Procopius of Gaza: Catenist, Compiler, and Exegete, KU Leuven, December 9–11, 2020

In the last decades, the study of the literary output of Gaza in the 5th-6th centuries AD has seen a significant revival of interest. New editions and studies of rhetorical, poetic, monastic and hagiographic texts produced in, or related to Gaza have emerged; three international symposia were devoted to Gaza in Late Antiquity. However, a far lesser attention has been paid to the biblical commentaries of Procopius the Christian sophist from Gaza.

This conference aims to shed light on Procopius’ work as catenist, compiler and exegete of the Bible, and further the understanding of the author and his writings. More specifically, it will raise the question whether the profane and the Christian works assigned to Procopius are by one and the same author. It will assess the critical edition project of Procopius’ Commentaries on the Octateuch. It will seek to contextualise Procopius’ In Genesim, especially regarding the debate on the creation of the world and the Origenist crisis. It will study the patristic sources of the In Exodum and In Canticum and the use that Procopius made of them. It will examine the relationship between Procopius’ In Canticum and In Proverbia on the one hand, and the Greek exegetical catenae on the same biblical texts on the other hand. It will compare the main characteristics of Procopius’ Epitomae with those of the anonymous epitomae on the Twelve Prophets. It will study the patristic sources of Procopius’ In Isaiam and the process of transforming them into a new commentary. It will finally reflect on the nature and usefulness of Procopius’ catenae and epitomae: are these works collections of commentaries, new forms of commentary, or Bible study tools?

Proposals are invited for a limited number of papers of 20 minutes.