Christian Leitz is a Full Professor of Egyptology at the Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies within the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Tübingen. He has held visiting professorships at École Pratique des Hautes Études (2007), Collège de France (2009), and Cairo University (2013). As director of the 'Lexikon der ägyptischen Götter und Götterbezeichnungen' project since 1999, he leads significant research in Egyptian religious and scientific texts. PhD in Egyptology (1989, Marburg/Göttingen) Habilitation (1993, Cologne) His research focuses on Egyptian religion, science, and Greco-Roman temple inscriptions. He pioneered studies on hemerologies , astronomical chronology , and magical medical texts . His publications include critical analyses of the Pyramidentexte , Papyrus Ebers , and temple rituals, with particular emphasis on the interplay between religion and natural observation . Key research trends include systematic analysis of temple inscriptions (Athribis, Dendara, Esna) and decoding the chronological logic in Egyptian texts. His work spans epigraphy, mythology, and material culture studies. Gerhard-Hess-Price of the DFG (1995) Offermann-Hergarten-Foundation award (1994) Heisenberg Fellowship (1993-1998) Leitz leads international collaborations including the Lexikon der ägyptischen Götter series and contributes to publications like Studien zur spätägyptischen Religion . He participates in excavations at Athribis and Akhmim, analyzing artifacts such as the Sarg des Panehemisis and developing methodologies for studying temple texts.
apl. Prof. Dr. Heike Sternberg-el Hotabi has served as Associate Professor (apl. Prof.) in the Department of Egyptology and Coptic Studies at the University of Göttingen since 2000. She previously held visiting positions at the University of Graz (2000-2010) and interim professorships in Basel (1999) while directing the DFG-funded Prosopographical Lexicon of Non-Royal Women of the New Kingdom (1999-2005). Education & academic milestones: 1974-1978: Undergraduate studies in Egyptology, Coptology and Assyriology, Göttingen & Tübingen 1980: M.A. Göttingen 1983: Ph.D. Tübingen 1995: Habilitation, Göttingen Research focus: Her work concentrates on Egyptian religion of the 1st millennium BCE, especially temple texts and decorative programs of the Greco-Roman period, Horus stelae, gender-specific prosopography, and cultural contacts under Persian rule. She combines philological analysis of hieroglyphic, Demotic and Coptic sources with broader questions of religious history and syncretism. Publication profile: Across five monographs and c. seventy articles she has treated royal annals, funerary religion, divine kingship, and the transformation of script and myth in Late Antique Egypt. Recent papers continue her long-term editorial commitment to the Göttinger Miszellen and the TUAT series, illustrating an enduring interest in editing and contextualising primary sources. Editorial & collaborative roles: Co-editor, Texte aus der Umwelt des Alten Testaments (Egyptology section), 1980-2000 Co-editor, TUAT.NF , since 2001 Editorial board, Göttinger Miszellen , since 2004 Member, Graduate School 896 “Images of Gods – Images of God – Worldviews” Advisory Board, journal Abgadiyat , Bibliotheca Alexandrina She currently advises from her office at Heinrich-Düker-Weg 14, 37073 Göttingen, and can be contacted at hsternb@uni-goettingen.de .
Thomas Klein is a Professor of Medieval and Modern Latin Philology at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg since 2002. His research spans Medieval Latin Literature , Textual Criticism , and Classical Reception , with a focus on Weltchronistik , Pragmatische Schriftlichkeit , and Hagiographie . He has held prestigious fellowships, including the DFG Scholarship and Lynen Fellowship , and serves as Lead Editor of the 'Medieval Latin Yearbook'. Academic Appointments : Acting Professor at Wuppertal (1997-1998) and Munich (2001-2002), Habilitation at Bonn (1997), and ongoing supervision of 15+ graduate students . Research Projects : Bibliographic revision of 'Initia carminum Latinorum', critical editions of medieval texts (e.g., 'Ernestus' by Odo von Magdeburg), and collaborative work with Dieter Scheler on 'Hierapigra ad purgandos prelatos'. His publications include critical editions of Latin poems (e.g., 'Carmina misogynica'), studies on medieval satirical literature , and contributions to understanding pragmatic literacy and exemplum traditions . He has authored reviews in Gnomon and Mittellateinisches Jahrbuch , advancing medieval Latin bibliography .
Rafael González Fernández is a Professor at the University of Murcia, affiliated with the Department of Prehistory, Archaeology, Ancient History, Medieval History, and Historiographic Sciences and Techniques within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. His primary research focuses on Roman history, epigraphy, and archaeology, with a particular emphasis on Latin inscriptions, Roman villas, and ancient Mediterranean cultures. He holds a Doctorate from the University of Murcia, awarded in 1991 for his thesis on Justinian's ideological structures in the Codex Justinianus. Key research interests include the study of Roman material culture, funerary archaeology, and the socio-political dynamics of the late Roman Empire. He has conducted extensive fieldwork at sites like the Roman villa of Los Villaricos, where he explored olive oil production facilities and their role in Hispania Tarraconensis. His work often bridges classical antiquity with early medieval history, examining topics such as Herodotean influences in medieval chronicles and the persistence of pagan practices under Christian dominance. His publications span over three decades, covering topics from Republican-era votive inscriptions to the analysis of Severan dynasty political strategies. Collaborations with institutions like the Spanish Archaeological Archive and international scholars highlight his global academic engagement. Though no awards are explicitly mentioned, his contributions to Roman epigraphy and archaeology are widely recognized in academic circles. His research also extends to interdisciplinary projects, such as the analysis of heraldic repertoires and the application of digital methods in archaeological documentation. The article ECHOES OF HERODOTUS IN THE CAPTURE OF MULA exemplifies his interdisciplinary approach, linking classical historiography to early modern Spanish literary traditions.
Yannick Alexander Wiechmann is a Lecturer and doctoral candidate in the Department of Egyptology at the Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Bonn. He teaches courses in Middle Egyptian, late hieroglyphic texts, and thematic seminars on ancient Egyptian religion and text transmission. His academic work is deeply embedded in the philological and cultural study of ancient Egypt, with strong interdisciplinary ties to Indology and Near Eastern studies. His research interests center on funerary texts , particularly the Book of the Dead and Coffin Texts , exploring themes of paratextuality , intertextuality , and textual canonization . He investigates cultural contacts in antiquity, especially in Late Antique Egypt, where his work on the Coptic script examines the intersection of linguistics, religious symbolism, and Christian identity. His philological analyses extend to Sandhi phenomena in earlier Egyptian and the interpretation of classical texts like the Prophecy of Neferti. The trends in his publications reveal a strong focus on textual history , linguistic evolution , and religious symbolism across ancient Egyptian and Coptic traditions. His work often bridges Egyptology with religious studies, epigraphy, and comparative philology, demonstrating a methodologically rigorous and interdisciplinary approach. His scientific awards include: Promotionsstipendium der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (since 2023) Stipendium der Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (2017–2019) He has advised no students listed publicly but has served as a tutor (student assistant) from 2015 to 2019. He has been involved in multiple research projects, including collaborative grants with Emory University, and has presented at international conferences such as Current Research in Egyptology and the European Conference of Egyptologists. He has not received external grant funding explicitly mentioned in the text. He is affiliated with several academic bodies: Verband der Ägyptologie Verein zur Förderung des Ägyptischen Museums der Universität Bonn e.V. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christliche Archäologie International Association of Egyptologists
Robert G. Hoyland is a Professor of Late Antique and Early Islamic Middle Eastern History at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). He is also a member of the Visiting Scholar Search Committee for Academic Year 2025-26. Hoyland holds a doctoral degree from Oxford University, where he focused on non-Muslim accounts of the rise of Islam, culminating in his seminal work Seeing Islam as Others saw it (1997) . His research explores the emergence of Islamic civilization, pre-Islamic Arabian societies, epigraphy, papyrology, and the transmission of Greco-Syriac knowledge. His academic contributions include pivotal studies such as In God’s Path (2014) , examining the Arab conquests, and Arabia and the Arabs (2001) , which redefined understandings of pre-Islamic Arabia. He has also collaborated on texts like Polemon’s Physiognomy (2007) and published editions of seventh-century Arabic papyri from Nessana. Hoyland’s archaeological work includes excavations in Syria, Yemen, Israel/Palestine, and Azerbaijan. Recently, he has shifted focus to social history, studying the socio-economic plight of the unfree in early Islamic societies. Though no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, his scholarship is widely recognized in his field. His advising and grant activities are not detailed in available texts, but his archaeological collaborations and academic publications reflect extensive scholarly engagement. Hoyland’s work is anchored at ISAW, where he contributes to interdisciplinary research bridging archaeology, history, and textual analysis.
Professor Andreas Lehnardt is a distinguished scholar of Jewish Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where he has been a faculty member since his appointment as university professor in 2004. He serves as Chairman of the Commission for the History of the Jews in Hesse and is a member of the Executive Board of the Gutenberg Research College. His academic leadership extends to the European Association for Jewish Studies and various scholarly organizations focused on Jewish history and religious studies. Born in Duisburg in 1965, Lehnardt pursued extensive studies in Judaic Studies and Theology across multiple prestigious institutions including Münster, Munich, Bonn, Cologne, Jerusalem, Tübingen, and Berlin (1984-1994). His academic journey included research positions at the Institutum Judaicum Delitzschianum (1990-1993) and the Institute for Ancient Judaism and Hellenistic Religious History at the University of Tübingen (1995-1998). He earned his doctorate in Jewish Studies from the Free University of Berlin in 1999 and was appointed university professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz on June 28, 2004. Professor Lehnardt's research spans multiple facets of Jewish studies with particular focus on Rabbinic literature (Talmud and Midrash), Samaritan studies, Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts, Jewish epigraphy, and Genizah research. His work explores the intersection of textual traditions, material culture, and religious practices in Jewish communities from antiquity through the medieval period. He has made significant contributions to understanding Jewish writings from the Hellenistic-Roman period, Jewish prayers, Minhagim (customs), and the cultural history of Ashkenazi communities, particularly in the German context. Lehnardt's extensive publication record reflects his engagement with diverse research areas, showing a consistent focus on manuscript discoveries, textual analysis, and historical context. His recent work demonstrates increasing attention to material culture studies, particularly through the examination of binding fragments, gravestones, and other physical artifacts that reveal insights into Jewish communal life. He has pioneered research on Hebrew and Aramaic binding fragments in German archives and libraries, creating new avenues for understanding medieval Jewish textual transmission. Professor Lehnardt has secured significant research funding from multiple sources including the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Ministry of Science of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, and various university research funds. His current major project 'The Old Jewish Library at Johannes Gutenberg University – Cataloguing and Restoration' continues his long-standing commitment to preserving and studying Jewish textual heritage. He has supervised numerous research projects focused on German Jewish history, particularly in the Rhineland region. As an active member of multiple scholarly organizations including the Association for Jewish Studies, the European Association for Jewish Studies, the Hebraistenverband, and the Kommission für die Geschichte der Juden in Hessen, Professor Lehnardt contributes significantly to the institutional framework of Jewish studies internationally. His leadership roles in these organizations demonstrate his commitment to advancing the field through collaborative scholarship and academic service. His work bridges historical research with contemporary cultural preservation efforts, particularly concerning the Jewish heritage in Germany.
Dr. Eka Kvirkvelia is a Researcher affiliated with the Cluster of Excellence: Understanding Written Artefacts (UWA) at the University of Hamburg, working on the ERC-funded DeLiCaTe project. Her role involves investigating literacy development in Caucasian territories through manuscript studies. Her research focuses on Georgian palimpsests and religious manuscripts, particularly Jerusalem-Rite lectionaries. She employs interdisciplinary methods to analyze cultural heritage artifacts, emphasizing material and textual analysis. Recent contributions include a chapter in Palimpsests and Related Phenomena across Languages and Cultures (2025), exploring Georgian palimpsest manuscripts. She collaborates with international teams on projects linking technology and cultural heritage preservation. Dr. Kvirkvelia is part of the UWA's interdisciplinary environment, contributing to projects like ENCI (Extracting Non-destructively Cuneiform Inscriptions) and material analysis initiatives. Her work bridges historical, linguistic, and technical approaches to manuscript studies.
Professor Peter Keegan holds a prestigious position at Macquarie University's Department of Ancient History within the School of Humanities. His academic journey includes roles such as Associate Dean Learning and Teaching (2015-2021) and interim Department Chair (2022). A Fellow of both the Royal Historical Society (UK) and the Royal Society of New South Wales, he specializes in Roman Republican/Imperial history, epigraphy, and gender studies. His research focuses on Pompeian graffiti, Roman social dynamics, and women's roles in antiquity. Keegan earned his doctorate from Macquarie University (2003) and held successive academic positions: Associate Lecturer (2009), Lecturer (2010-2011), Senior Lecturer (2012-2015), Associate Professor (2016), and full Professor (2021). He has supervised over 30 students across Honours, Masters, and PhD levels. His teaching portfolio includes courses like AHIS3201 Women and Gender in the Ancient World and AHIX8320 Under the Shadow of Vesuvius. Research highlights include two sole-authored books, co-edited collections, and extensive grants ($500k+ secured). Notable awards include a 2012 National Teaching Citation and 2024 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. His work bridges archaeology and epigraphy, with recent projects analyzing Pompeii's spatial narratives and Roman women's agency in historical texts. Editorial roles include co-editing Brill's Inscriptions in the Private Sphere and contributing to Cultural History of Graffiti series. He has reviewed at institutions like La Trobe University and led projects such as the Macquarie University Archaeological Fieldwork Lab. Current research explores Livy's portrayal of women in Rome's foundational narratives and the socio-spatial dimensions of graffiti in Roman urban contexts.
Professor Allen Brent is a Visiting Professor in Theology & Religious Studies at King’s College London and a former Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Divinity (2008–2010). He served as Acting Dean of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge (2012–2013) and held an Associate Professorship at James Cook University (1980–1995). His current affiliation includes the BARDA PROJECT (2011–2017), where he collaborated with Prof. Markus Vinzent on Early Christian Iconography. His research focuses on the intersection of Early Christian History with Classical Culture, emphasizing church order, cultural transformation via art, and political theology. Brent argues that epigraphy and iconography are vital for reconstructing early Christian history. He has authored influential works such as A Political History of Early Christianity (2009) and Cyprian and Roman Carthage (2010). Teaching expertise includes Christianity and Classical Culture. He co-edits Studia Patristica and serves on the editorial board of Vetera Christianorum . Notably, he contributed to proposals for cultural bishops in Australia’s Anglican Aboriginal communities. His recent scholarship critiques epigraphical methodologies, as seen in his 2019 analysis of the Vita Abercii inscription. Advising and grants include supervision of PhD research in early Christian studies and participation in interdisciplinary projects like the BARDA initiative. He is associated with King’s College London’s Department of Theology & Religious Studies, emphasizing collaborative research in patristic studies and cultural history.
Antonis Anastasopoulos is an Associate Professor of Ottoman History at the Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Crete. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and has been teaching at the University of Crete since 1999. His research collaborations extend to the Institute of Mediterranean Studies at the Foundation for Technology and Research. PhD, School of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge M.Phil., University of Cambridge BA, History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens His research focuses on Ottoman provincial governance, emphasizing political relations in the 18th century, Islamic tombstones from the Ottoman era, and historical water resource management. His recent work explores the Ottoman Empire's legacy in modern Greek historiography, legal systems, and material culture. His publications include over 30 articles in scientific journals and collective volumes, with a strong emphasis on Ottoman Balkans, tax systems, and elite dynamics. He has co-edited five collective volumes and presented at institutions like the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris and Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. He maintains active office hours on Mondays and Tuesdays (14:30–15:30) and engages in academic outreach through his personal website (www.antonisanastasopoulos.gr).
Dr. Anna Marie Sitz is a Research Fellow at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Humanities, Department of History. She specializes in Late Antique archaeology and epigraphy in the eastern Mediterranean, with a focus on Anatolia and Cyprus. Current affiliations: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin (Project Staff), Teilprojektleiterin (Phoenix Survey, Turkey) Research interests: Material text cultures, inscription reuse, reception of antiquity, Byzantine provincial life Her recent work analyzes the spatial dynamics of inscriptions in post-Roman contexts, examining how ancient texts were repurposed in Christian environments. This includes studies on spoliation practices, epigraphic erasures, and the materiality of commemorative traditions. Scientific contributions include a 2023 monograph on pagan inscriptions in Christian viewership, multiple peer-reviewed articles on Late Antique Anatolia, and fieldwork leadership in Labraunda and Phoenix excavations. Her 2024 First Book Award from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (USA) recognizes her groundbreaking research. Major grants: Dumbarton Oaks (2023), Mary Jaharis Center (2022), American Philosophical Society (2020/21) Academic background: Ph.D. (2012-2017) and M.A. (2010-2012) from University of Pennsylvania; B.A. (2006-2010) from Baylor University. Active fieldwork in Turkey (Labraunda, Alabanda) and Sicily (Philosophiana) complements her epigraphic studies.
Florian Oppitz is a doctoral candidate at the Max-Weber-Kolleg (Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies) of the University of Erfurt. His research focuses on interdisciplinary investigations of Christian-motivated charity places in the Eastern Mediterranean during Late Antiquity (3rd-7th CE) through archaeological, epigraphical, and literary sources. Oppitz's work addresses methodological challenges in identifying charity sites, including purpose-built buildings like xenodocheia and nosokomeia, as well as multifunctional areas such as church atriums. His research explores architectural sociology, topographical-socio-religious contexts, and charity institutions' roles in Christian expansion and internal controversies. His publications include studies on Byzantine floor mosaics in Ephesos, geometric opus sectile patterns, and Christian life worlds in the Donauprovinzen. Current projects analyze material traces of charity-associated individuals and subjective messages like votive inscriptions.
Prof. Carly L. Crouch is a Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and Ancient Judaism and Chair of the Department of Textual, Historical and Systematic Studies of Judaism and Christianity at Radboud University, the Netherlands. She also holds an affiliation as a Research Associate with the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Her research focuses on the historical and cultural contexts of ancient Israel and Judah, with particular expertise in migration studies, trauma theory, ethnic identity formation, and war ethics within biblical literature. Prof. Crouch specializes in examining how imperial forces shaped biblical traditions and how ancient communities responded to displacement and cultural transformation. Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent pattern of interdisciplinary analysis, bridging textual criticism with historical, archaeological, and ethical considerations. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between Deuteronomy and Assyrian treaty traditions, the formation of Israelite identity in the context of cultural diversity, and the ethical dimensions of warfare in biblical texts. Her approach often connects ancient contexts with contemporary ethical concerns, as seen in her work on biblical perspectives on gun culture. Prof. Crouch's scholarship has been recognized through numerous publications with prestigious academic presses including Cambridge University Press, Brill, and SBL. Her work spans monographs, edited volumes, and scholarly articles that have significantly advanced the field of biblical studies, particularly in the areas of Deuteronomistic literature, prophetic texts, and biblical ethics. She has edited important collections addressing the Bible's relevance to contemporary issues such as migration and gun culture, demonstrating her commitment to connecting ancient texts with modern ethical dilemmas. Her leadership as department chair reflects her standing within the academic community and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary approaches to biblical and religious studies.
Karoline Kjesrud is an Associate Professor at the Department of Archaeology, University of Oslo, specializing in interdisciplinary medieval studies combining philology, art history, and archaeobotany. She works on cultural phenomena related to nature, religion, and knowledge through analyses of texts, images, and material culture. Research focuses on plant knowledge in Viking and medieval Norway, human-animal relations, and cultural heritage preservation Leading the Nordic People and Plants project and co-organizing archaeobotanical databases Collaborates with international institutions via Erasmus+ and other networks Her recent publications explore topics like medieval food rituals, plant symbolism, and right-wing appropriation of historical symbols. She serves as leader of Collegium Medievale and board member of Middelalder Oslo . Participates in the interdisciplinary REA:Life project for pharmaceutical innovation using cultural heritage Organizes exhibitions like Arv and Wake for Fehn Active in the Norse Hagiography Network and Arthurian Society
