Steve Mason

Steve Mason

prof. dr.

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Personal profile

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.

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, University of St. Michael's College, Toronto

19811986

Award Date: 29-Nov-1986

Master of Arts, Judaism and Early Christianity, McMaster University, Department of Religious Studies

19801981

Award Date: 20-Nov-1981

Bachelor of Arts, McMaster Univ, McMaster University

19781980

  • Jews and Christians in the Roman World: From Historical Method to Cases

    Mason, S., 31-Aug-2023, Leiden: Brill. (Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity; vol. 116)

    Research output: Book/ReportBookAcademic

  • Flavius Josephus

    Mason, S. & Glas, E., 27-Oct-2022, Oxford Bibliographies Online: Jewish Studies. Oxford University Press

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingEntry for encyclopedia/dictionaryAcademicpeer-review

  • Josephus

    Mason, S., 2022, (Accepted/In press) The New Testament in its Second Temple Period Context. Wright, A., Herms, R. & Stuckenbruck, L. (eds.). Eugene: Wipf and Stock, Vol. 1.

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic

  • Judean War 4

    Mason, S., 23-Jun-2022, Leiden: Brill. (Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary; vol. 2, no. a)

    Research output: Book/ReportBookAcademic

  • Was Josephus a Source for Luke-Acts?

    Mason, S., 2022, On Using Sources in Graeco-Roman, Jewish and Early Christian Literature. Verheyden, J., Kloppenborg, J. S., Roskam, G. & Schorn, S. (eds.). Peeters, p. 199-246 47 p. (Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium; vol. 327).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic