The book deals with the history of the monastic community in the region of Gaza in Late antiquity. It examines the monastic career and teachings of central figures such as Abba Isaiah, Peter the Iberian, Barsanuphius and John, and Dorotheus. The social, religious and material aspects of this community are discussed in comparison with other contemporary monastic centers.

This book studies one of the most striking chapters in the history of late antique monastic culture, provided by the monastic legacy of Gaza. A monastic intellectual community flourished in the region of Gaza from the fourth to the seventh century, producing a wealth of literary works. In this diverse and exciting literary corpus—especially in the unique correspondence between spiritual leaders and their clientele—matters that are usually only hinted at in monastic sources, are vividly portrayed. Distinct from the dry and matter-of-fact monastic instructions and the stereotypes of hagiography, this corpus exposes the psychological tensions, moods, frustrations, and elations in the daily existence of the monks, revealing them as creatures of flesh and blood. This book seeks to frame the historical development of this community and endeavours to analyze the spiritual and intellectual context of what may be termed the monastic school of Gaza. The legacy of this complex and thriving centre cuts across theological differences and boundaries. Shedding light on these neglected educated circles enhances and somewhat balances the overall historical picture of late antique ascetic culture and Palestinian Christianity.

Redefines the role assigned education in the history of monasticism, by re-situating monasticism in the history of education.

Publisher Description

The Catena to James (compiled ca. 700 CE) collected excerpts from the best ancient Greek commentaries on the Letter of James, ranging from Origen to Maximus the Confessor. This translation and commentary make the whole Catena available for the first time in a modern language. An extensive introduction locates the Catena both in its own historical and literary context and in the context of modern catena studies. The detailed commentary elucidates the wide-ranging and sophisticated nature of the philological, historical-critical, rhetorical, ethical, theological, and pastoral insights of these ancient readers of James.

Sophronius' Synodical Letter was was read out at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680-1, and provided the only sustained rebuttal of the monoenergist doctrine. This is the first publication of the letter in annotated translation alongside the original Greek. Includes a comprehensive introduction and further documents on the monoenergist doctrine.

In this magisterial cultural history of the Palestinians, Nur Masalha illuminates the entire history of Palestinian learning with specific reference to writing, education, literary production and the intellectual revolutions in the country. The book introduces this long cultural heritage to demonstrate that Palestine was not just a 'holy land' for the four monotheistic religions – Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Samaritanism – rather, the country evolved to become a major international site of classical education and knowledge production in multiple languages including Sumerian, Proto-Canaanite, Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin. The cultural saturation of the country is found then, not solely in landmark mosques, churches and synagogues, but in scholarship, historic schools, colleges, famous international libraries and archival centres. This unique book unites these renowned institutions, movements and multiple historical periods for the first time, presenting them as part of a cumulative and incremental intellectual advancement rather than disconnected periods of educational excellence. In doing so, this multifaceted intellectual history transforms the orientations of scholarly research on Palestine and propels current historical knowledge on education and literacy in Palestine to new heights.