Procopius of Gaza

c.475-538. Man of letters and Christian exegete. He lived in Constantinople during the reign of Justin I (518-27), wrote poetry in the pagan tradition, and was one of the foremost members of the “School of Gaza,” a group of Christian exegetes. His commentaries on the Octateuch, Isaiah, Kings, and Chronicles were constructed out of extensive extracts from the older commentators such as Philo, Basil, Theodoret, and Cyril of Alexandria. This type of commentary became known as a catena,* or chain, and achieved considerable popularity.