The ISNS is pleased to announce a conference to be held
with the kind support of the Faculty of Humanities
and the Department of Philosophy
of the University of Haifa on Mount Carmel, Israel
on the subject of
a) The central theme of the conference
is devoted to examining the works and philosophy of Neoplatonic thinkers active
in the ancient cities and regions of the Eastern Mediterranean (i.e., Greece, Egypt, Anatolia, Provincia Syria etc.).
b) However, also included are papers on eastern philosophies,
science and modes of thought
influenced by Neoplatonism or in contact with it whether as part of Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions,
or connected with Gnostic and Neo-Pythagorean modes of thought.
c) Likewise, included are papers on Plato and the Platonic tradition.
The deadline for the submission of proposals is now passed.
Because of the impressive number of papers to be delivered
at the conference, we unfortunately can no longer accept new ones.
All those already submitted are being now organised
for the final programme. If you have any questions relating to your submitted
abstract,
or have changes
to be made in it, please
send them to
May I remind participants who plan to present in languages other than English, that as a courtesy
they supply us with a translation of either their full paper or of an extended abstract.
Other submissions were grouped according to their subject matter
I am sure that this will all produce wonderful interdisciplinary discussion.
Conference Activities
Caesarea trip details
Please register with me by emailing mluz@research.haifa.ac.il
Hotel bookings
If you do not register for a hotel booking at this stage, you may find that the hotel is full in March and you may
have to book with an alternative hotel with less attractive prices. The alternative hotel with University reductions,
the Dan Panorama, is twice the price of the Nof.
or write to
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Varia
We have drawn up an electronic booklet of
abstracts of lectures to be presented at the conference and to be
downloaded from this site .
Access is intended for participants, academic lecturers and invited guests. The contents of the abstracts are naturally
the property of the contributors. The abstracts may be downloaded either
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-- ex oriente lux."
The conference will be held March 22-24, 2011 Rabbin Building, University of Haifa
and its subject is Neoplatonism in the eastern Mediterrean, including eastern thought influenced by it.
Although submission of proposals for delivering a
paper is now passed, if you would like to chair a
session, take part in an open discussion, or attend as one of the audience, please contact Menahem Luz.
For further information see following menu
site and information last updated 17th March 2011
conference programme and details accessed in the menu below
regarding problems in the links please contact
web-master Menahem Luz
Further information:
Travel
advice on weather/temperature, currency conversion, passports/visas, electric plugs etc.
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Topics examined at the conference
Papers and Proposals Submitted
Menahem Luz
Final Programme (small changes are liable still to occur):
Electronic and printable programme
Printer friendly basic programme (b/w, no icons)
Organisation of the papers is now complete and although there may be some final changes
we may now present the conference programme.
We have now also noted the exact room
in which each of the lectures will be held. Although most sessions will be in the Rabbin Building Observatory, fl. 7, some parallel sessions will be in classrooms close by. Directions will be given by me or one of my assistants.
Would each participant kindly
kindlt open the file containing the programme of papers to be presented at the conference
and
examine the entry of
his/her own lecture paying especial attention to the spelling of his/her name,
affiliation and title of lecture
and send any corrections to
Menahem Luz as soon as possible.
Details on the Friday trip to Caesarea and Saturday trip to the Galilee will be published shortly.
I have high hopes that they
will be most successful
We have drawn up a booklet of
Abstracts
on this site. If you would like to revise your
abstracts - this time, no length limits -
I will endeavour to place it in the booklet on this site.
Thursday March 24th 2011 at 8:30 p.m. in:
the
el-Gaucho Restuarant, 120 Yefe Nof St. (just behind the Nof and Dan Panorma Hotels)
arrangements will be made to guide you there from the Nof Hotel;
It is important that each participant notify us as soon as possible
of their interest in registering for the activities trips.
It is important that you indicate whether you would be interested in participating in
the conference activities and trips detailed in the programme:
I am still in the process of arranging this trip,
but I hope that we will be able
Galilee trip details
the optional trip to ancient sites in the area of the Sea of Galilee is planned for Saturday 26th March.
I cannot promise details at this stage but plan to include
I cannot fully promise any of this, but in general some of these projects should materialise and I will keep you in touch
We would appreciate notification of any cancellation or change as early as possible.
The Nof Hotel
101 Hanassi Blvd., Carmel,
Haifa
Nof hotel web site
the prices for participants in the conference are listed on the forms below
(please note the new prices of some rooms which have risen slightly)
-
please do NOT book with the hotel directly if you desire the discount as the hotel will give it only to those registered with the university.
I will pass the names of participants
on to the university to book for you.
Those interested should register their details with me as soon as possible
to be completed in either of these forms
according to the instructions given:
(the relevant sections are in English, but some words require
a Hebrew font and may appear as gibberish, just ignore them unless you fill in the form in Hebrew).
Contact and further information
For further information either email
mluz@research.haifa.ac.il
Dr. Menahem Luz
Philosophy Dept.,
University of Haifa
Haifa 31905, Israel
telephone: 972-4-8219665 (from abroad)/04-8219665 (with Israel)
Ancient philosophers of the Galilee and the Decapolis
In many ways it is fitting that the area of the Carmel and Galilee should host a conference on Neoplatonic philosophy
given that so many thinkers were connected with these areas in ancient times.
The region of ancient Galilee and the Decapolis (today modern Israel and Jordan)
was the birthplace of a number of noted philosophers, scientists and writers active during the Hellenistic and Roman period.
Mount Carmel overlookng modern Haifa (ancient Sycamona)
was visited by Pythagoras according to Iamblichus and is still the home of many of Pythagoras' Druze followers and believers.
The modern city is also the world centre
of the mystical Bahai faith and the site of its beautiful shrine.
To the south, ancient Caesarea was the site of Origen's theological school and to the east Neapolis (Sechem), the birthplace of Marinus and Justin Martyr who studied Platonism there.
Much further south, is Ascalon the birthplace of the eclectic Platonist, Antiochus and the Neoplatonist mathematician Eutocius.
Ancient Gadara (Um-Qeis, N-W Jordan) boasted not a few philosophers (Cynics and Epicureans), poets (Meleager), mathematicians and rhetoricians
(see the site Gadara City of Philosophers).
Iamblichus chose to lecture and give theurgical exhibitions in its hot baths (Hamat-Gader, Israel).
The mathematician Nicomachus hailed from Gerasa (Jordanian Jerash).
Yet others are associated with cities in more northern provinces of the Roman Empire - Porphyry in Tyre (Lebanon),
Numenius in Apamea.
Not only the Philosophy Department
and Jewish Thought Section of Haifa University
have taken an interest in the antiquity of this area, but
the Archaeology Department of the University has been active excavating
Caesarea and Hippos for several years.
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Haifa Central Carmel
Your hotel is located in the Central Carmel area (Hebrew, Markaz ha-Karmel). Close by are the
Tikotin Museum of Japanese art,
the Mane Katz museum of Jewish ethnography,
the Bahai Shrine of the Bab,
the Bahai World Centre. Within
a short distance is located the Stella Maris
Monastery and by cable car Elijah's cave. The University of Haifa houses the Hecht
Museum with important exhibits of the biblical and classical period -
and a short taxi-drive from the University is the
St. Elijah (Elias)
Church of the Carmelite Order at the Mukhraka with its wonderful
view of the Jezreel Valley from the site of Elijah's miracle on Mt. Carmel.
There are many other museums and galleries in
Haifa town that
can be accessed by Haifa's Carmelit subway (first station near the hotel).
We have arranged for a shuttle bus to transport participants from the Nof Hotel to the University each morning - and return
them in the evening. I have detailed the shuttle schedule below and in the the latest version of the conference programme.
If you cannot make it to the shuttle, the University of Haifa is a half hour bus journey from the hotel (depending on traffic).
Bus numbers 37 and 37a (consult bus time table). Buslines througout the city
are listed at
this local bus line site.
We have arranged for a shuttle-bus to transport participants
from the Nof Hotel to the University each morning - and return
them in the evening. I have detailed the shuttle schedule below and in
the latest version of the programme to be downloaded on this site.
Although March is still winter, weather is fairly temperate with hopefully a bit of rain.
Bring a sweater and jacket for the evening.
Today's weather in Haifa
For other parts of the country consult
Haifa weather on the web and
Israel weather on the web
if you intend to travel especially to Jerusalem which can be considerably colder in the evening.
for current rates consult easy currency converter
When changing currency,
the differences in charges and rates between
the various banks is for the most part minor
transferring money to/from abroad is cheapest at the post-office banks - some distance from the hotel
private money changers have their own rates and cannot advise
consult
this site
See
on Israeli electric sockets and plugs
and this site
Abstracts of Lectures
If you would like to revise your
abstract - this time, no length limits - or if
we have mistakenly placed an old version of your abstract
rather than a revised one, please resend it and
I will endeavour to include it in the booklet on this site.
We have arranged for a shuttle-bus to transport participants
from the Nof Hotel to the University each morning - and return
them in the evening. The schedule is as follows:
Tues. 22nd March: Nof Hotel 8:00AM; University 18:30 PM
Wed. 23rd March: Nof Hotel 7:45AM; University 17:30 PM
Thurs. 24th March Nof Hotel 7:45AM; University 18:10 PM
If you miss the shuttle back from the University in the evening, ring my number: 0547504665
I have included the shuttle schedule in the latest version of the programme to be downloaded on this site.