Acknowledgments
This book could not have been written without the encouragement, advice and guidance of four outstanding scholars:
Doctor Milka Levy-Rubin accompanied the research from its very first steps until the last correction of the doctoral dissertation. Her guidance, wisdom and friendship are imprinted in every word of this book.
Professor Doron Mendels supported the research with good guidance and thought provoking questions, enriching the research with wise and interesting insights.
Special thanks are due to Professor Avshalom Laniado of Tel Aviv University, who also accompanied the research from its hesitant beginning until its completion and improved and corrected every syllable and every Greek accent mark. For his generosity I owe him my warmest gratitude.
Professor Paul Magdalino was the first to assert my intuition, that the topic is worthy of a thorough research. His 2009 lecture at the Gennadius Library in Athens, “Byzantium as the New Israel”, gave me the initial basis for the research. Professor Magdalino was generous enough to give me his consent to write the dissertation, centering upon a topic he started researching several years earlier. Eight years later, Professor Magdalino edited the drafts of the book and helped me in transforming the doctoral dissertation into an academic Brill publication.
I wish to thank all four scholars, I was truly blessed to have an opportunity to work with every one of you.
To Marcella Mulder of Brill, who accompanied the publication of this book with endless patience, and a smile. This book could not have been published without your guidance and assistance.
Thank you.