prof. dr. S.N. (Steve) Mason
Research interests
My general field of research is the Eastern Mediterranean under
Hellenistic and Roman rule. Within this area my special interests
are in Judaea, its relations with its immediate neighbours in
Syria, points east, and Egypt, its uniquely large and widespread
expatriate [diaspora] communities, and Jewish-Christian-Roman
relations until late antiquity. I have written books and articles
on understanding Flavius Josephus' works (our principal source for
much of this) and on aspects of Judaean (e.g., Pharisees, Essenes)
and ancient life (elite social-political discourse, historiography,
rhetoric, 'publication'). My most recent book, A History of the
Jewish-Roman War, 66 to 74, should appear with Cambridge
University Press in early 2016. I continue to edit the
international project, in an expected 16 volumes, Flavius
Josephus: Translation and Commentary (Brill, 2000-), of which
seven volumes have appeared, and to write volumes for the series
(so far Life of Josephus and Judean War 2;
planning War 4). My online database called the Project on
Ancient Cultural Interaction (pace-ancient.mcmaster.ca) is still in
Canada, though I hope to bring it to Groningen soon.
As a member of the budding Flavian Literature Network, my interests
include central Roman history and especially the Flavian period.
More broadly, work on ancient inter-ethnic relations and conflicts
is leading me to put together a research project on Human Rights,
Realism, and Religion in Antiquity.