Gesa Schenke

Prof. Dr. Gesa Schenke is a Professor of Coptology at the University of Münster’s Institute for Egyptology and Coptology. She leads Project A3-28 within the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics,’ focusing on Coptic papyri and the cult of saints. Her academic journey includes research roles at the University of Oxford (2014–2018) and Leiden University (2009–2014), with stipends from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and others.

Education: PhD in Classical Archaeology (University of Cologne, 2000), MA studies in Egyptology, Classical Archaeology, and Ancient Greek (Cologne, Munich), BA in Classics and Anthropology (Pitzer College, USA).

Research interests span Coptic papyrology, Late Antique Egyptian society, monastic archaeology, and medical texts. Recent work explores monastic land management and healing cults in Coptic legal documents. Publications include monographs on martyr legends and edited volumes on Coptic texts.

Teaching includes courses on Coptology, papyrology, and ancient Egyptian archaeology. Awards include Honorary Senior Research Associate at Oxford (2014). Active in interdisciplinary research, she collaborates with archaeologists and historians to contextualize textual and material evidence.