Italian Translator Claims Bible Describes Alien Encounters, Says He Was Fired

Mauro Biglino, an Italian translator and author, alleges that some of the most famous stories in the Hebrew Bible do not depict miracles or divine revelations but rather encounters between ancient humans and extraterrestrials with advanced technology. Biglino worked from 2008 to 2009 on literal translations of 17 biblical books from Hebrew to Italian for San Paolo, a major Catholic publisher collaborating with the Vatican. He claims he was immediately dismissed after he began publishing his controversial interpretations of the Hebrew text.

Central to Biglino's theory is the Hebrew word "Elohim," traditionally translated as "God." He points out that the word appears 2,570 times in the Bible and is grammatically plural, suggesting it refers to multiple beings rather than a single deity. According to Biglino, these "gods" were not spiritual entities but mortal beings with physical bodies, long lifespans, and advanced technology. He cites Psalm 82, which describes a council of "gods" judging one another and acknowledges their mortality, as evidence of a group of powerful beings rather than a singular omnipotent God.

Biglino also interprets the vision of the chariot in the Book of Ezekiel as a literal description of a flying vehicle with wheels moving in multiple directions, rather than a symbolic or prophetic vision. This aligns with the "ancient astronauts" hypothesis popularized by Erich von Däniken, with whom Biglino collaborated before von Däniken's death.

However, biblical scholars note that the plural form of "Elohim" does not necessarily imply multiple beings in every instance, as Hebrew grammar and context determine the meaning. Many occurrences clearly refer to the singular God of Israel, while others may refer to divine beings or authorities. Scholars who accept the idea of a "divine council" do not equate it with extraterrestrial visitors.

Biglino's interpretations remain highly speculative and controversial, lacking concrete proof of alien visits to ancient Canaan. His claims have sparked debate but have not been accepted by mainstream biblical scholarship or religious institutions.