Gorgias Press

Founded in 2001 Gorgias Press is an independent academic publisher of books and journals related to history, languages, and religious studies, with specific areas of expertise in the Ancient Near East, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Classics, Early Christianity, Jewish Studies, Linguistics, and Syriac.

Gorgias [GOR-gee-us] Press was originally created by George and Christine Kiraz as a specialty press that could keep up with their research interests. With a background in computational linguistics, George Kiraz envisioned combining cutting-edge technology with humanities research. The new company would be completely online, with no physical storefront, and it would use automation and digital printing technology rather than traditional print runs. With these tools, the press could afford to publish rare and understudied topics that were previously considered unprofitable, and Gorgias soon became known for its pioneering work in language and linguistics, religion, and especially Syriac and Eastern Christianity.
Gorgias’ philosophy of “Publishing for the Sake of Knowledge” rather than profit, attracted a number of new authors, and the press’ areas of interest rapidly began to expand. Today, Gorgias Press publishes 50-60 new titles a year, including monographs, edited volumes, translations, and more, and Gorgias books can be found in academic collections all over the world.

Greek Tradition and Latin Influence in the Work of George Scholarios Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 164
ISBN: 9781593333447
Pub Date: 15 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This title is a study of the work and career of theologian and diplomat George Scholarios who became the first Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church during the period of Ottoman Rule. Scholarios advocated the union of the Greek and Latin Churches, but he later became the leader of the anti-Unionist faction in the final years of the Byzantine Empire. Scholarios played an important role in East-West dialogues, including the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1438-39.
Eros and Ritual in Ancient Literature Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 610
ISBN: 9781931956727
Pub Date: 15 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This book examines popular erotic myths with regard to their origins and literary treatment throughout antiquity. The relation of ritual to certain mythic patterns that reflect initiation rites is also considered. These myths reinforce the association between cult and mythology in literature.
Barhebraeus: A Bio-Bibliography Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 604
ISBN: 9781593331481
Pub Date: 15 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Series: Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies
Description:
An extensive account of the life and works of Barhebraeus based on the latest research. It includes an appendix containing a comprehensive list of bibliographical references and manuscripts relating to Barhebraeus.
As Below, So Above Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 202
ISBN: 9781593330828
Pub Date: 15 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
Questioning the scholarly assumptions regarding the “heretical” Nag Hammadi Library and the “apocalyptic” Dead Sea Scrolls, Fairen argues that they were not diametrically opposed, but represent a scribal reconfiguration of an Enochic worldview as a critique of foreign rule.
Lucullus, A Life Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 344
ISBN: 9781607240785
Pub Date: 14 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
While Lucullus is one of the great figures of the late Roman republic, his achievements have been overshadowed by a reputation for luxurious living. This book explodes the legend and restores Lucullus to his true position as soldier, politician and aesthete.
Psychology of Prophecy in Early Christianity Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 290
ISBN: 9781607246183
Pub Date: 14 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
Dr. Humm analyses early Christian prophetic activity seeking to understand the psychological states behind it. A system of categories is suggested based on the external appearances and subjective claims of modern phenomena.
The Dreams and Visions of Aelius Aristides Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 168
ISBN: 9781463202323
Pub Date: 12 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
An analysis of the religious experiences of the Greco-Roman sophist, Aelius Aristides. As a member of the cult of Asclepius, Aristides recorded his nocturnal dreams, waking visions and spiritual healings in a diary entitled the Sacred Tales. A study of this diary sheds light on the spiritual environment of the Roman world in the first and second century CE.
The East Syriac Psalm Headings Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 286
ISBN: 9781611438673
Pub Date: 01 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Series: Texts and Studies
Description:
The Psalm Headings remain one of the most difficult and puzzling pieces of the Hebrew Bible. The present study looks at how these titles were treated in the East Syriac traditions. This volume gives a history of research and presents a new critical edition based on previously unpublished manuscripts.
The Struggle for Roman Citizenship Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 958
ISBN: 9781611434873
Pub Date: 01 Aug 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
Between 91 and 77 BCE a series of wars were fought in Italy which left the Roman commonwealth in shambles and involved efforts on the part of Rome’s non-citizen Italian allies to obtain the rights of Roman citizenship. This is a survey of the allies' quest for citizenship in the Republic, the reasons it was sought, the often violent measures they took to acquire it, and the impact this quest had on the Roman state.
Re-Presenting Texts Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 148
ISBN: 9781611439243
Pub Date: 24 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
This is the fifth issue of Proceedings of the Midrash Section at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature published in this series, and contains six papers on Jewish and Black biblical hermeneutics with regard to Rabbinic Midrash.
Petits Traités Apologétiques de Yahya ben Adi (Maqālāt li-Yahya ibn Adi) Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 140
ISBN: 9781611430585
Pub Date: 23 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Series: Christian Arabic Studies Library
Description:
This volume is a good quality reprint of the 1920 edition of Augustin Périer's classic text. It will be of interest to scholars working in the fields of philosophy, theology and Christian Arabic studies.
Iran as Imagined Nation Cover
Format: Paperback
Pages: 348
ISBN: 9781463202279
Pub Date: 18 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
A critical study of how Iranian nationalism, itself largely influenced by Orientalist scholarship first undertaken by the European Orientalists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, has shaped modern conceptions of Iran and Iranian identity, as well as narratives of Iranian history, leading to the adoption of a broad nationalist construction of identity to suit Iranian political and ideological circumstances. This book argues that such a broad-brushed approach and the term “Iranian” could not have applied to the large multiethnic, multilingual, and multicultural populations in the vast territory of Iran over so many distinct historical periods.
In the Arms of Biblical Women Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 346
ISBN: 9781463202316
Pub Date: 11 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
The less-discussed character in the Bible is the woman: two talking animals therein have sometimes received more page space. This volume shines the light of close scrutiny in the less-trodden direction and focuses on biblical and allied women, or on the feminine side of Creation. Biblical women are compared to mythical characters from the wider Middle East or from contemporary literature, and feminist/womanist perspectives are discussed alongside traditional and theological perspectives.
An Arabic Version of the Epistle of Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy Cover
Format: Paperback
Pages: 21
ISBN: 9781611435306
Pub Date: 09 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Series: Analecta Gorgiana
Description:
The letter that claims to be addressed by Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy upon the martyrdom of Peter and Paul is not included among the epistles. It was composed originally in Greek, but it is exhibited in Arabic.
The Petra Pool-Complex: A Hellenistic Paradeisos in the Nabataean Capital Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 298
ISBN: 9781593331207
Pub Date: 05 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Description:
Excavations in the Lower Market in Petra (Jordan), capital of the ancient kingdom of Nabsataea, uncovered the remnants of a monumental pool-complex at the heart of the ancient city. It played an important role in the socio-political life of Petra during the Nabataean and Roman periods. The mere presence of a paradeidos in Petra symbolized the Nabataean king's power and helped to legitimize his place among contemporary rulers.
Revolt in Palestine in the Eighteenth Century Cover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 246
ISBN: 9781463200022
Pub Date: 01 Jul 2013
Imprint: Gorgias Press
Series: Munaqashat: Gorgias Studies in the Modern Middle East
Description:
In the turbulent atmosphere of the eighteenth century when the Ottoman Empire was enfeebled, local leaders far from Istanbul took matters into their own hands. At first, these leaders only regulated local trade and tax collection, but soon, leaders like Shaykh Zahir al-‘Umar — a district tax collector in Palestine— saw opportunities to amass great wealth and power while providing autonomous government and safer roads to their local followers. A gripping and fascinating read, Ahmad Joudah’s biography of Shaykh Zahir is crucial for scholars seeking to contextualize developments in modern Palestinian history within the politics of the late Ottoman Empire.