Thisvolumecriticallyre-evaluatesthereceivedinterpretationofthenatureoflightintheancientsources.IsidorosC.Katsosconteststheprevalentviewinthehistoryofopticsaccordingtowhichpre-modernitytheorizedlightassubordinatetosight(’oculocentrism’)byexaminingindepththecontrarytextualevidencefoundinearlyChristiantexts.Itshowsthat,fromPhiloofAlexandriaandOrigentoBasilofCaesareaandGregoryofNyssa,theJewish-Christiancommentarytraditiononthehexaemeralliterature(thebiblicalcreationnarrative)reflecteddeeplyonthenatureandphysicalityoflightforthepurposesofunderstandingthestructureandpurposeofmaterialcreation.ContemplationofnatureallowedearlyChristianthinkerstoconceptualizelightastheexplanatoryprincipleofvisionratherthansubordinatedtoit.Contrarytotheprevalentview,thehexaemeralliteraturenecessitatesa’luminocentric’interpretationofthetheoryoflightofPlato’sTimaeusinitsreceptionhistoryinthecontextoflateantiquecosmology.HexaemeralluminocentrisminvitesthereaderofScripturetograspnotonlythesensiblepropertiesoflight,butalsotheircausalprincipleasthefirstmanifestationofthedivineLogosincreation.ThehexaemeralmetaphysicsthusprovidesthemissinggroundofmeaningoftheearlyChristianlanguageoflight.
