Giovanni Diodati facts for kids
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Giovanni Diodati (born June 3, 1576, died October 3, 1649) was an important religious scholar and translator. He was born in Geneva but came from an Italian family. He was a Calvinist, which is a branch of Protestantism. Diodati is most famous for translating the Bible into Italian. His translation became the main version used by Protestants in Italy. He used original texts in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Syriac to make his translation.
Contents
A Life of Learning and Faith
Giovanni Diodati was born in Geneva, a city known for its strong Protestant beliefs. His family was originally from Lucca, a city in Italy. They had to leave Italy because they were Protestants. Giovanni thought of himself as an Italian from Lucca. His family was part of a group of about sixty noble families from Lucca who moved to Geneva.
Early Education and Teaching
Giovanni Diodati started studying at the Genevan Academy in 1596. He was very smart. When he was just 21 years old, he became a professor of Hebrew at Geneva. This happened because Theodore Beza, a famous religious leader, recommended him.
In 1606, Diodati became a professor of theology. Theology is the study of religious faith and practice. A year later, in 1608, he became a pastor, which is a minister in a church. In 1609, he took over from Beza as the main professor of theology.
Important Missions and Meetings
Giovanni Diodati was a very good speaker. Because of his skills, he was sent on a special mission to France in 1614. Before this, he had visited Italy. There, he met Paolo Sarpi, an Italian scholar. Diodati tried to get Sarpi to join a movement to change the church, but it didn't work out.
In 1618 and 1619, Diodati attended a very important meeting called the Synod of Dort. This was a big gathering of religious leaders. Diodati played a key role there. He was one of six scholars chosen to write the Canons of Dort. These were important rules and decisions made at the Synod. He agreed with the decisions made against a group called the Arminians, who had different religious ideas.
Later Years
In 1645, Giovanni Diodati decided to stop teaching as a professor. He passed away in Geneva on October 3, 1649.
His Important Works
Diodati is most famous for his translation of the Bible into Italian. This version was first published in 1603. He later updated it with notes in 1607 and again in 1641. The 1641 version also included a book of psalms set to music.
He also translated the Bible into French. This French version, with notes, came out in 1644.
Other Writings
Among his other works, Diodati wrote Annotationes in Biblia (1607). This book contained his notes and comments on the Bible. An English version of this book was published in London in 1643.
He also wrote several books where he argued against certain religious ideas. These included De fictitio Pontificiorum Purgatorio (1619), which was about the idea of Purgatory. Another was De justa secessione Reformatorum ab Ecclesia Romana (1628), which discussed why Protestants separated from the Roman Catholic Church. He also wrote De Antichristo.
Giovanni Diodati also translated other important books into French. These included Paolo Sarpi's History of the Council of Trent and Edwin Sandys's Account of the State of Religion in the West.
