Boston, December 19, 2020

Dear Friend of the ICS,

This time of year we are all on the receiving end of many letters concluding with the words: “Please be as generous as you can” – even in an unusual year as we just experienced! In how many cases, however, can the works we encourage reach as far back as the dawn of the Common Era? In the last year, our mission, “to increase knowledge about the interconnections between Judaism, Christianity, and the surrounding ancient world” has been carried out through lectures and through our judicious grant program.

In May we awarded our annual Shohet Scholarships to two recipients, who will be able to spread their research out over multiple years because of the ongoing pandemic. The ICS also plans to provide a Zoom forum for future lectures and reports of the grants.

Davide Tanasi (Associate Professor, University of South Florida, Department of History)
Title: The Digital afterlife of the Catacombs of Abbatija tad-Dejr at Rabat (Malta)
Abstract: The research aims at the reappraisal through the application of 3-D Scanning, Remote Sensing and 3-D Visualization of the multifaceted Maltese catacomb complex of Abbatija tad-Dejr, whose occupation phases range from Late Roman to Late Medieval period. The site currently inaccessible and in derelict state was not subject to any excavation or new interpretative study since the 30s. The production of a 3D model combined with a spatial analysis will produce an updated technical documentation necessary to characterize it. An interactive virtual replica of the complex and all it iconographic features will be made accessible on a web platform for public enjoyment.

Joan Connelly (Professor, Classics, New York University) and Monika Więch (Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Classical Mediterranean Cultures)
Title: Yeronisos–Meletis Necropolis Project, Peyia, Paphos District, Cyprus
Abstract: The dozen spectacular rock-cut chamber tombs of the small cemetery of Meletis at Agios Georgios tis Pegeias near Paphos in Cyprus had been thought to be fully looted long ago. But the discovery in 2018 of a thirteenth tomb will forever change our understanding of burial practices within a wealthy sector of the local community during late Hellenistic through Roman times. This project calls for excavation, documentation, preservation, and publication of a family tomb established in the 1st century B.C.E. under Ptolemaic Egyptian influence and continuing in use until the 5–6th century C.E. Investigation of this unique sepulcher provides a rare opportunity for us to understand better the social and cultural history of rock-cut tombs in Cyprus and across the Mediterranean world.

Consistent with our goal of supporting significant, innovative research these grants support a wide range of disciplines encompassing archeology, art history, and classical studies. None of this work would be possible without the help of our sponsors and supporters.

In addition to our grant program, in 2021 we look forward to several more lectures, generously offered by former grant recipients and members of our distinguished ICS Board.
If you are a member we hope that you will renew your membership, or, if you are not a member, that you will consider becoming one. Your donations are tax deductible. Further information is available on our website, www.catacombsociety.org. 
Please be as generous as you can.

For the Executive Board of the International Catacomb Society,
with thanks and best wishes,

Annewies van den Hoek, President
Philip Olander, Secretary

International Catacomb Society
217 Hanover Street, Suite 130413
Boston, MA 02113
info@catacombsociety.org

The Shohet Scholars Grant Program of the International Catacomb Society is now accepting applications to the Shohet Scholars cohort of 2021-2022. Submission deadline is January 15, 2021 (11:59 p.m. EST).

This annual grant program funds research on the Ancient Mediterranean from the Hellenistic Era to the Early Middle Ages. Shohet Scholars may do their research in the fields of archeology, art history, classical studies, history, comparative religions, or related subjects. Of special interest are interdisciplinary projects that approach traditional topics from new perspectives.

One or more Shohet Scholars will be selected each year. The primary intent of the grant is to support significant, innovative research that can be completed and reported upon within and shortly after the award period. Grants may be made to seed innovative approaches and new ideas or to cover specific expenses or phases of a larger project under the direction of the applicant. At this time, awards in the range of $2,000 to $30,000 will be made. A complete history of past and present Shohet Scholars awards is available on the ICS webpage: www.catacombsociety.org.

Please note: For the grant cycle of 2021-2022, the ICS Shohet scholarship fund seeks to support specifically junior scholars with PhD but without full-time employment, early career (untenured) faculty, or young scholars who receive little to no institutional support for their research.

Scholars meeting the above criteria may apply for Shohet Scholar funding if they are individual or institutional members of the ICS at the time of the application submission deadline of January 15, 2021 and in possession of a doctoral (Ph.D.) degree or the equivalent.

Non-U.S. citizens may apply if a co-applicant is a legal permanent resident (i.e. already in possession of "green card" or Form I-551) or native or naturalized citizen of the U.S.A., meets all eligibility requirements, and has a genuinely collaborative and credited leadership role in the proposal. Co-applicants must submit as individuals all the necessary forms except for the research proposal, list of permissions, and budget proposal, which may be filed jointly.

Deadlines and Decisions
The application deadline for the 2021-2022 academic year is January 15, 2021. The award announcement for the 2021-2022 academic year will be made by May 1, 2021, for funding to be disbursed on 15 July 2021. Please note that all funding is awarded directly to the USA-based awardee, for distribution among project co-applicants and collaborators. The ICS does not wire or transfer money to bank accounts outside of the USA.

Click here for application forms and instructions and here for assistance.

Questions?
If you have any questions about the suitability of proposed projects, application procedures, or any other matters related to the Shohet Scholars Program, please consult our FAQ page or contact us at shohetscholars (at) catacombsociety.org.

The International Catacomb Society sold this historic, early 19th-century townhouse on Beacon Hill in Boston twenty years ago to finance its Shohet Scholars program. People ask us to provide more lectures, student grants, and other public programming. But we don't have another building to sell. Only with your help, we can do more.

All charitable contributions to International Catacomb Society (a registered 501(c)(3) on or before 30 June 2019, the end of our fiscal year, will help determine if any new programming can be launched in the 2019-2020. Some progress already made in that direction, but more is needed. Your generosity is appreciated:  http://www.catacombsociety.org/give/

The officers and directors of the International Catacomb Society are pleased to announce the Shohet Scholars of 2019-2020:

Lily Vuong, Central Washington University: “The Apocryphal Mary in Text, Pictorial Art, and Iconography"

This project examines the ways in which Marian Apocryphal material culture (mosaics, sculptures, ivory carvings, book covers, illuminated manuscripts, physical space of churches, etc.) were used to reinforce early Christian devotion, faith, and piety. At the same time, it also aims to explore the reciprocal relationship between text and art, and how early Christian identities shaped by Marian apocryphal literature intersected with the identities of those who valued Marian material culture as a necessary component to their religious lives.

Kevin McGinnis, Stonehill College: “Does a Priestly People Have Priests?
Early Christian Leadership in its Polytheistic Context"

The research funded by this grant will contribute greatly to an analysis of how Christians came to represent their ecclesiastical leaders as priests from the third to sixth centuries C.E. The standard narrative of how the priesthood developed starts with the period of the Jesus movement and proceeds rather uncritically from there. This narrative has largely determined how early Christian art has been interpreted. This project will counter that narrative, in part through a comparison of Christian and Roman depictions of religious leaders. The ultimate goal is to show how, when, and why Christians appropriated the title ‘priest’.

Joan Breton Connolly, New York University“: Yeronisos – Meletis Necropolis Project, Peyia-Paphos District, Cyprus

This project calls for systematic excavation, documentation, preservation, and publication of a newly discovered rock-cut tomb at the Meletis Necropolis, southwestern Cyprus. Preliminary investigation suggests a family tomb established in the second century BCE under Ptolemaic Egyptian influence, continuing in use through Late Roman times. The tomb preserves a prime example of monumental funerary culture in Hellenistic Cyprus, Ptolemaic influence in the Paphian countryside, and the evolution of Alexandrian funerary display strategies into Roman times. Investigation of this unique sepulcher provides a vital first step in writing a comprehensive social and cultural history of Hellenistic/Roman rock-cut tombs in Cyprus and across the Mediterranean.

More than Just Mosaics: The Ancient Synagogue at Huqoq in Israel's Galilee

Saturday, 13 April 2019, 4:30 p.m. (reception to follow)

Fordham University - Lincoln Center Campus
School of Law Building
Room 7-119 (Hill Conference Room)
150 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023 (map)

Since 2011, Professor Jodi Magness has been directing excavations in the ancient village of Huqoq in Israel's Galilee. The excavations have brought to light the remains of a monumental Late Roman (fifth century) synagogue building paved with stunning and unique mosaics, including biblical scenes and the first non-biblical story ever discovered decorating an ancient synagogue. In this slide-illustrated lecture, Professor Magness describes these exciting finds, including the discoveries made in last summer's season.

The Huqoq Project was awarded a Shohet Scholars grant from the International Catacomb Society in 2016, and Prof. Magness now serves on the Society's advisory board. For more information about Prof. Magness' work in progress at Huqoq, please visit:

http://jodimagness.org/cv.php

The ICS NYC Lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of Theology and the Program in Jewish Studies at Fordham University.

Corso di formazione in archeologia giudaica II edizione: Insediamenti, luoghi di culto, cultura tra antichità e medioevo

Luogo: Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Macroarea di Lettere e Filosofia Via Columbia 1, 00133 Roma

Calendario delle lezioni (pdf -

6/03/2019, ore 15,00-17,00 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni IV piano
INAUGURAZIONE DEL CORSO Fausto Zevi
(Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei)
Gli Ebrei a Roma in età classica

7/03/2019, ore 14,30-18,30 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni II piano
Giancarlo Lacerenza
(Università degli Studi di Napoli L'Orientale)
Ebrei a Napoli nella tarda antichità: i sepolcreti e la sinagoga

Giovanna Di Giacomo
(Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata)
Le sinagoghe di Roma attraverso l’epigrafia

14/03/2019, ore 14,30-18,30 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni IV piano
Giancarlo Lacerenza
Rabbini, scribi e dottori della legge nell’Italia antica

Giovanni Gasbarri
(Center for the Study of Christianity - Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Immagine, idolo, icona: la figurazione nelle arti ebraiche e cristiane della Tarda Antichità

18/03/2019, ore 12,30-16,30 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni IV piano
Giovanni Di Stefano
(Università della Calabria)
Topografie urbane delle comunita' ebraiche della Sicilia medievale. I Casi di Ragusa e Scicli

Giuseppe Mandalà
(CSIC, Spanish National Research Council)
Palermo ebraica: fonti scritte, topografia e archeologia

21/03/2019, ore 14,30-18,30 Ed. A, Aula T 19
Javier Castaño
(CSIC, Spanish National Research Council)
La sinagoga come microcosmo nel territorio iberico medievale

Javier Castaño
Aspetti e problematiche della cultura materiale ispano-ebraica in età medievale

22/03/2019, ore 14,30-18,30 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni III piano
Juan Antonio Quirós Castillo
(University of the Basque Country)
Archeologia delle religioni minoritarie nella Spagna medievale

Juan Antonio Quirós Castillo
Archeologia degli Ebrei nella Spagna Cristiana: il caso degli ebrei alla luce del sito di Pancorbo

27/03/2019, ore 14,30-18,30 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni IV piano
Fausto Zevi
La sinagoga e gli Ebrei di Ostia antica

Enrico Tromba
(Istituto Superiore di Scienze Religiose Reggio Calabria)
La Sinagoga di Bova marina e le produzioni anforiche con bolli ebraici

28/03/2019, ore 14,30-18,30 Ed. B, Aula Riunioni III piano
Alessandro Campus
(Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata)
Epigrafia cultuale arcaica

Giovanni Gasbarri
La rappresentazione degli Ebrei nella cultura artistica bizantina

4/04/2019, ore 14,30-16,30 Ed.B, Aula Riunioni II piano
Myriam Silvera
(Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata)
I prodromi dell’espulsione degli Ebrei dalla Spagna

11/04/2019, ore 10,00
Marzia Di Mento
(ISARome)
Visita guidata alla Sinagoga di Ostia antica

Il corso rilascia 6 cfu | Quota di iscrizione € 300,00
PER INFO E ISCRIZIONI - web: cerse.uniroma2.it
mail: colapicchioni@lettere.uniroma2.it - marcella.pisani@uniroma2.it - alessio.decristofaro@beniculturali.it
tel: 3939001716 - 3351320731

The International Catacomb Society strives to increase knowledge about the interconnections between Judaism, Christianity, and the surrounding ancient world by issuing grants, sponsoring lectures, and disseminating information and publications.

The attached brochure (in pdf) gives the essential information (a bird’s-eye view) of the work that the society does and the goals we would like to set for the future. We have a stellar team of professional board members and advisory board members that is truly international with colleagues from the US, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK: http://www.catacombsociety.org/who-we-are/.

We are looking for additional resources to grow our program of annual research grants for scholars. The last 18 years of research projects are listed in the brochure and on our website. A gift in any amount will help with the worthy projects that we are sure to receive in 2019. Should you wish to fund one or more of these projects, the ICS is happy to arrange for one of the grants to be entitled in your name or in honor of another individual.

With many thanks and all best wishes for 2019.

International Catacomb Society Directors (2019)

John Ambrose, SkillSoft, Nashua, NH
Max Bernheimer, Christie’s, New York, NY
Jennifer Berry, Boston Public Schools, Boston, MA
Matthew Berry, MD, Los Angeles, CA
John Bodel, Brown University, Providence, RI
Joan Branham, Providence College, Providence, RI
Jessica Dello Russo, International Catacomb Society, Boston, MA
Nicola Denzy Lewis, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
Annewies van den Hoek , Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Robin M. Jensen, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Philip Olander, Medford, MA
Arthur Urbano, Providence College, Providence, RI
Alfred Wolsky, Esq., Arlington, MA
Pamela Worstell, Esq., Wayland, MA