Falastinda ommaviy savodxonlik, barcha mamlakatlarda bo‘lgani kabi, zamonaviy hodisadir.

Mass literacy in Palestine, as in all countries, is a modern phenomenon.

Biroq, V–VI asrlarda Falastinning gullab-yashnayotgan ilm markazlariga nazar tashlar ekanmiz, mamlakatning o‘z o‘ziga bo‘lgan ishonchi, serharakat iqtisodiyoti, nisbatan keng tarqalgan ta’lim va savodxonlik hamda umumiy ishonchli kosmopolitizmi haqida kuchli taassurot olamiz. Bu davrda mamlakatdagi eng muhim ilm markazlaridan biri G‘azo shahri bo‘lib, u klassik adabiyot va ritorika markazi sifatida namoyon bo‘ladi. U yerda ko‘plab mashhur olimlar yashab, ijod qilgan; bu butun O‘rta er dengizi mintaqasining serhashamat va madaniyatli shahar-nasroniy markazi edi.

However, looking at the thriving learning centres of Palestine in the 5th and 6th centuries AD, one gets a strong sense of the country’s sense of self-identity, its vibrant economy, its relatively widespread education and literacy and its overall confident cosmopolitanism. One of the most important centres of learning in the country during this period was the city of Gaza, which emerges as a seat of classical literature and rhetoric, with a number of famous scholars living and working there, a vibrant and cultured Christian urban centre of the whole Mediterranean region.

Shu davr davomida port shaharlari G'azo va Kesariya-Palestina, dengiz transporti va Via Maris magistrali orqali bog'langan holda, mamlakatdagi eng kosmopolit shahar markazlari sifatida raqobatlashdi va hamkorlik qildi hamda ikkala shaharda ham salmoqli arab jamoalari yashadi. Shuningdek, muhim fakt shundaki, 451 milodiy yilda, hal qiluvchi Xalqaro (Vaselenskiy) Xalkedon kengashida Gaza shahrini arab episkopi vakillik qildi (Shahid 2006a: 523). 530-yillarda milodiy Aratius, Palestina Prima dyuki va Palestina Prima prokonsuli Archon Stephanus encomiumda maqtovga sazovor bo'lgan.20

Throughout this period the harbour cities of Gaza and Caesarea- Palaestina, linked by sea transport and the highway of the Via Maris, competed and worked together as the two most cosmopolitan urban centres in the country, and both cities had sizeable Arab communities. Also significant is the fact that in 451 AD, at the crucial ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, the city of Gaza was represented by an Arab bishop (Shahid 2006a: 523). In the 530s AD Aratius, Dux of Palaestina Prima, and Archon Stephanus, proconsul of Palaestina Prima are praised in the encomium20

Gazalik hamyurtimiz, Provincia Palaestina fuqarosi, faylasuf va notiq Chorikiy (Choricius) tomonidan yozilgan (miloddan avvalgi 518 yilda vafot etgan), Kesariya Maritima shahrida tartib-intizomni saqlash va suv ta'minoti tizimini ta'mirlash ishlari orqali yaxshilash, yuqori sathdagi akveduklardan to'siqlarni tozalash uchun bag'ishlangan (Patrich 2011: 109; shuningdek, 2001; Prummer 2002: 246). Ushbu enkomiumda Kech antik davrda klassik Gaza notiqlik maktabi juda mashhur bo'lgan notiqlikning bir necha alohida jihatlari ham zikr etiladi.

written by a fellow compatriot of Provincia Palaestina, Choricius of Gaza, a philosopher and rhetorician (died in 518 AD), for maintaining law and order and improving the water supply system of Caesarea Maritima by maintenance work, clearing obstructions from the high-level aqueducts (Patrich 2011: 109; also 2001; Prummer 2002: 246). Encomium also refers to several distinct aspects of rhetoric for which the classical Gaza School of Rhetoric became very famous in Late Antiquity.

5000 yildan ko'proq vaqt oldin tashkil topgan G'azo dunyodagi eng qadimiy shaharlardan biridir. Misr va Osiyo o'rtasida strategik jihatdan joylashgan, qadimgi Via Maris yo'lining markazida va dengiz qirg'og'ida bo'lgan G'azo hech qachon O'rta er dengiziga qarashdan to'xtamagan. G'azo, shuningdek, juda qadimiy port va Arabiston uchun eng yaqin chiqish yo'li bo'lgan. U Petrani o'z orqa hududi deb hisoblagan, qadimgi yunonlar esa Hindistonga aynan G'azo orqali yetib borish mumkinligini bilishgan (Humbert 2000).

Established more than 5000 years ago, Gaza is one of the oldest cities in the world. Located strategically between Egypt and Asia, at the centre of the ancient road of the Via Maris, and on a beachfront, Gaza has never stopped looking at the Mediterranean Sea. Gaza was also a very ancient port and the closest outlet for Arabia. It treated Petra as its hinterland and the ancient Greeks knew that it was through Gaza they could reach India (Humbert 2000).

Miloddan avvalgi XII asrda filistlar G‘azoni Filistiya Pentapolisining yetakchi shahriga aylantirdilar. Yuqorida ko‘rganimizdek, G‘azo doimo Filistiyaning asosiy shaharlari va qadimgi filistlar bilan bog‘liq bo‘lgan. Amarna maktublarida “Azzati” nomi bilan tilga olingan G‘azo Misrning qadimgi Falastindagi ma’muriy markazi vazifasini o‘tagan. Miloddan avvalgi V–IV asrlarda Filistiya shaharlari xalqaro savdo aloqalarini saqlab qoldi va o‘ziga xos Filisto-arab tangalarini chiqardi; shahar rimliklar davrida ham gullab-yashnashda davom etdi, miloddan keyingi II asrda esa G‘azoda imperator Rimning bronza tangalari zarb qilindi. Falastin Rim va Vizantiya hukmronligida bo‘lgan ikki uzoq davr mobaynida G‘azo kengaydi, strategik jihatdan qulay joylashgan O‘rta er dengizi porti esa gullab-yashnashda davom etdi. Miloddan keyingi 635-yilda G‘azo arab musulmon qo‘shinlari tomonidan zabt etilgan Falastindagi ilk shaharlardan biriga aylandi va tez orada islom huquqshunosligining yirik markaziga aylandi. Bugungi kunda aholisi 500 000 dan ortiq bo‘lgan G‘azo shahri Falastindagi eng yirik arab shahridir; G‘azo aholisining aksariyati musulmonlardir, shuningdek, arab xristianlarining ozchilik qismi ham yashaydi.

In the 12th century BC the Philistines made Gaza the leading city of the Pentapolis of Philistia. As we have seen above, Gaza was always identified with the key cities of Philistia and with the ancient Philistines. Mentioned in the Amarna letters as ‘Azzati’, Gaza served as ancient Egypt’s administrative capital in Palestine. In the 5th and 4th centuries BC the cities of Philistia maintained their international trading links and developed their distinct Philisto-Arabian coins; the city continued to flourish under the Romans and in the 2nd century AD imperial Roman bronze coins were struck in Gaza. In the course of the two long periods of Palestine under the Romans and Byzantines, Gaza expanded and its strategically located Mediterranean port continued to prosper. In 635 AD, Gaza became one of the first cities in Palestine to be conquered by the Arab Muslim army and it quickly developed into a major centre of Islamic jurisprudence. Today the city of Gaza, with a population of over 500,000, is the largest Arab city in Palestine; the majority of Gaza’s inhabitants are Muslims, but there is also a Christian Arab minority.

Vizantiyalar hukmronligi davrida Pokiston… Yo‘q, qayta yozaman: Vizantiyalar hukmronligi ostida Ilk o‘rta asrlardagi Falastin jamiyati, umuman olganda, ma’lumotli jamiyat edi. Boshlang‘ich ta’lim keng tarqalgan edi, ba’zan qishloq darajasida ham, ayniqsa erkaklar uchun. Ta’lim nafaqat imperiya poytaxti Konstantinopolda, balki Antioxiya, Iskandariya, Qaysariya Maritima va G‘azo kabi yirik markazlardagi maktablarda ham rivojlantirilgan.

Under the Byzantines, Palestinian society of Late Antiquity was, on the whole, an educated one. Basic education was widely available, sometimes at village level, especially for men. Education was fostered not only in the imperial capital Constantinople but also in schools operating in major centres such as Antioch, Alexandria, Caesarea Maritima and Gaza.

Ta'limning asosiy tarkibiy qismlari notiqlik san'ati, falsafa, huquq va tillar (yunon va lotin) bo'lib, maqsad davlat va cherkov uchun ma'rifatli yetakchilar hamda amaldorlar tayyorlash edi. Biroq patriarxal jamiyatda, yangi "O'rta dengizning Afinasi" deb atalgan shaharda ayollarning ishtirokiga rag'bat berilmas edi.

The main components of education were rhetoric, philosophy, law and languages (Greek and Latin) with the aim of producing educated leaders and officials for state and church. However, female participation in patriarchal society was not encouraged in the new ‘Athens of the Mediterranean’.

Masalan, klassiklashgan G'azoda ayollarning ahvoli to'rtinchi asr miloddagi patriarxal klassik Afinadagi ayollar ahvolidan unchalik yaxshi emas edi (Sivan 2008: 300).

For instance, the lot of women in classicising Gaza was not much better than the situation of women in the patriarchal classical Athens of the 4th century AD (Sivan 2008: 300).

Bugungi kunda Late Antiquity davridagi Falastinning ajoyib klassik merosi Falastinda o'qitilmaydi; ma'lumotli falastinliklar Gazaning klassik Ritorika maktabi yoki Qaysariya Maritimadagi klassik kutubxonadan ko'ra, 9-13 asrlar oralig'ida Islom oltin davrining yirik ilmiy markazi bo'lgan Bag'dodning "Donolik uyi" (Bayt al-Hikma) klassik merosini ko'proq eslashadi. Shunga qaramay, nutq san'ati bo'lgan ritorika va falsafa fanlari nafaqat antik, klassik va postklassik ilmiy hayot, balki Late Antiquity davridagi Falastin klassik merosining ham markazida turgan. Falastin Prima viloyatining poytaxti Qaysariya Late Antiquity davrida gullab-yashnab, klassikizm, ilm, teologiya va tarixiy yozuvlarning O'rta er dengizi markaziga aylangan bo'lsa, O'rta er dengizidagi Gaza shahri 5-asr oxiri va 6-asr boshlarida klassikizm ruhidagi nasroniy Ritorika maktabining vataniga aylandi (Kennedy, G. 1994: 255). Gaza maktabida klassik an'ana nasroniy an'ana bilan chuqur uyg'unlashib ketgan edi. Katta Falastinning boshqa shaharlari, masalan, Ashqalon ('Asqalan) va Skifopol (Bisan) ham Late Antiquity davridagi bu postklassik nasroniy uyg'onishi tufayli tubdan o'zgargan edi.

Today the spectacular classical heritage of Late Antiquity Palestine is not taught in Palestine; educated Palestinians are more likely to recall the classical heritage of the ‘House of Wisdom’ (Bayt al-Hikmah), a major intellectual centre in Baghdad throughout the Golden Age of Islam from the 9th to the 13th centuries, than the classical Rhetorical School of Gaza or classical Library of Caesarea Maritima. Yet the disciplines of rhetoric (the art of discourse) and philosophy were central not only to ancient, classical and post-classical intellectual life but also to the classical heritage of Late Antiquity Palestine. If the capital city of Palaestina Prima, Caesarea, flourished in Late Antiquity, developing into a Mediterranean centre of classicising, learning, theologising and historical writings, the Mediterranean city of Gaza became in the course of the late 5th and early 6th centuries the home of a classicising Christian School of Rhetoric (Kennedy, G. 1994: 255). In the School of Gaza, the classical tradition had become deeply intertwined with the Christian one. Other cities of greater Palestine, such as Ascalon (‘Asqalan) and Scythopolis (Beisan), were also profoundly transformed by this post-classical Christian renaissance of Late Antiquity.

Aleksandriya, Qaysariya-Falastin va Afina kabi yunon-rim an'analarining turli xil ta'sirlari, shuningdek, xristian neoplatonizmi bilan intellektual va madaniy jihatdan shakllangan, Gaza shahrining Kechki antik davrda ikki yuz yildan ortiq davom etgan o'ta erkin muhiti va gullab-yashnagan shahar madaniy va ilmiy hayoti, xristianlar ko'pchilik bo'lgan bu shaharda Gaza ritorika maktabining ajoyib yuksalishiga olib keldi. Bu maktabga xristian faylasuflari va ritorlari boshchilik qilgan, jumladan Gazalik Prokopiy (taxminan miloddan avvalgi 465–528

Intellectually and culturally influenced by a mix of diverse Hellenistic traditions of Alexandria, Caesarea-Palaestina and Athens, as well as by Christian Neo-Platonism, the extraordinarily relaxed setting and flourishing cultural and intellectual urban environment of Christian-majority Gaza for over two centuries in Late Antiquity brought about the spectacular rise of the Rhetorical School of Gaza, which was headed by Christian philosophers and rhetoricians including Procopius of Gaza (c. 465–528

AD) (Westberg 2009; Kennedy, D. 2008: 169) va uning shogirdi Xorixiy G'azoliy. Oxirgisi miloddan avvalgi VI asr boshlarida gullab-yashnagan. Klassik an'anada ritorika va teatr tomoshalariga muhabbat bir-biri bilan chambarchas bog'liq edi, va G'azoda, shuningdek, bir qancha boshqa Falastin shaharlarida gullab-yashnagan teatr madaniyati yuzaga keldi. Xristian ko'pchilikni tashkil etgan G'azoning xususiy va ommaviy joylari maktablarda, "muqaddas teatrlarda" va hatto ommaviy "hammomlarda" teatr tomoshalari va ommaviy notiqlik namoyishlariga zamin yaratdi (Champion 2014: 21‒51).

AD) (Westberg 2009; Kennedy, D. 2008: 169) and his disciple Choricius of Gaza. The latter flourished in the early 6th century AD. In the classical tradition, love for rhetoric and love for theatrical performance went hand in hand and in Gaza, as well as in several other Palestinian cities, a thriving theatre culture arose. The private and public spaces of Christian-majority Gaza nurtured theatrical performances and public rhetorical displays in schools, ‘holy theatres’ and even public ‘baths’ (Champion 2014: 21‒51).

Ushbu gullab-yashnagan madaniy muhit, aslida esa G'azodagi intellektual inqilob, Jorj A. Kennedi tomonidan quyidagicha ta'riflangan:

This flourishing cultural space and indeed intellectual revolution in Gaza was described by George A. Kennedy as follows:

Falastinning janubiy sohilida joylashgan G‘azo V asrda xushmanzara va farovon shahar bo‘lib, qadimgi an’analarga sadoqat bilan amal qilardi.

Gaza, on the southern coast of Palestine, was a pleasant and prosperous city in the Fifth Century which clung to the old traditions.

Yulianning dinsizlikka qaytishi u yerda ixlos bilan kutib olindi. Nazianzli Gregoriy ... va Libaniy uning ritorika maktablarini yuqori baholashdi ...

Julian’s apostasy was greeted there with enthusiasm. Gregory of Naziansus ... and Libanius thought well of its rhetoric schools ...

Xristianlik bir muddat G'azodagi klassik tadqiqotlarni cheklagan bo'lishi mumkin, ammo beshinchi asrning oxiri va oltinchi asrning boshlarida u klassiklashtiruvchi sofistlar va yozuvchilarning bir qatorini yetishtirgan maskan bo'lib, ular birgalikda G'azo maktabi deb ataladigan oqimni tashkil etadi. Bu oqimning eng muhim vakillari Prokopiy va Xoriqiy bo'lsa-da, yana bir nechta boshqalarni qisqacha eslab o'tish mumkin. G'azolik Eneas "Teofrast" nomli, bizgacha yetib kelgan dialog muallifi edi. (Kennedy, G. 2008: 169)

Christianity may for a time have inhibited classical studies in Gaza, but in the late Fifth and early Sixth Centuries it was the home of a series of Classicizing sophists and writers who together constitute what is known as the School of Gaza. The most important of these are Procopius and Choricius, but brief mention may be made of several others. Aeneas of Gaza was the author of a surviving dialogue entitled Theophrastus. (Kennedy, G. 2008: 169)

Late Antiquity'dan oldingi ko'p asrlar davomida G'azo va arab dengizchilari hamda savdogarlari Hindistondan Janubiy Arabistonga, so'ngra Sharqiy va G'arbiy O'rta er dengizi tomon uzatiladigan uzoq masofali ziravor savdo yo'lining markazida turgan edi.

For many centuries prior to Late Antiquity, Gaza and Arab sailors and traders had been central to the long-distance spice trade route from India to southern Arabia and then to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.

G‘azo ham iqtisodiy va ijtimoiy farovonlikka erishgan edi: u Misrdan boshlanib Naqab va Transiordaniya orqali o‘tadigan an’anaviy Shoh yo‘lining markazida joylashgan bo‘lib, bu magistral yo‘l uning yirik portli shahar sifatidagi maqomini tasdiqlagan edi. Uning porti nafaqat Filastinning janubidagi shaharlar va qishloqlarga kirish darvozasi, balki Janubiy Arabiston va Hindistondan O‘rta er dengizi tomon yo‘l olgan savdo mollari uchun ham xizmat qilgan (Hirschfeld 2004: 63).

Gaza had also achieved economic and social prosperity, being at the centre of the traditional King’s Highway from Egypt, with routes running through Naqab and Transjordan – a highway which confirmed its status as a major port city. Its port was not only the gateway to the towns and villages of southern Palestine but also for trade goods arriving from southern Arabia and India to the Mediterranean (Hirschfeld 2004: 63).

Jennifer Hevelone-Harper "Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and Spiritual Authority in Sixth-Century Gaza" (2005) kitobida u VI asrdagi G'azoni Palaestina Prima uchun, balki butun Sharqiy O'rta er dengizi mintaqasi uchun muhim iqtisodiy, intellektual va madaniy markaz sifatida tavsiflaydi:

Jennifer Hevelone-Harper, in Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and Spiritual Authority in Sixth-Century Gaza (2005), describes 6th century Gaza as a major economic, intellectual and cultural centre not only for Palaestina Prima but for the whole Eastern Mediterranean region:

Kechki antik davrda [Antiqlik] G‘azo yirik madaniy va iqtisodiy markaz edi ... VI asrdagi shahar gavjum bozorlari, dabdabali teatri va hammomlari, mozaikalar bilan bezatilgan ajoyib cherkovlari hamda farovon shahar markazining barcha boshqa qulayliklari bilan mashhur edi. Qirg‘oqda, bir necha mil narida joylashgan porti Maiouma bilan birga G‘azo nafaqat o‘z viloyati, Palestina I [Palaestina Prima], balki butun Sharqiy O‘rta dengiz uchun muhim savdo markazi vazifasini o‘tardi. Shahar Sharqdan karvonlar orqali quruqlik yo‘li bilan keladigan ziravor, ipak va hashamatli mollarning asosiy manzili edi; bu mollar keyin dengiz yo‘li bilan G‘arbiy imperiyaning barcha hududlariga tarqatilardi.

late antique [Antiquity] Gaza was a commanding cultural and economic center ... the sixth-century city was known for its bustling market-places, its lavish theater and baths, its resplendent churches adorned with mosaics and all the other amenities of a prosperous urban center. With its port, Maiouma, a couple of miles away on the coast, Gaza served as a key commercial center, not only for its own province, Palestine I [Palaestina Prima], but for the entire eastern Mediterranean. The city was a major destination for spices, silk and luxury goods coming overland by caravan from the East; these items would then be dispersed by sea to all parts of the western empire.

Mahalliy mahsulotlar, jumladan sharob, quritilgan mevalar va zig'ir G'azodan Rim dunyosining qolgan qismiga eksport qilinardi, gavjum shaharni oziqlantirish uchun esa Misrdan bug'doy olib kelinardi. Bundan tashqari, shimoliy-sharqqa qarab ketgan yo'l bor edi, u atigi qirq milya narida joylashgan nasroniylar ziyoratining asosiy markazi bo'lgan Quddusga olib borardi. Butun imperiyadan Muqaddas yerga kelgan sayyohlar Shamsonning so'nggi g'alabasi sodir bo'lgan qadimiy injil shahri Gazoni ko'rish uchun o'z sayohat rejalariga albatta G'azoga borishni kiritardilar.

Local products such as wine, dried fruit21 and flax were exported from Gaza to the rest of the Roman world, while wheat was imported from Egypt to feed the crowded city. Moreover, a road to the northeast led to Jerusalem, the chief center for Christian pilgrimage, only forty miles away. Visitors to the Holy Land from all over the empire made sure to include a trip to Gaza in their itinerary to see the ancient biblical city of Samson’s last victory.

Antik davrining oxirida G'azoning farovonligi mahalliy qulayliklar bilan birga ajoyib intellektual va madaniy yutuqlarni ham paydo qildi. G'azodagi notiqlik maktabi butun O'rta er dengizi dunyosida mashhur edi. Uning taniqli notiqlari VI asrda notiqlik san'atining qayta tiklanishiga katta hissa qo'shdilar. (Hevelone- Harper 2005: 3)

In addition to boasting local amenities, the prosperity of late antique Gaza nurtured remarkable intellectual and cultural developments. The school of rhetoric in Gaza was famous throughout the Mediterranean world. Its distinguished orators were instrumental in bringing about a revival of rhetoric in the six century. (Hevelone- Harper 2005: 3)

Madaba xaritasi – Late Antiquity davridagi rasmiy va ma'muriy qo'llanishda Palaestina nomining eng mashhur saqlanib qolgan moddiy dalili bo'lib, miloddan avvalgi VI asrdagi kengroq Falastinni aks ettiradi – G'azo va Elusa (bir paytlar Palaestina Salutaris poytaxti bo'lgan, bir nechta arab episkoplari bo'lgan shahar) orasida yetti ta yirik qishloq va viloyat shaharchasini ko'rsatadi; Elusa Beersheba shahridan 23 kilometr janubi-g'arbda joylashgan. Shuningdek, Vizantiya davrida mintaqadan ikki muhim yo'l o'tgan, jumladan, nabatey arablari Sharqdan qimmatbaho yuklarni tashigan "Ziravor yo'li" marshruti (Hirschfeld 2004: 63‒66).

The Madaba Map – the most famous surviving material evidence for the official and administrative use of the name Palaestina in Late Antiquity, which depicts greater Palestine of the 6th century AD – shows seven large villages and provincial towns between Gaza and Elusa (at one point the capital of Palaestina Salutaris which had several Arab bishops), 23 kilometres south-west of the city of Beersheba. Also, two important roads crossed the region in the Byzantine period, including the route of the ‘Spice Road’ along which the Nabataean Arabs transported precious cargoes from the East (Hirschfeld 2004: 63‒66).

Lotin va Qadimgi yunon (koine) tili Kech antik davr G‘azosida ustun tillar edi, garchi Palaestinada va G‘azoda yashagan G‘assoniy arablar arab tilida gaplashsa-da, falastinlik dehqonlarning ko‘pchiligi aramiy tilida so‘zlashardi. Yuqorida zikr etilgan, 6-asrning mashhur falastinlik tarixchisi Prokopiy Qaysariyalik (Prokopios of Caesarea-Palaestina) bilan adashtirmaslik kerak bo‘lgan G‘azolik Prokopiy (Procopios) asli xristian sofisti va ritoriki bo‘lib, Palaestina Prima viloyatidagi G‘azo shahrining mashhur ritorika maktabining eng muhim vakillaridan biri edi. Bu maktab ritorika fani rivojiga uzoq muddat ta’sir ko‘rsatgan. Prokopiy umrining deyarli barchasini G‘azoda o‘tkazib, falsafiy va ritorik risolalar o‘qitish hamda yozish bilan shug‘ullandi.

Koine Greek and Latin were the prevalent languages of Late Antiquity Gaza, although the Ghassanid Arabs, who resided throughout Palaestina and in Gaza, spoke Arabic and much of the Palestinian peasantry spoke Aramaic. Procopius (Procopios) of Gaza – who must be distinguished from the aforementioned renowned 6th century Palestinian historian Prokopios of Caesarea-Palaestina – was an original Christian sophist and rhetorician, and one of the most important representatives of the famous Rhetorical School of his native Gaza in Palaestina Prima, a school with a lasting impact on the discipline of rhetoric. Procopius spent nearly all of his life in Gaza teaching and writing philosophical and rhetorical tracts.

Biroq, u haqda bizga ma'lum bo'lgan narsalar asosan uning maktublaridan va shogirdi hamda vorisi Gazalik Xorikiyning enkomiumidan (yunoncha: enkomion, so'zma-so'z shaxsni maqtash) kelib chiqadi. Xorikiy ham Falastinning yirik ritorlaridan biri bo'lib, Anastasiy I (miloddan avvalgi 491–518 yillar) davrida G'azo ritorika maktabining vakili edi. Keng tarqalgan nom bilan atalgan G'azo ritorika maktabi haqidagi enkomiumda ham kech antik davrda shakllanib, rivojlangan ritorik ta'lim va ritorik janrlarning o'ziga xos jihatlari zikr etiladi. Gazalik Xorikiyning, yunon ritorikasining asosiy janrlarini qamrab olgan saqlanib qolgan asarlari G'azo ritorika maktabining nafis uslubida, uning o'ziga xos xususiyatlari va hiatusdan (unli tovushlarning ketma-ket kelishidan) o'ziga xos doimiy tarzda qochishi bilan namoyon bo'ladi. Xorikiy asarlari, shuningdek, G'azodagi ikki cherkov haqidagi maqtovli tasvirlari bilan ham mashhur bo'ldi. Bu tasvirlar cherkov binolarining ekfrasisning (ekphrasis – san'at asarining grafik, dramatik, og'zaki tavsifi) eng yorqin ilk namunalaridan biridir.22

However, what we know about him comes mainly from his letters and from the encomium (Greek: enkomion, literally the praise of a person) of his disciple and successor Chorikios of Gaza. The latter was another major Palestinian rhetorician and a representative of the Gaza School of Rhetoric in the time of Emperor Anastasius I (491–518 AD). The encomium of what became widely known as the Gaza School of Rhetoric also refers to the distinct aspects of rhetorical pedagogy and rhetorical genres of Late Antiquity that developed and flourished. The surviving works of Chorikios of Gaza, which encompass the main genres of post-classical Greek rhetoric, are represented in the elegant style of the Gaza School of Rhetoric with its special features and peculiarly persistent avoidance of hiatus. Chorikios’ work became also known for its panegyrical descriptions of two churches in Gaza, descriptions which consist of some of the most prominent early examples of ekphrasis – a graphic, dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art – of church buildings.22

Falastin 637–638-yillarda uchinchi xalifa ‘Umar tomonidan to‘liq Islom ostiga olindi. U xalifalikni (xilofat) misli ko‘rilmagan sur’atda kengaytirdi, Sosoniylar imperiyasini va Vizantiya imperiyasining taxminan uchdan ikki qismini zabt etdi. 690-yillarda Umaviy Marvoniy hukmdorlar Falastinda umuman, xususan Iliya (Bayt al-Maqdis/ Quddus) shahrida ulkan qurilish dasturini boshladilar. Vizantiya Falastini va Bilad ash-Sham cherkov me‘moriy uslublari Umaviylar davridagi Falastin islom me‘morchiligiga sezilarli ta’sir ko‘rsatdi, buning eng mashhur namunasi esa 685–691-yillarda xalifa ‘Abdulmalik ibn Marvon homiyligida qurilgan Qubbat as-Sahra (Qoya gumbazi)ning nafis sakkiz qirrali inshootidir.

Palestine was brought fully under Islam in 637‒638 by the third Caliph ‘Umar, who expanded the Caliphate (khilafah) at an unprecedented rate, conquering the Sasanian Empire and about two-thirds of the Byzantine Empire. In the 690s the Umayyad Marwanid rulers embarked on a colossal building programme in Palestine in general and Iliya (Bayt al-Maqdis/ Jerusalem) in particular. The church architectural styles of Byzantine Palestine and Bilad al-Sham significantly influenced the Islamic architecture of Palestine under the Umayyads, the most celebrated example of which was the exquisite octagonal structure of the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhrah), sponsored by Caliph ‘Abdel Malik ibn Marwan in 685‒691

MS. Bu dunyodagi eng qadimgi saqlanib qolgan musulmon yodgorligi bo'lib, uning mozaikalarida Vizantiya Falastinining ta'siri yaqqol ko'zga tashlanadi. Islom va musulmon Falastin Vizantiya Falastinining madaniy, moddiy, ma'muriy va intellektual merosini meros qilib oldi. Uch yarim asrdan ortiq Jund Filastinning poytaxti bo'lgan al-Ramlada olib borilgan arxeologik qazishmalar sher, qush va eshak kabi hayvonlar tasvirlangan mozaikalarni topdi (Petersen 2005). Islom, shuningdek, yunon Aristotel falsafiy an'analarini o'zlashtirib, yanada rivojlantirdi, shuningdek, miloddan avvalgi 3-asrda paydo bo'lib, Yustinian I imperatori tomonidan miloddan keyingi 529-yilda Afinadagi Platon akademiyasi yopilganidan ko'p o'tmay ham davom etgan nasroniy neoplatonizmini ham o'zlashtirdi.

AD. It is the oldest extant Muslim monument in the world and Byzantine Palestine influences are evident in its mosaics. Islam and Muslim Palestine inherited the cultural, material, administrative and intellectual heritage of Byzantine Palestine. Archaeological excavations at al-Ramla, the capital of Jund Filastin for over three and a half centuries, discovered mosaics with animals including lions, birds and donkeys (Petersen 2005). Islam also absorbed and developed further the Greek Aristotelian philosophical traditions and Christian Neo-Platonism, a tradition of philosophy that arose in the 3rd century AD and persisted until shortly after the closing of the Platonic Academy in Athens in 529 AD by Emperor Justinian I.

Biroq, miloddan keyingi IV–VI asrlardagi Vizantiya Falastini G‘azo va Kesariya-Falastin shaharlarida yunon an’analarini qayta tiklab, ularni yanada rivojlantirdi.

However, Byzantine Palaestina of the 4th‒6th centuries AD recreated and developed further the Greek traditions in Gaza and Caesarea-Palaestina.

Keyinchalik Islomning oltin davri ham bu an'analarni arab tiliga tarjima qildi va ularni ilmiy hamda intellektual jihatdan rivojlantirdi, avvalo Abbosiylar poytaxti Bag'dodda (VII asrning oxiridan boshlab).

Subsequently the Golden Age of Islam also translated these traditions into Arabic and developed them further intellectually and scientifically, first in the Abbasid capital city of Baghdad (from the late 7th century onwards)

...va keyinchalik Andalusdagi Umaviylar poytaxti Kordova shahrida (X asrdan boshlab). Katta Falastin, ya'ni G'azo, Qaysariya-Falastin, Ashkelon ('Asqalon), Quddus, Bayt Sha'an (Beisan) hududlarining ulkan intellektual, moddiy va ilmiy merosi VIII asrdan XIII asrgacha bo'lgan Islom oltin davriga olib borgan ko'plab madaniy yo'llardan birini ta'minlagan bo'lishi mumkin, deyish noo'rin emas.

and later in the Andalus Ummayad capital city of Cordoba (from the 10th century onwards). It is not inconceivable that the extraordinary intellectual, material and scientific heritage of greater Palestine, that is, Gaza, Caesarea-Palaestina, Ascalon (‘Asqalan), Jerusalem, Scythopolis (Beisan), provided one of the many cultural routes to the Golden Age of Islam from the 8th to the 13th century.

Gaza ritorika maktabi ham avvalgi asrlar sharhlovchilarining fikrlarini to‘plashda ishtirok etgan va uning faoliyati paleografiyaga, ya’ni qadimgi va tarixiy qo‘lyozmalarni, yozuvning shakllari va jarayonlarini o‘rganish fanига hissa qo‘shgan. Paleografiklarni eng ko‘p qiziqtirgan rivojlanish yozuv turi bo‘ldi. Bu masala catenae (lotincha “zanjir”) va uning scholia bilan munosabatiga ham taalluqlidir. Catenae atamasi klassik matnlarga emas, balki izohli Muqaddas Kitob matnlariga nisbatan qo‘llanadi. Catenae va scholia o‘rtasidagi farq shundaki, birinchisida odatda iqtibosdan oldin, muallifning nomini keltirishga urinish bor. Catenae’da muallif ko‘proq to‘plovchi va muharrir bo‘lib, asarga deyarli hech narsa qo‘shmaydi.

The Rhetorical School of Gaza was also involved in collating the opinions of commentators of preceding centuries and its work contributed to palaeography, the study of ancient and historical handwriting and of the forms and processes of writing. The most important development that concerned palaeographers was script. This issue is also applicable to the catenae (Latin for chain) and its relationship to scholia. The term catenae is reserved for annotated biblical texts rather than classical texts and the distinction made between catenae and scholia is that the former makes an attempt to cite the name of the authority, usually before the quotation. In catenae the author is more of a compiler and editor with very little to add to the work.

Vizantiya tarixchisi N. G. Vilson katenalar V asrda G'azo Falastin maktabidan kelib chiqqan deb birinchi bo'lib taxmin qilgan.

Historian of Byzantuim N. G. Wilson was the first to suggest that catenae come from the Palestine School of Gaza in the 5th century.

Prokopiy G'azalik o'zining tavsiyasidan quyidagi parchada o'z usulini tasvirlaydi: "Xudo oldida qobiliyat berilgan holda, otalar va boshqalardan yozib qoldirilgan izohlarni Oktateuxga to'pladik, bu narsalarni sharhlar va turli so'zlardan birlashtirdik". Bundan shuni bilib olamizki, Prokopiy hokimiyat egalaridan tanlamalar olib, ularni matnga qo'shgan. Bu matnni kengaytirgan, ammo Cherkov otalarining fikrlari majmuasini ko'proq boshqarib bo'ladigan qilgan. Zosimus G'azalik Imperator Anastasiy davrida sofist bo'lgan. U alifbo tartibida ritorik leksikon hamda Demosfen va Lisiyga sharh yozgan. XI asr vizantiyalik tarixchisi Georgiy Kedrenning aytishicha, Zosimus G'azalik Zenon hukmronligi davrida, miloddan avvalgi 490 yilda o'limga mahkum etilgan.

Procopius of Gaza describes his method in the following excerpt from a hypothesis: ‘Having been supplied the ability before God, we collected the explanations which were put down from the Fathers and the others into the Octateuch, combining these things from commentaries and different sayings’. From this we learn that Procopius took selections from authorities and added them to the text. This expanded the text but made the corpus of opinions of the Church Fathers more manageable. Zosimus of Gaza was a sophist during the time of Emperor Anastasius. He wrote a rhetorical lexicon according to the alphabet and a commentary on Demosthenes and Lysias. According to 11th century Byzantine historian Georgius Cedrenus, Zosimus of Gaza was put to death during the reign of Zeno in 490 AD.

Bir tomondan, Prokopiy bilan zamondosh bo‘lgan va klassik mualliflar haqidagi scholia (sharhlar)da ishtirok etgan Zosimus bo‘lishi mumkin; boshqa tomondan, shu nomli ikki kishi bo‘lgan bo‘lishi ham mumkin. Gazalik scholiast Zosimus taxminan V asrning o‘rtalarida faoliyat yuritgan bo‘lishi mumkin. Bunday holda, u Zosimusga nisbat berilgan scholia yozish amaliyotini joriy etgan bo‘lishi mumkin (Wilson 1967: 254). Gaza maktabi scholia (klassik matnlarga yozilgan chekka sharhlar) bilan catenae (Muqaddas Bitik matnlariga yozilgan chekka sharhlar) o‘rtasida farq qilmagan. Gazada catenae ning paydo bo‘lishi haqida Timothy Seid shunday yozadi: «Dalillar shuni ko‘rsatadiki, (xristian ilohiyotchilari tomonidan yozilgan) Muqaddas Bitik matnlariga chekka sharhlar V–VI asrlarda paydo bo‘lgan va agar Gaza maktabining o‘zi bo‘lmasa, ehtimol Falastin kelib chiqishiga ega bo‘lgan».23

On the one hand, we may have a Zosimus contemporary with Procopius who was involved in scholia on classical authors or, on the other hand, there may have been two of that name. It is possible that the scholiast Zosimus of Gaza flourished in the mid-5th century. In that case, he may have been responsible for introducing the practice of entering scholia such as is attributed to a Zosimus (Wilson 1967: 254). The School of Gaza did not make a distinction between scholia (marginal commentary on classical texts) and catenae (marginal commentary on biblical texts). Commenting on the beginnings of catenae in Gaza, Timothy Seid writes: ‘The evidence suggests that marginal commentary on biblical texts [by Christian theologians] had a beginning in the fifth to sixth century and was probably of Palestinian origins if not the School of Gaza itself ’.23