Rereading the New Testament in Light of Its Jewish Roots

19 march 2026

Some books are born of long, solitary labor. Others, like Jewish Mirror of the Gospels, are rooted in a living history shaped by encounters, dialogues, and friendships. Sister Agnès’s work clearly belongs to this second category: it is the fruit of a journey at the crossroads of traditions, lands, and perspectives.

Now based in Sologne, where she works with the publishing house Éditions des Béatitudes, Sister Agnès was first a student at Domuni between 2010 and 2017. This academic path, nourished by a passion for Scripture, was enriched by concrete experiences, notably a seminar devoted to the Jewish and Christian Passovers, led in collaboration with Dr. Olivier Cattel, O.P. Yet even then, a fundamental question already animated her: how can one most accurately understand the Jewish roots of the New Testament?

An intuition born in the field

A stay in Israel, in Jerusalem, marked a decisive turning point. There, in contact with the Jewish people, their living traditions, and their texts, a genuine intellectual and spiritual vocation emerged: to immerse herself in this memory in order to uncover its richness and depth.

This intuition took shape through a series of encounters. First, with an American rabbi who offered her a singular work: a New Testament annotated by Jewish scholars. Then, with Dr. Olivier-Thomas Venard, O.P., who encouraged her to explore these annotations, trace their sources, and extend the reflection. Finally, a discussion with Dr. Marie Monnet, O.P., situated this work within a formal academic framework.

From these exchanges emerged a project. Then a thesis. And ultimately, a book.

Examining the line of separation

At the heart of Jewish Mirror of the Gospels lies a fundamental question: what unites Jews and Christians, and what separates them? Where does this line of division lie—so often evoked, yet rarely explored in depth?

To address this, Sister Agnès adopts an original approach: reading the New Testament as a text embedded within the Judaism of the Second Temple period. She draws upon a vast constellation of Jewish sources: the Talmud, the Midrashim, the so-called “intertestamental” writings, as well as the Targums—interpretative translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic.

This immersion in Jewish tradition does not aim to juxtapose two readings, but rather to reveal a network of resonances. The Gospels, far from being isolated, appear permeated by echoes, images, and figures drawn from a shared world.

Rereading the Gospels differently

To provide a concrete illustration, Sister Agnès turns to well-known passages, such as the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in the Gospel according to John. At first glance, the scene seems familiar—a simple dialogue at the edge of a well between two individuals who appear to have nothing in common.

Yet, when placed within the horizon of Jewish traditions, the narrative takes on new depth. The well is no longer merely a setting; it becomes a place charged with meaning, often associated in the Bible and in rabbinic commentary with decisive encounters, covenantal themes, and even messianic hope. The figures of Jacob and Joseph, subtly present in the background, open up a broader understanding.

Consequently, the Samaritan woman’s question—“Are you greater than our father Jacob?”—acquires an entirely different significance. It is no longer a simple exchange, but engages a profound reflection on the identity of Jesus, the history of Israel, and the expectation of the Messiah that runs throughout the tradition.

An invitation to encounter

This book is not intended solely for specialists. It presents itself as an open invitation to all readers to enter into a living dialogue with Jewish tradition, in the spirit of the declaration Nostra Aetate (§4), which encourages Christians to better know and understand their Jewish roots.

For students of theology, Sister Agnès outlines a concrete path: returning to foundational texts, exploring Jewish sources, engaging with languages whenever possible, but also encountering communities—visiting synagogues, listening, observing, and above all remaining open. This approach fully aligns with the impetus of Nostra Aetate, inviting readers to move beyond historically inherited distances and to enter into genuine encounter.

For the stakes go beyond mere intellectual understanding. What is at issue is the reception of a richness and a beauty that deserve to be discovered for their own sake. And perhaps, in this mirror of Judaism, one may rediscover the depth of the Christian message in a renewed fidelity to the never-revoked Covenant.

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