125-350 | Period of Christianity during which the first Bible was assembled - Christians |
| are fiercely persecuted and then finally tolerated by the Roman Empire, Great |
| Plague in Rome |
|
125-136 | Pope Telesphorus, 8th Pope, martyred |
125? | Papyrus 52: oldest extant NT fragment, p.1935, parts of Jn18:31-33,37-38 |
125? | Shepherd of Hermas, written in Rome (AF = Apostolic Fathers) |
130-200 | "Christian Apologists" writings against Roman Paganism by: Justin Martyr |
| (165), Athenagoras (180?), Aristides (145?), Theophilus of Antioch (185?), |
| Tatian (170), Quadratus (130?), Melito of Sardis (180?), Apollinaris of |
| Hierapolis (180?), also Epistle to Diognetus in Apostolic Fathers |
130? | "Gospel of Basilides", a 24 book commentary?, lost |
130? | Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, wrote: "Expositions of the Sayings |
| of the Lord", lost, widely quoted, see Eusebius (340) (AF) |
130? | Aquila of Pontus, Roman convert to Christianity then to Judaism, student of |
| Rabban Gamaliel, compiled literal Greek OT translation in Jabneh (Jamnia) |
132-135 | Bar Kokhba Revolt: final Jewish revolt, Judea and Jerusalem erased from |
| maps, all of southern Syria renamed Palestine (coined by Herodotus) |
138-161 | Antoninus Pius emperor of Rome |
138-142 | Pope Hyginus, 9th Pope |
140 | Letters of Marcion, produces his own canon without OT and using only a |
| heavily edited Luke + 10 Pauline Epistles, cites "Western" Gospel text-type |
140? | Apocalypse of Peter, written in Greek [NT Apocrypha,Schneemelcher,v.2] |
142-155 | Pope Pius I, 10th Pope |
150? | Gospel of the Egyptians, Coptic translation of orig. Greek (Nag Hammadi) |
150? | "Western Revisor" adds/subtracts from original Acts to produce "Western" |
| version which is 10% larger and found in Papyrus P29,38,48 and Codex |
| Bezae (D) |
150? | Papyrus Chester Beatty 6: R963, Greek Num 5:12-36:13, Deut 1:20-34:12 |
155-166 | Pope Anicetus, 11th Pope |
160? | Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, martyred at age 86: "Let. to Philip." (110) |
160? | Martyrdom of Polycarp, in Greek (Apostolic Fathers, ISBN:0-8010-5676-4) |
161-180 | Marcus Aurelius emperor of Rome |
164-180 | Great Plague in Roman Empire |
166-174 | Pope Soter, 12th Pope, moved Easter from Nisan 14 to following Sunday |
170 | Letters of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, cites "Western" Gospel text-type |
170 | Christian council on Montanist sect in Asia Minor |
170 | Letters of Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, claims Christians were changing and |
| faking his own letters just as [he knew] they had changed the Gospels |
170 | Tatian produces "Diatessaron" (Harmony) by blending 4 "Western" text-type |
| Gospels into 1 |
170? | Symmachus, an Ebionite, writes an entirely new Greek OT translation |
174-189 | Pope Eleutherius, 13th Pope |
175? | Acts of Paul (inc. 3 Cor.), in Greek [NT Apocrypha,Schneemelcher,v.2] |
180-192 | Commodus emperor of Rome |
185-350 | Canon Muratorian, 1st extant for NT?, written in Rome by Hippolytus?, |
| excludes Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 3 John; includes Wisdom of Solomon, |
| Apocalypse of Peter |
189-198 | Pope Victor I, 1st Latin Pope, 14th Pope, excommunicated Eastern churches |
| that continued to observe Easter on Nisan 14 "Quartodeciman", (see 166, |
190) |
190 | Christian council to determine "official" date of Easter |
193-211 | Septimius Severus emperor of Rome |
197 | Writings of Apollonius, uses the term "catholic" in reference to 1 John |
198-217 | Pope Zephyrinus, 15th Pope |
200 | Bishop of Antioch notes Gospel of Peter (see 65?) being used in Cilicia |
200? | Papyrus 66: 2nd Bodmer, John, 1956, "Alexandrian/Western" text-types: |
| Jn 1:1-6:11,35-7:52;8:12-14:26,29-30;15:2-26;16:2-4,6-7,10- |
| 20:20,22-23,25-21:9 |
200? | Papyrus 75: Bodmer 14-15, Luke & John, earliest extant Luke, ~Vaticanus; |
| Lk3:18-22,33-4:2,34-5:10,37-6:4,10-7:32,35-39,41-43,46-9:2,4- |
| 17:15,19-18:18; 22:4-24:53; Jn1:1-7:52;8:12-11:45,48-57;12:3- |
| 13:1,8-9;14:8-30;15:7-8 |
200? | Papyrus 46: 2nd Chester Beatty, "Alexandrian" text-type: Rm5:17-6:3,5- |
| 14;8:15-25,27-35,37-9:32;10:1-11:22,24-33,35-15:9,11-16:27;Hb1:1- |
| 9:16,18-10:20,22-30,32-13:25;1Cr1:1-9:2,4-14:14,16-15:15,17- |
| 16:22;2Cr1:1-11:10,12-21,23-13:13;Ep1:1-2:7,10-5:6,8-6:6,8,20- |
| 24;Gl1:1-8,10-2:9,12-21;3:2-29;4:2-18,20-5:17,20-6:8,10- |
| 18;Ph1:1,5-15,17-28,30-2:12,14-27,29-3:8,10-21;4:2-12,14- |
| 23;Cl1:1-2,5-13,16-24,27-2:19,23-3:11,13-24;4:3-12,16- |
| 18;1Th1:1,9-2:3;5:5-9,23-28 |
200? | Papyrus 32: J. Rylands Library: Titus 1:11-15;2:3-8 |
200? | Papyrus 64 (+67): Mt3:9,15;5:20-22,25-28;26:7-8,10,14-15,22-23,31- |
| 33 |
200? | Old Syriac (Aramaic) Gospels, Syr(s) & Syr(c), of "Western" text-type |
200? | Latin Bible translations begun in Carthage?, originals no longer extant |
200? | Sahidic Coptic cop(sa) Bible translations written in Alexendria |
212-217 | Geta then Caracalla emperors of Rome |
217-236 | Anti-Pope Hippolytus, bishop of Rome, "Logos" sect, 1st Anti-Pope |
| (illegitimate claimants of or pretenders to the papal throne) |
217-222 | Pope Callistus I, 16th Pope |
218-222 | Heliogabalus emperor of Rome |
220 | Goths invade Asia Minor and Balkans |
220? | Clement of Alexandria, b.150?, bishop, cites "Alexandrian" NT text-type & |
| Secret Gospel of Mark & Gospel of the Egyptians; wrote: "Exhortations to the |
| Greeks";"Rich Man's Salutation";"To the Newly Baptized"; (Loeb Classics) |
222-230 | Pope Urban I, 17th Pope |
222-235 | Alexandar Severus emperor of Rome |
223? | Tertullian, wr: "de Spectaculis" (Latin): v30.6 cites rumor Jesus son of |
| prostitute, coined "New Testament", cites "Western" Gospel text-type (Loeb) |
225? | Papyrus 45: 1st Chester Beatty, Gospels (Caesarean), Acts (Alexandrian): |
| Mt20:24-32;21:13-19;25:41-26:39; Mk4:36-40;5:15-26,38-6:3,16- |
| 25,36-50;7:3-15 ,25-8:1,10-26,34-9:9,18-31;11:27-12:1,5-8,13- |
| 19,24-28; Lk6:31-41,45-7:7;9:26 -41,45-10:1,6-22,26-11:1,6-25,28- |
| 46,50-12:12,18-37,42-13:1,6-24,29-14:10,17-33; Jn10:7-25,30- |
| 11:10,18-36,42-57; Ac4:27-36;5:10-21,30-39;6:7-7:2,10-21,32- |
| 41,52-8:1,14-25,34-9:6,16-27,35-10:2,10-23,31-41;11:2-14,24- |
| 12:5,13-22;13:6-16,25-36,46-14:3,15-23;15:2-7,19-27,38-16:4,15- |
| 21,32-40;17:9-17 |
225? | Papyrus 967: Chester Beatty 9, Greek Ezekiel 11:25-end, ~Codex Vaticanus |
230-236 | Pope Pontian, 18th Pope |
230-250 | Christian council of Rome, Demetrius bishop of Alex. condemns Origen who in |
| 248 cited a rumor recorded by Celsus that "Jesus fabricated the account of |
| his birth from a virgin. In reality, Jesus' mother was driven out by the |
| carpenter husband to whom she was betrothed because she had committed |
| adultery with a [Roman] soldier named Panthera [thus the ben Pantere of |
| Jewish sources]. Left poor and homeless, she gave birth to Jesus in secret. |
| Jesus later spent time in Egypt, where he hired himself out as a laborer, |
| learned magic, and so came to claim the title of God." [CC1.28-32, Marginal |
| Jew, Meier, p. 223] |
236-238 | Maximus emperor of Rome, ends Christian schism in Rome by deporting Pope |
| Pontian and anti-Pope Hippolytus to Sardinia where they soon die |
236-237 | Pope Anterus, 19th Pope |
237-250 | Pope Fabian, 20th Pope |
238-244 | Gordian I, II, Balbinus, Pupienus, Gordian III emperors of Rome |
240-250 | Christian council of Carthage |
244-249 | Philip the Arabian emperor of Rome |
249-251 | Decius emperor of Rome |
249 | Rome celebrates 1000th anniversary |
250 | Rome steps up persecution of Christians, martyrs revered as saints |
250 | Letters of Methodius, Pistis Sophia, Porphyry Tyrius; church fathers |
250? | Mandeans (followers of John the Baptist) begin compilation of "Ginza" |
250? | Papyrus 72: Bodmer 5-11+, pub. 1959, "Alexandrian" text-type: Nativity of |
| Mary; 3Cor; Odes of Solomon 11; Jude 1-25; Melito's Homily on Passover; |
| Hymn fragment; Apology of Phileas; Ps33,34; 1Pt1:1-5:14; 2Pt1:1-3:18; |
250? | Papyrus Chester Beatty: #5:R962: Gn8:13-9:2,24:13-46:33,Enoch91-105; |
| #7: I8:18-19:13,38:14-45:5,54:1=60:22; #8: Jr4:30-5:24; #10: Dn1- |
| 12:13(+Add),Bel4-39,Sus5-end,Esther1:1a-8:6(+Add) |
251-253 | Gallus emperor of Rome |
251-253 | Pope Cornelius, 21st Pope |
251-258 | Anti-Pope Novatian, decreed no forgiveness for sins after baptism |
253-260 | Valerian emperor of Rome, executes all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons |
253-254 | Pope Lucius I, 22nd Pope |
254 | Letters of Origen, Jesus and God one substance, adopted at Council of Nicaea |
| in 325, compiled "Hexapla": 6 versions of LXX side by side: Hebrew, Hebrew |
| transliterated in Greek, Aquila's Greek trans., Symmachus' Greek trans., |
| Origen's revised LXX Greek trans., Theodotion's revised LXX; also |
| Quinta/Sexta/Septima trans., Tetragrammaton in square Hebrew script; |
| cites "Alexandrian" & "Caesarean" NT text-types; Eusebius claimed Origen |
| castrated himself for Christ due to Mt19:12 [EH6.8.1-3] |
254-257 | Pope Steven I, 23rd Pope, major schism over rebaptizing heretics and |
| apostates |
257-258 | Pope Sixtus II, 24th Pope, martyred |
257 | Visigoths and Ostrogoths invade Black Sea area, Franks invade Spain |
258 | Letters of Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, cites "Western" NT text-type, claims |
| Christians are freely forging his letters to discredit him |
260-268 | Gallienus emperor of Rome, reverses Valerian, restores Roman Church |
260-268 | Pope Dionysius, 25th Pope, rebuilds Roman Church after Valerian's massacre |
264-268 | Christian council on Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch, founder of |
| Adoptionism (Jesus was human until Holy Spirit descended at his baptism) |
264? | Letters of Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, b.190? |
268 | Goths sack Athens, Sparta, Corinth |
268-270 | Claudius II emperor of Rome |
269-274 | Pope Felix I, 26th Pope |
270-275 | Aurelian emperor of Rome |
275-283 | Pope Eutychian, 27th Pope, decreed that only beans and grapes be blessed at |
| Mass |
275? | Papyrus 47: 3rd Chester Beatty, ~Sinaiticus, Rv9:10-11:3,5-16:15,17- |
| 17:2 |
276-282 | Marcus Aurelius Probus emperor of Rome |
276 | Mani, b.215, crucified, founder of Manichaean Christian sect in Persia |
283-296 | Pope Gaius, 28th Pope |
284-305 | Diocletian emperor of Rome, notorius persecuter of Christians |
285 | Roman empire partitioned into Western and Eastern empires |
290-345 | St Pachomius establishes 1st monastery in Egypt |
296-304 | Pope Marcellinus, 29th Pope, apostate, offered pagan sacrifices for |
| Diocletian |
300? | Bohairic Coptic cop(bo) Bible translations written in Alexandria |
300? | Hesychius of Alex., martyr, translates Hebrew OT to Greek, lost [Jerome] |
300? | Papyrus Berlin Codex of Greek Genesis; Papyrus Bodmer 24 of Greek Psalms; |
| Codex Freer of Greek Minor Prophets; all published in 1927 |
300? | other 3rd century NT witnesses: P1:Mt1:1-9,12,14-20 P4:Lk1:58-59,62- |
| 2:1, 6-7;3:8-4:2,29-32,34-35;5:3-8,30-6:16 P5:Jn1:23-31,33- |
| 40;16:14-30;20:11-17, 19-20,22-25 P9:1Jn4:11-12,14-17 P12:Hb1:1 |
| P15:1Cr7:18-8:4 P20:Jm2:19-3:9 P22:Jn15:25-16:2,21-32 |
| P23:Jm1:10-12,15-18 P27:Rm8:12-22,24-27,33-9:3,5-9 P28:Jn6:8- |
| 12,17-22 P29:Ac26:7-8,20 P30:1Th4:12-13,16-17;5:3,8-10,12-18,25- |
| 28;2Th1:1-2 P38:Ac18:27-19:6,12-16 P39:Jn8:14-22 P40:Rm1:24- |
| 27,31-2:3;3:21-4:8;6:4-5:16;9:16-17:27 P48:Ac23:11-17,23-29 |
| P49:Ep4:16-29,31-5:13 P53:Mt26:29-40;Ac9:33-10:1 P65:1Th1:3- |
| 2:1,6-13 P69:Lk22:41,45-48,58-61 P70:Mt2:13-16,22-3:1;11:26- |
| 27;12:4-5;24:3-6,12-15 P80:Jn3:34 P87:Pm13-15,24-25 |
| #0171:Mt10:17-23,25-32;Lk22:44-56,61-64 #0189:Ac5:3-21 |
| #0220:Rm4:23-5:3,8-13 #0212(Diatessaron):Mt27:56-57;Mk15:40- |
| 42;Lk23:49-51,54;Jn19:38 |
303-311 | Last persecution of Christians in Rome |
304 | Letters of Victor, bishop of Pettau |
306-337 | Emperor Constantine the Great, convert to Christianity |
306-312 | Maxentius emperor of Western Roman Empire |
306-308 | Pope Marcellus I, 30th Pope, tried removing prior Pope Marcellinus from |
| official records for apostasy, exiled from Rome by Maxentius for disturbing |
| the peace |
310 | Pope Eusebius, 31st Pope, deported to Sicily with anti-Pope Heraclius by |
| Maxentius |
311-314 | Pope Miltiades, 32nd Pope, Constantine gives Fausta's palace as papal |
| residence |
312 | Lucian, founded Exegetical School of Antioch, martyred |
312 | Constantine defeats Maxentius at Milvian Bridge, reunites Roman Empire |
313 | Edict of Milan, Constantine establishes toleration of Christianity |
313 | Miltiades excommunicates Donatus for requiring rebaptism of apostates |
314-335 | Pope Silvester I, 33rd Pope |
314 | Council of Arles, called by Constantine against Donatist (Donatus) schism |
317 | Letters of Lactantius, early Christian church father |
321 | Constantine decrees Sunday as offical Roman-Christian day of rest |
325 | Council of Nicaea, called by Constantine against Arianism (336), called 1st |
| great Christian council by Jerome, 1st ecumenical, 318 bishops attend, |
| Nicaean Creed |
325? | Fayyumic Coptic cop(mf) translation fragment of John 6:11-15:11 |
330 | Old Saint Peter's Basilica dedicated by Constantine, located over the |
| traditional burial site of Saint Peter the Apostle in Rome on Vatican Hill |
331 | Seat of Roman Empire moved to Constantinople (formally Byzantium) |
336-337 | Pope Mark, 34th Pope |
336 | Arius, Greek theologian - Arianism (Jesus was a created being) |
337-350 | Roman empire splits again, Constans emperor of West until 350 |
337-361 | Roman empire splits again, Constantius emperor of East until 361 |
337-352 | Pope Julius I, 35th Pope |
338 | Jewish calendar modified with different year lengths to correct to Solar |
340? | Eusebius of Caesarea (260-340), theologian & church historian, cites |
| "Caesarean" NT text-type, wrote: "Ecclesiastical History" (EH); Loeb |
| Classics: 2 volumes {Papias, bishop of Hierapolis (130?), claims that John |
| the Elder, a disciple of Jesus, told him that Mark "was the interpreter of |
| Peter and wrote down carefully what he remembered of what had been said |
| or done by the Lord, but not in the right order." Also claims that "Matthew |
| composed the sayings in Hebrew [more likely Aramaic] and each one |
| translated them as he could."} [Ref: EH3.39.15, Unauthorized Version, Fox, |
| p.126-127] Eusebius' NT Canon: Recognized Books: 4 Holy Gospels, Acts, 14 |
| Pauline Epistles, 1Jn, 1Pt; Disputed Books: Rev, James, Jude, 2Pt, 2-3Jn, |
| Acts of Paul, Hermas, Apocalypse of Peter, Barnabas, Didache, Gospel of the |
| Hebrews; Rejected Books: Gospels of Peter, Thomas, Matthias, Acts of |
| Andrew, John ... [EH3.25], used the term "catholic" to refer to all seven |
| epistles - James; 1,2,3 John; 1,2 Peter; Jude |
|