about
Scholars in the field of Classical Studies founded their first association in Jerusalem in the 1930s. They called it “Thiasos,” a ‘company’ or ‘cultic group’ in Greek. They organized lectures and discussions of various aspects of Greek and Roman culture and opened their meetings to the wide public. In the 1950s, with the foundation of Tel Aviv University, a similar group was founded in Tel Aviv and was called “Eranos”, a ‘club’ or ‘society’ of subscribers to a common goal. In the 1960s, the establishment of new Israeli universities brought about a growth in the number of departments of Classical Studies and departments teaching disciplines requiring the knowledge of Classical languages and culture.
The Israel Society for the Promotion of Classical Studies was founded in 1971 as an organization of researchers involved in the study of the Classical world and adjacent disciplines. The foundation of the Society was the initiative of a group of scholars, Prof. Abraham Wasserstein of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Shalom Perlman and Prof. Benjamin Shimron of Tel Aviv University, Prof. David Sohlberg of Bar-Ilan University, and Prof. Akiba Gilboa of the University of Haifa. The new society held annual conferences and started the publication of a new journal, Scripta Classica Israelica.
At present, ISPCS is a registered association of about 200 members in Israel and overseas, among them faculty members at universities, researchers of the ancient world, students, and lovers of the Classical world. Following the traditions of the “Thiasos”, the association is open to the public. The Society holds annual conferences and publishes a prestigious academic journal, Scripta Classica Israelica. At the annual conferences of ISCPS members of the Society and researchers of antiquity from abroad present their work.
Image: Aphrodite Pudica, Sdot-Yam Museum, Caesarea Maritima. Photo: Rivka Gersht
Scripta Classica Israelica is published once a year and includes scientific articles, book reviews, and reports on dissertations in progress at Israeli universities. Over the years, Scripta Classica Israelica has become one of the first-class journals in the field, and today it is available online on open access. ISPCS is constantly developing and establishing new interdisciplinary connections. It also collaborates internationally with organizations advancing Classical studies.
For more information on ISPCS activities over the years, please see: Fifty Years of the Israel Society for the Promotion of Classical Studies (SCI, 2022)
