Joseph Abraham Levi's Home Page

Hello! I'm Joseph Abraham Levi!

"Joseph and the World," Des Moines, IA, 1994.
© Photograph taken by Keith Fox, M.F.A.

Welcome to my Home Page!

Here is some information on who I am and what I do.

"Joseph at the Sony console," The University of Iowa, 1994.

"Joseph with Lake Mendota in the Background."
Madison, WI, 1993.

I graduated in May 1993 from The University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Ph.D. in Romance Philology, concentration: Portuguese, Medieval Spanish, Italian, Portuguese/Hispanic, and Italian Linguistics.

I also hold a Laurea in English, Swahili, Arabic, African, and Islamic Studies from the Istituto Universitario Orientale, Naples, Italy, (1982);

and a Diploma de Lingua e Cultura Portuguesa from the Universidade Classica de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, (1986).

My linguistic/philological, historico-religious, and literary training cover the following areas: Portuguese Culture, Civilization, Language, and Literature; Luso-Brazilian and Lusophone Culture, Civilization, and Literature of Africa, Asia and Oceania; Medieval Spanish Culture and Literature; Italian Language, Culture, and Literature; Romance Dialectology, Linguistics, and Philology; Medieval Jewish Culture and Literature of Portugal, Spain, and Italy; African Studies; History of Africa; Kiswahili Culture, Language, and Literature; Islamic Studies; Islamic Law.

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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

For the academic year 1993-1994 I have taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Portuguese at the University of Georgia. During the academic triennium 1994-1997 I have taught as a Visiting Instructor Portuguese, Medieval Spanish, and Islamic Studies at The University of Iowa. For the academic year 1997-1998, always at The University of Iowa, I have taught, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, in the African American World Studies Program, Pre-Colonial African History, History of Africa Since 1880, and African Islam. Since Fall 2001, I have been teaching Portuguese and Italian at Rhode Island College.

PUBLICATIONS

1.) O Dicionário Português-Chinês de Padre Matteo Ricci, S.J., (1552-1610). Uma abordagem histórico-linguística. New Orleans: UP of the South, 1998.
[ISBN: 1-889431-38-9

click on image for an excerpt of the book

This work is a preliminary introduction to both Father Matteo Ricci, S.J., (1552-1610), and the Dicionário Português-Chinês. Its main purpose is to delineate the historical background that eventually led to the composition of the Dicionário Português-Chinês, i.e., the MS. Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu, Jap.-Sin, I, 198. Finally, a few examples taken from the Portuguese entry are also given as a portrayal of the linguistic stage of the Portuguese of that time. This work is definitely a companion to the future reading edition of the Dicionário Português-Chinês.

2.) Hernando del Pulgar. Los Claros Varones de España. (ca. 1483). A Semi-Paleographic Edition. American Universities Studies II. Romance Languages & Literatures. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 1996.
[ISBN 0-8204-3030-7].

This work is a selected biographical collection of the major accomplishments performed by 25 noblemen who, during their lifetime, in some capacity or another, have played a salient and decisive role in the reigns immediately preceding that of the famous Catholic kings: Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel of Castile. The present work is a semi-paleographic edition—that is, its orthography reproduces closely the language as it was in the original achetype. It is hoped that those interested in the development of the Spanish language will find this edition useful in the classroom as well as for their philological research. Its intended audience, though, is mainly students of the Old Spanish language. In fact, given the short internal divisions within the text, this work can easily be used as a textbook, where the philological/linguistical features and historico-literary aspects can be discussed in the classroom and/or given as assignments. Moreover, it is a must for anyone interested in the tradition of Spanish historiography;

3.) Alfonso X, El Sabio, Estoria d Alexandre el grand, General Estoria (Quarta Parte). The Life of Alexander the Great as Narrated by King Alfonso X, the Wise, of Castile, in the General Estoria. Manuscript U, Vatican Urb. Lat. 539. Hispanic Literature. vol. 26. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1996.
[ISBN 0-7734-8900-2];

4.) Portugal. Caderno de exercícios. Iowa City: Maecenas Press, 1994.
[ISBN 0-944266-19-3].

This text is entirely written in Portuguese. Its intended audience is college students or others, already with a basic knowledge of the language, who are learning Portuguese grammar and wish to practice the basic elements of the language. This book could be used either in the classroom, or at home, as a workbook. The exercises are introduced by: the Portuguese alphabet; the Portuguese sounds (oral, nasal, hard and soft); the Portuguese diphthongs (oral and nasal); the common way of forming the plural and the nouns (masculine and feminine forms); the prepositions, including a chart with the contractions of some of these with some of the pronouns; a chart on the phonetic changes that occur when the direct object pronouns are found following liquids, sibilants and nasal sounds; a chart on the new combined forms of the direct and indirect object and personal pronouns when attached to a verb. The book ends with two charts on the forms of the irregular past participles of some of the verbs mostly used in Portuguese.

5.) Text and Concordance of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. MS. 8174. Libro di sapere di astronomia. Alsonso X, El Sabio. (14th-Century Italian Translation by Guerruccio Federighi). Madison: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, 1993.
[ISBN 0-940639-96-3].

click on image for an excerpt of the book

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

1.) Translation from Kiswahili into English of the documentary video "UTUMWA KISIWANI CHOLE," i.e., "Slavery in Chole Island." Video produced by Professor Fredrick Woodard—Associate Professor, African American World Studies Program, The University of Iowa—during his recent research in Tanzania. This 46 min. documentary includes interviews with former slaves and documents aspects of slavery in the Indian Ocean basin—the whole East Coast of Africa, the Middle East, and Indo-China—that are rarely examined. The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Fall 1997.

2.) Invited guest speaker at the ½ hr. show Humanities at Iowa/Iowa Connections. Issue in the Humanities: "African Islam." Radio interview with Professor Emeritus Ray Heffner, Department of English, The University of Iowa. WSUI 910 AM/KSUI 91.7 FM, Iowa City, IA. Februrary 28-March 2, 1998.
Sound recording. 10321 CAS.
[copies held at The University of Iowa Libraries, the Iowa City Public Library, and the Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal]

3.) Joseph Abraham Levi's Recipes. A Collection. Iowa City, IA, 1997.
[copies held at The University of Iowa Libraries, Special Collection, (Szathmary), (Non-Circulating), the Iowa City Public Library, and the Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal]

click on images for an excerpt of the book

4.) Joseph Abraham Levi's Recipes. A Collection. Volume II. Iowa City, IA, 1998.

ARTICLES (all refereed)

1.) "Um Uso Mais Criativo no Laboratório de Línguas. Como Usar a Console Multimédia à Nossa Vantagem no Ensino da Língua Portuguesa." Vida Hispánica 18 (1998): 19-24.

click on image to read the article

2.) "La ienti de Sion: Linguistic and Cultural Legacy of an Early 13th-Century Judeo-Italian Kinah." Italica 1 75 (1998):

click on images to read article

3.) "Breve Lista de Acentos Ortográficos, Diacríticos e Vários Símbolos, em Português e não, a Usar num Computador Equiparado com um IBM." The Portuguese Newsletter. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Spring (1998):

click to read article

4.) "Pedagogia e Metodologia: o uso de provérbios e expressões em português. Uma abordagem pessoal." Ponto de Vista. Portuguese Newsletter. (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) 7 Fall 1 (1997): 5-6.

click on images to read article

5.) "Afonso X, o Sábio, as ciências "islâmicas," o papel de Afonso X na difusão dessas ciências e o "Liuro conplido en o[s] juízos das estrelas." Possíveis conexões entre o "Libro conplido en los iudizios de las estrellas" e uma versão portuguesa do século XV escrita em caracteres hebraicos, o Bodleian Library MS. Laud Or. 310." Torre de Papel Summer 1995 5 (1995): 119-191.

Don't forget to visit my Research in Progress Page!

"Auntie Mame," by Joseph Abraham Levi. "Colored pencil drawing, 8 x 6" © Joseph Abraham Levi, 1993.

"Sade," by Joseph Abraham Levi. Colored pencil drawing, 8½ x 4 x 1½" © Joseph Abraham Levi, 1993.

Work Submitted for Publication

1.) Reconstructing the Abrogated. Exegis of Qur'an 53: 21-22. [34 pages]

"Bismi Allahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim," ("In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Bountiful." Ghirardi, Vittorio, and Romeo Fabbri, eds. Islam. © Parma: Centro Saveriano di Animazione Missionaria, 1985.

2.) Al-`Aqidah: The Sunni Credo. Kitab Qawa'id al-Aqa'id. The Book of the Foundations of the Articles of Faith. Arabic with Facing English Translation. [82 pages]

This work is an edition and translation, with explanatory notes, of the Sunni creed, i.e., the 'Aqidah. The word 'Aqidah translates into articles of faith, dogma, or credo. I hope that the present edition and translation will be useful not only to students of Arabic and Islamic Studies, but also to historians and scholars of religion, as well as to those concerned with the more intricate issues of faith and dogma within Sunni Islam.

3.) L'ineffabile della vita e della morte in un quadro di poesie pascoliane: Finestra Illuminata. [4 pages]

4.) Padre Giovanni Antonio Cavazzi, (1621-1678), nos reinos do "Congo, Matamba et Angola." Primeiros Contactos Europeus com a África. [24 pages]

5.) Al-Andalus and the Libros del saber de astronomia. From Seville to Florence: the Libro di sapere di astronomia. A Product of the Florentine Compagnie Mercantili. [14 pages]

6.) La Kinah Giudeo-Italiana: lingua e contenuto di uno dei piu antichi testi letterari della diaspora. [45 pages]

7.) Bodleian Library MS. Laud Or. 310, ou seja, o "Livro cunprido en o[s] juizos das estrelas." Introdução à versão portuguesa do "Libro conplido en los iudizios de las estrellas." [125 pages]

8.) MS. Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu, Jap.-Sin., I, 198. Contactos Religiosos Sino-Europeus e Renumerações Seculares. Padre Matteo Ricci, S.J., (1552-1610), e o Dicionário Português-Chinês. O Primeiro Dizionario Europeo-Cinese. [160 pages]

Dissertation

click on images for an excerpt of the Dissertation

An Edition and Study of the 14th-Century Italian Translation of Alfonso X, the Wise's Libros del saber de astronomia. 5 vols. Ann Arbor: UMI, 1993.

My dissertation offers a semi-paleographic as well as a linguistic analysis of the lexicon and translation of the Italian edition of the Libros del saber de astronomia of king Alfonso X, the Wise, (1252-1284). The transcription is very conservative. Only punctuation and capitalization have been altered for ease of reading. The linguistic analysis focuses on the nature of the Italian translation, as well as its physical and textual similarities and/or discrepancies with the Spanish original, and on the structure of the target language are compared to those of its Spanish source. A paleographic transcription of the Italian manuscript and corresponding concordance accompany the text and form a separate volume which has been published, in January 1993, in its microfiche series, by the Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, Madison, Wiscosin: Alfonso X, El Sabio. Text and Concordance of the Libro di sapere di astronomia. (14th-Century Italian Translation by Guerruccio Federighi).