Gaza and Its Hinterland in Late Antiquity: dynamics of geography, economy and religion in Southern Palestine

Few regions of the Roman Empire have seen such profound processes of demographic, economic, cultural and religious transformations in Late Antiquity as Southern Palestine with Gaza and its hinterland, the Negev, as its core. The discovery and development of the ‘Holy Land’ under Constantine brought intense governmental attention, a remarkable population growth by immigration, extensive developments in infrastructure and economy to this long neglected part of the Roman orient. In particular, the impact of Christianity and the rise of monasticism in Palestine brought pressure to local pagan cults, communities and elites, and no less to Jews and Samaritans. The seminar will discuss, on the basis of the most important literary and archaeological evidence, these developments and conflicts in the 4th–6th centuries.

After studying Philosophy, History and Archaeology in Munich, Heidelberg, Oxford and Berlin and a first degree in Philosophy (M.A. 1982), Johannes Hahn was, from 1982 to 1992, fellow at the Seminar für Alte Geschichte, Heidelberg University, where he received his Ph.D. and his Habilitation in Ancient History in 1986 and 1993 respectively.  In 1993, he was made a Research Fellow of the Pädagogische Hochschule Erfurt, and in 1993-95 became the Deputy Chair in Greek History, University of Cologne. 1995-96 Heisenberg-Scholar of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in Freiburg University. Since 1996, he has been a full Professor in Ancient History (particularly Roman History) and Director of the Seminar für Alte Geschichte and of the Institut für Epigraphik at Münster University. Research interests and teaching cover both Greek and Roman history, with the main focus being on the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity. Particular interests are social and cultural history, and recent research has been concerned with the history of  religion (especially Judaism and Christianity) in the Roman Empire. Publications include a book on the political philosophy of John Locke (1984),  a monograph on philosophers in Roman society (1989), a book on Alexander in India (2000) and a major study of religious conflict between Christians, Jews and pagans in Late Antiquity (2004) besides several edited volumes. Religious violence as a significant phenomenon of the process of Christianizing late Roman society is subject of his present work.