jerusalem and Rome. He is the author of several articles in international reviews and works as a translator of ancient Syriac works. Currently, he is cataloguing ancient Syriac manuscripts for the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.