Early Christianity

Early Christianity,otherwise called theEarly ChurchorPaleo-Christianity,describes thehistorical eraof theChristian religionup to theFirst Council of Nicaeain 325.Christianity spreadfrom theLevant,across theRoman Empire,and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected toalready established Jewish centersin theHoly Landand theJewish diasporathroughout theEastern Mediterranean.The first followers of Christianity wereJewswho hadconvertedto the faith, i.e.Jewish Christians,as well asPhoenicians,i.e.Lebanese Christians.Early Christianity contains theApostolic Ageand is followed by, and substantially overlaps with, thePatristic era.

TheApostolic seesclaim to have been founded by one or more of theapostlesofJesus,who are said to havedispersed from Jerusalemsometime after thecrucifixion of Jesus,c. 26–33, perhaps following theGreat Commission.Early Christians gathered in small private homes,known ashouse churches,but a city's whole Christian community would also be called a "church"—the Greek nounἐκκλησία(ekklesia) literally means "assembly", "gathering", or "congregation"but is translated as "church"in mostEnglish translations of the New Testament.

Many early Christians were merchants and others who had practical reasons for traveling toAsia Minor,Arabia,theBalkans,theMiddle East,North Africa,and other regions.Over 40 such communities were established by the year 100,many inAnatolia,also known as Asia Minor, such as theSeven churches of Asia.By the end of thefirst century,Christianity had already spread toRome,Ethiopia,Alexandria,Armenia,Greece,andSyria,serving as foundations for the expansivespread of Christianity,eventually throughout the world.

History

Origins

Second Temple Judaism

Main articles:Second Temple JudaismandSecond Temple Period

See also:Historical background of the New Testament

Model of the Second Temple in theIsrael Museum

Christianity originated as a minor sect withinSecond Temple Judaism,a form ofJudaismnamed after theSecond Templebuiltc. 516 BCafter theBabylonian captivity.While thePersian EmpirepermittedJewsto return to their homeland ofJudea,there was no longer a native Jewish monarchy. Instead, political power devolved to thehigh priest,who served as an intermediary between the Jewish people and the empire. This arrangement continued after the region was conquered byAlexander the Great(356–323 BC).After Alexander's death, the region was ruled byPtolemaic Egypt(c. 301– c. 200 BC) and then theSeleucid Empire(c. 200– c. 142 BC). The anti-Jewish policies ofAntiochus IV Epiphanes(r. 175 – 164 BC) sparked theMaccabean Revoltin 167BC, which culminated in the establishment of an independent Judea under theHasmoneans,who ruled as kings and high priests. This independence would last until 63BC when Judea became aclient stateof theRoman Empire.

The central tenets of Second Temple Judaism revolved aroundmonotheismand the belief thatJews were a chosen people.As part of theircovenantwithGod,Jews were obligated to obey theTorah.In return, they were given theland of Israeland the city ofJerusalem,where God dwelled in the Temple.Apocalypticandwisdom literaturehad a major influence on Second Temple Judaism.

Alexander's conquests initiated theHellenistic periodwhen theAncient Near EastunderwentHellenization(the spread ofGreek culture). Judaism was thereafter both culturally and politically part of the Hellenistic world; however,Hellenistic Judaismwas stronger amongdiaspora Jewsthan among those living in the land of Israel.Diaspora Jews spokeKoine Greek,and theJews of Alexandriaproduced a Greek translation of theHebrew Biblecalled theSeptuagint.The Septuagint was the translation of theOld Testamentused by early Christians.Diaspora Jews continued to makepilgrimage to the Temple,but they started forming local religious institutions calledsynagoguesas early as the 3rd century BC.

The Maccabean Revolt caused Judaism to divide into competing sects with different theological and political goals,each adopting different stances towards Hellenization. The main sects were theSadducees,Pharisees,andEssenes.The Sadducees were mainly Jerusalem aristocrats intent on maintaining control over Jewish politics and religion.Sadducee religion was focused on the Temple and its rituals. The Pharisees emphasized personal piety and interpreted the Torah in ways that provided religious guidance for daily life. Unlike Sadducees, the Pharisees believed in theresurrection of the deadand an afterlife. The Essenes rejected Temple worship, which they believed was defiled by wicked priests. They were part of a broaderapocalypticmovement in Judaism, which believed theend timeswere at hand when God would restore Israel.Roman rule exacerbated these religious tensions and led the radicalZealotsto separate from the Pharisees. The territories ofRoman JudeaandGalileewere frequently troubled by insurrection andmessianic claimants.

Messiah(Hebrew:meshiach) means "anointed" and is used in the Old Testament to designateJewish kingsand in some casespriestsandprophetswhose status was symbolized by being anointed withholy anointing oil.The term is most associated with KingDavid,to whom God promised an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:11–17). After thedestruction of David's kingdomand lineage, this promise was reaffirmed by the prophetsIsaiah,Jeremiah,andEzekiel,who foresaw a future king from theHouse of Davidwho would establish and reign over an idealized kingdom.

In the Second Temple period, there was no consensus on who the messiah would be or what he would do.Most commonly, he was imagined to be an end times son of David going about the business of "executing judgment, defeating the enemies of God, reigning over a restored Israel, [and] establishing unending peace".Yet, there were other kinds of messianic figures proposed as well—the perfect priest or the celestialSon of Manwho brings about the resurrection of the dead and thefinal judgment.

Jesus

The Holy Land in the 1st century

Further information:Jesus in Christianity

Christianity centers on thelifeandministryofJesus of Nazareth,who livedc. 4 BC– c. AD 33.Jesus left no writings of his own, and most information about him comes from early Christian writings that now form part of theNew Testament.The earliest of these are thePauline epistles,letters written to various Christian congregations byPaul the Apostlein the 50s AD. The fourcanonical gospelsofMatthew(c. AD 80– c. AD 90),Mark(c. AD 70),Luke(c. AD 80– c. AD 90), andJohn(written at the end of the 1st century) areancient biographiesof Jesus' life.

Jesus grew up inNazareth,a city inGalilee,and began his ministry when he was around 30 years old. Jesus' message centered on the coming of theKingdom of God,and he urged his followers torepentin preparation for the kingdom's coming.His ethical teaching is summarized in theGreat Commandmentto love God and to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37–39).Jesus chosetwelve discipleswho represented thetwelve tribes of Israel(ten of which were"lost"by this time) to symbolize the full restoration of Israel that would be accomplished through him.

The gospel accounts provide insight into what early Christians believed about Jesus.Asthe Christor "Anointed One" (Greek:Christos), Jesus is identified as the fulfillment ofmessianic propheciesin the Hebrew scriptures. Through the accounts of his miraculousvirgin birth,the gospels present Jesus as theSon of God.The gospels describe themiracles of Jesuswhich served to authenticate his message and reveal a foretaste of the coming kingdom.

Christ with the Two ThievesbyFra Angelicoc. 1437– c. 1446

After three years of ministry,Jesus was crucifiedas a messianic pretender and insurgent. Paul, writing around 20 years after Jesus' death, provides the earliest account of theresurrection of Jesusin1 Corinthians 15:3–8.The gospel accounts provide narratives of the resurrection, ultimately leading to theascension of JesusintoHeaven.Jesus' victory over death became the central belief of Christianity.For his followers, Jesus inaugurated aNew Covenantbetween God and his people.The Pauline epistles teach that Jesus makessalvationpossible. Throughfaith,believers experienceunion with Jesusand both share inhis sufferingand thehopeof his resurrection.

While they do not provide new information, non-Christian sources do confirm certain information found in the gospels. The Jewish historianJosephusreferenced Jesus in hisAntiquities of the Jewswrittenc. AD 95.The paragraph, known as theTestimonium Flavianum,provides a brief summary of Jesus' life, but the original text has been altered byChristian interpolation.The first Roman author to reference Jesus isTacitus(c. AD 56–c. 120), who wrote that Christians "took their name fromChristuswho was executed in the reign ofTiberiusby theprocuratorPontius Pilate "(seeTacitus on Jesus).

1st century

Main article:Christianity in the 1st century

The decades after the crucifixion of Jesus are known as the Apostolic Age because the Disciples (also known asApostles) were still alive.Important Christian sources for this period are thePauline epistlesand theActs of the Apostles.

Initial spread

Map of Paul's 3rd missionary journey

St Paul's Pillar inPaphos

Main article:Spread of Christianity

After the death of Jesus, his followers established Christian groups in cities, such as Jerusalem.The movement quickly spread toDamascusandAntioch,capital ofRoman Syriaand one of the most important cities in the empire.Early Christians referred to themselves as brethren,disciplesorsaints,but it was in Antioch, according toActs 11:26, that they were first called Christians (Greek:Christianoi).

According to the New Testament, Paul the apostle established Christian communities throughout the Mediterranean world.He is known to have also spent some time in Arabia. After preaching in Syria, he turned his attention to the cities ofAsia Minor.By the early 50s, he had moved on to Europe where he stopped inPhilippiand then traveled toThessalonicainRoman Macedonia.He then moved into mainland Greece, spending time inAthensandCorinth.While in Corinth, Paul wrote hisEpistle to the Romans,indicating that there were already Christian groups inRome.Some of these groups had been started by Paul's missionary associatesPriscilla and AquilaandEpainetus.

Social and professional networks played an important part in spreading the religion as members invited interested outsiders to secret Christian assemblies (Greek:ekklēsia) that met in private homes (seehouse church). Commerce and trade also played a role in Christianity's spread as Christian merchants traveled for business. Christianity appealed to marginalized groups (women, slaves) with its message that "in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor free" (Galatians 3:28). Christians also provided social services to the poor, sick, and widows.Women actively contributed to the Christian faith as disciples, missionaries, and more due to the large acceptance early Christianity offered.

HistorianKeith Hopkinsestimated that by AD 100 there were around 7,000 Christians (about 0.01 percent of the Roman Empire's population of 60 million).Separate Christian groups maintained contact with each other through letters, visits fromitinerant preachers,and the sharing of common texts, some of which were later collected in the New Testament.

Jerusalem church

TheCenacleonMount Zion,claimed to be the location of theLast SupperandPentecost.Bargil Pixnerclaims the originalChurch of the Apostlesis located under the current structure.

Further information:Jerusalem in Christianity

Jerusalem was the first center of theChristian Churchaccording to theBook of Acts.The apostles lived and taught there for some time after Pentecost.According to Acts, theearly churchwas led by the Apostles, foremost among themPeterandJohn.When Peter left Jerusalem afterHerod Agrippa Itried to kill him,James, brother of Jesusappears as the leader of the Jerusalem church.Clement of Alexandria(c. 150–215 AD) called himBishop of Jerusalem.Peter, John and James were collectively recognized as the threepillars of the church(Galatians 2:9).

At this early date, Christianity was still a Jewish sect. Christians in Jerusalem kept theJewish Sabbathand continued to worship at the Temple. In commemoration of Jesus' resurrection, they gathered on Sunday for acommunionmeal. Initially, Christians kept the Jewish custom of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. Later, the Christian fast days shifted to Wednesdays and Fridays (seeFriday fast) in remembrance ofJudas' betrayaland the crucifixion.

James was killed on the order of the high priest in AD 62. He was succeeded as leader of the Jerusalem church bySimeon,another relative of Jesus.During theFirst Jewish-Roman War(AD66–73), Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed after abrutal siegein AD70.Prophecies of the Second Temple's destruction are found in thesynoptic gospels,specifically in theOlivet Discourse.

According to a tradition recorded byEusebiusandEpiphanius of Salamis,the Jerusalem churchfled to Pellaat the outbreak of theFirst Jewish Revolt.The church had returned to Jerusalem by AD 135, but the disruptions severely weakened the Jerusalem church's influence over the widerChristian church.

Gentile Christians

Saint Peter and Saint Paul(1570s) byJuan Fernádnez Navarrete

Jerusalem was the first center of theChristian Churchaccording to theBook of Acts.The apostles lived and taught there for some time afterPentecost.James the Just, brother of Jesuswas leader of the early Christian community in Jerusalem, and his otherkinsmenlikely held leadership positions in the surrounding area after the destruction of the city until its rebuilding asAelia Capitolinainc. 130 AD,when all Jews were banished from Jerusalem.

The first Gentiles to become Christians wereGod-fearers,people who believed in the truth of Judaism but had not becomeproselytes(seeCornelius the Centurion).As Gentiles joined the young Christian movement, the question of whether they shouldconvert to Judaismand observe the Torah (such asfood laws,male circumcision,and Sabbath observance) gave rise to various answers. Some Christians demanded full observance of the Torah and required Gentile converts to become Jews. Others, such as Paul, believed that the Torah was no longer binding because of Jesus' death and resurrection. In the middle were Christians who believed Gentiles should follow some of the Torah but not all of it.

Inc. 48–50 AD,BarnabasandPaulwent to Jerusalem to meet with the threePillars of the Church:James the Just, Peter, andJohn.Later called theCouncil of Jerusalem,according toPauline Christians,this meeting (among other things) confirmed the legitimacy of the evangelizing mission of Barnabas and Paul to theGentiles.It also confirmed that Gentile converts were not obligated to follow theMosaic Law,especially the practice ofmale circumcision,which was condemned as execrable and repulsive in theGreco-Roman worldduring the period ofHellenizationof theEastern Mediterranean,and was especially adversed inClassical civilizationfromancient GreeksandRomans,who valued theforeskinpositively.The resulting Apostolic Decree inActs 15is theorized to parallel theseven Noahide lawsfound in theOld Testament.However, modern scholars dispute the connection between Acts 15 and the seven Noahide laws.In roughly the same time period,rabbinic Jewish legal authoritiesmade theircircumcision requirement for Jewish boyseven stricter.

The primary issue which was addressed related to the requirement ofcircumcision,as the author of Acts relates, but other important matters arose as well, as the Apostolic Decree indicates.The dispute was between those, such as the followers of the "Pillars of the Church", led byJames,who believed, following his interpretation of theGreat Commission,that the church must observe theTorah,i.e. the rules of traditional Judaism,^[1]andPaul the Apostle,who called himself "Apostle to the Gentiles",who believed there was no such necessity.The main concern for the Apostle Paul, which he subsequently expressed in greater detail withhis lettersdirected to theearly Christian communitiesinAsia Minor,was the inclusion of Gentiles into God'sNew Covenant,sending the message thatfaith in Christis sufficient forsalvation.(See also:Supersessionism,New Covenant,Antinomianism,Hellenistic Judaism,andPaul the Apostle and Judaism).

The Council of Jerusalem did not end the dispute, however.There are indications that James still believed the Torah was binding on Jewish Christians. Galatians 2:11-14 describe "people from James" causing Peter and other Jewish Christians in Antioch to break table fellowship with Gentiles.(See also:Incident at Antioch). Joel Marcus, professor of Christian origins, suggests that Peter's position may have lain somewhere between James and Paul, but that he probably leaned more toward James.This is the start of a split betweenJewish ChristianityandGentile (or Pauline) Christianity.While Jewish Christianity would remain important through the next few centuries, it would ultimately be pushed to the margins as Gentile Christianity became dominant. Jewish Christianity was also opposed by earlyRabbinic Judaism,the successor to the Pharisees.When Peter left Jerusalem afterHerod Agrippa Itried to kill him, James appears as the principal authority of the early Christian church.Clement of Alexandria(c. 150–215 AD) called himBishop of Jerusalem.A2nd-centurychurch historian,Hegesippus,wrote that theSanhedrinmartyred him in 62 AD.

In 66 AD, theJews revolted against Rome.After a brutal siege,Jerusalem fell in 70 AD.The city, including the Jewish Temple, was destroyed and the population was mostly killed or removed.According to a tradition recorded byEusebiusandEpiphanius of Salamis,the Jerusalem churchfled to Pellaat the outbreak of theFirst Jewish Revolt.According to Epiphanius of Salamis,theCenaclesurvived at least toHadrian's visit in 130 AD.A scattered population survived.TheSanhedrin relocated to Jamnia.Prophecies of the Second Temple's destruction are found in theSynoptic Gospels,specifically in Jesus'sOlivet Discourse.

1st century persecution

Romans had a negative perception of early Christians. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that Christians were despised for their "abominations" and "hatred of humankind".The belief that Christians hated humankind could refer to their refusal to participate in social activities connected to pagan worship—these included most social activities such as thetheater,the army, sports, andclassical literature.They also refused toworship the Roman emperor,like Jews. Nonetheless, Romans were more lenient to Jews compared to Gentile Christians. Some anti-Christian Romans further distinguished between Jews and Christians by claiming that Christianity was "apostasy" from Judaism.Celsus,for example, considered Jewish Christians to be hypocrites for claiming that they embraced their Jewish heritage.

EmperorNeropersecuted Christians in Rome, whom he blamed for starting theGreat Fireof AD 64. It is possible that Peter and Paul were in Rome and weremartyredat this time. Nero was deposed in AD 68, and the persecution of Christians ceased. Under the emperorsVespasian(r. 69–79) andTitus(r. 79–81), Christians were largely ignored by the Roman government. The EmperorDomitian(r. 81–96) authorized a new persecution against the Christians. It was at this time that theBook of Revelationwas written byJohn of Patmos.

Early centers

Eastern Roman Empire

See also:Eastern Christianity

Jerusalem

See also:Jerusalem in ChristianityandEarly bishops of Jerusalem

A diagram of theChurch of the Holy Sepulchrebased on a German documentary. The church is claimed to be at the site of Calvary and theTomb of Jesus.

In the 2nd century, Roman EmperorHadrianrebuilt Jerusalem as aPagancity and renamed itAelia Capitolina,erecting statues ofJupiterandhimselfon the site of the former Jewish Temple, theTemple Mount.In the years AD 132–136,Bar Kokhba led an unsuccessful revoltas aJewish Messiah claimant,but Christians refused to acknowledge him as such. When Bar Kokhba was defeated, Hadrian barred Jews from the city, except for the day ofTisha B'Av,thus thesubsequent Jerusalem bishopswere Gentiles ( "uncircumcised" ) for the first time.

Thegeneral significance of Jerusalem to Christiansentered a period of decline during thepersecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.According toEusebius,Jerusalem Christians escaped toPella,in theDecapolis(Transjordan), at the beginning of theFirst Jewish–Roman Warin AD 66.Jerusalem's bishopsbecamesuffragans(subordinates) of theMetropolitan bishopin nearbyCaesarea,Interest in Jerusalem resumed with thepilgrimageof the Roman EmpressHelenato the Holy Land (c. 326–328 AD). According to the church historianSocrates of Constantinople,Helena (with the assistance of BishopMacarius of Jerusalem) claimed to have found thecross of Christ,after removing a Temple toVenus(attributed to Hadrian) that had been built over the site. Jerusalem had received special recognition in Canon VII of theFirst Council of Nicaeain 325 AD.The traditional founding date for theBrotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre(which guards theChristian Holy placesin the Holy Land) is 313, which corresponds with the date of theEdict of Milanpromulgated by the Roman EmperorConstantine the Great,which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. Jerusalem was later named as one of thePentarchy,but this was never accepted by theChurch of Rome.(See also:East–West Schism#Prospects for reconciliation).

Antioch

TheChurch of St PeternearAntakya,Turkey, said to be the spot where Saint Peter first preached theGospelinRoman Antioch.

See also:School of Antioch,Patriarch of Antioch,andAntiochene Rite

Antioch(modernAntakya,Turkey) was the capital of theRoman province of Syriaand a center ofGreek culture in the Eastern Mediterranean,as well as a key locus of trade that made it the third-most important city of the Roman Empire.In theBook of Acts,it is said that it was at Antioch where followers of Jesus were first called Christians;it was also the location of theIncident at Antioch,described in theEpistle to the Galatians.It was the site of an early church traditionally said to be founded by Peter; later traditions also attributed the role ofBishop of Antiochas first being held by Peter.TheGospel of Matthewand theApostolic Constitutionsmay have been written there. The church fatherIgnatius of Antiochwas its third bishop. The School of Antioch, founded in 270, was one of two major centers of early church learning. TheCuretonian Gospelsand theSyriac Sinaiticusare two early (pre-Peshitta) New Testament text types associated withSyriac Christianity.It was one of the three whose bishops were recognized at theFirst Council of Nicaea(325) as exercising jurisdiction over the adjoining territories.

Alexandria

See also:Alexandrian school,Catechetical School of Alexandria,Bishop of Alexandria,Egypt (Roman province) § Christian Egypt,andAlexandrian Rite

Alexandria,in theNile delta,was established byAlexander the Great.Its famous libraries were a center ofHellenisticlearning. TheSeptuaginttranslation of the Old Testament began there and theAlexandrian text-typeis recognized by scholars as one of the earliest New Testament types. It had asignificant Jewish population,of whichPhilo of Alexandriais probably its most known author.It produced superior scripture and notable church fathers, such as Clement, Origen, and Athanasius;also noteworthy were the nearbyDesert Fathers.By the end of the era, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch were accorded authority over nearbymetropolitans.The Council of Nicaea in canon VI affirmed Alexandria's traditional authority over Egypt, Libya, andPentapolis (North Africa)(theDiocese of Egypt) and probably granted Alexandria the right to declare a universal date for the observance ofEaster(see alsoEaster controversy). Some postulate, however, that Alexandria was not only a center of Christianity, but was also a center for Christian-basedGnosticsects.

Asia Minor

Map ofWestern Anatoliashowing the "Seven Churches of Asia"and the Greek island ofPatmos

See also:History of AnatoliaandChristianity in Turkey

The tradition ofJohn the Apostlewas strong inAnatolia(thenear-east,part of modern Turkey, the western part was called theRoman province of Asia). Theauthorship of the Johannine workstraditionally and plausibly occurred inEphesus,c.90–110, although some scholars argue for an origin inSyria.This includes theBook of Revelation,although modern Bible scholars believe that it to be authored by a different John,John of Patmos(a Greek island about 30 miles off the Anatolian coast), that mentionsSeven churches of Asia.According to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was fromTarsus(in south-central Anatolia) andhis missionary journeyswere primarily in Anatolia. TheFirst Epistle of Peter(1:1–2) is addressed to Anatolian regions. On the southeast shore of theBlack Sea,Pontuswas aGreek colonymentioned three times in the New Testament. Inhabitants of Pontus were some of the first converts to Christianity.Pliny, governor in 110,in his letters, addressed Christians in Pontus. Of the extantletters of Ignatius of Antioch considered authentic,five of seven are to Anatolian cities, the sixth is toPolycarp.Smyrnawas home to Polycarp, the bishop who reportedly knew the Apostle John personally, and probably also to his studentIrenaeus.Papias of Hierapolisis also believed to have been a student of John the Apostle. In the 2nd century, Anatolia was home toQuartodecimanism,Montanism,Marcion of Sinope,andMelito of Sardiswho recorded an earlyChristian Biblical canon.After theCrisis of the Third Century,Nicomediabecame the capital of theEastern Roman Empirein 286. TheSynod of Ancyrawas held in 314. In 325 the emperorConstantineconvoked the first Christianecumenical councilinNicaeaand in 330 moved the capital of the reunified empire toByzantium(also an early Christian center and just across theBosphorusfromAnatolia,later calledConstantinople), referred to as theByzantine Empire,which lasted till 1453.TheFirst seven Ecumenical Councilswere held either in Western Anatolia or across theBosphorusin Constantinople.

Caesarea

Remains of the ancientRoman aqueductin Caesarea Maritima

See also:Caesarea Maritima § Early Christian centre,andBishop of Caesarea

Caesarea,on the seacoast just northwest of Jerusalem, at firstCaesarea Maritima,then after 133Caesarea Palaestina,was built byHerod the Great,c. 25–13 BC, and was the capital ofIudaea Province(6–132) and laterPalaestina Prima.It was there that Peter baptized thecenturion Cornelius,considered the first gentile convert. Paul sought refuge there, once staying at the house ofPhilip the Evangelist,and later being imprisoned there for two years (estimated to be 57–59). TheApostolic Constitutions(7.46) state that the firstBishop of CaesareawasZacchaeus the Publican.

After Hadrian's siege of Jerusalem (c. 133), Caesarea became themetropolitan seewith the bishop of Jerusalem as one of its"suffragans"(subordinates).Origen(d. 254) compiled hisHexaplathere and it held afamous library and theological school,St. Pamphilus(d. 309) was a noted scholar-priest.St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker(d. 270),St. Basil the Great(d. 379), andSt. Jerome(d. 420) visited and studied at the library which was later destroyed, probably by thePersiansin 614 or theSaracensaround 637.The first major church historian,Eusebius of Caesarea,was a bishop, c. 314–339.F. J. A. HortandAdolf von Harnackhave argued that theNicene Creedoriginated in Caesarea. TheCaesarean text-typeis recognized by many textual scholars as one of the earliest New Testament types.

Cyprus

See also:Church of Cyprus

Paphoswas the capital of the island ofCyprusduring the Roman years and seat of a Roman commander. In 45 AD, the apostles Paul andBarnabas,who according toActs 4:36was "a native of Cyprus", came to Cyprus and reached Paphos preaching the message of Jesus, see alsoActs 13:4–13.According to Acts, the apostles were persecuted by the Romans but eventually succeeded in convincing the Roman commanderSergius Paulusto renounce his old religion in favour of Christianity. Barnabas is traditionally identified as the founder of the Cypriot Orthodox Church.

Damascus

TheChapel of Saint Paul,said to beBab Kisanwhere St. Paul escaped fromOld Damascus

See also:Syriac Orthodox ChurchandChristianity in Syria

Damascusis the capital ofSyriaand claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. According to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was converted on theRoad to Damascus.In the three accounts (Acts 9:1–20,22:1–22,26:1–24), he is described as being led by those he was traveling with, blinded by the light, to Damascus where his sight was restored by a disciple calledAnanias(who is thought to have been the first bishop of Damascus)then he wasbaptized.

Greece

See also:Church of Greece

Thessalonica,the major northern Greek city where it is believed Christianity was founded byPaul,thus anApostolic See,and the surrounding regions ofMacedonia,Thrace,andEpirus,which also extend into the neighboringBalkanstates ofAlbaniaandBulgaria,were early centers of Christianity. Of note arePaul's Epistlesto theThessaloniansand toPhilippi,which is often considered the first contact of Christianity with Europe.TheApostolic FatherPolycarpwrote a letter to the Philippians,c. 125.

Nicopoliswas a city in the Roman province ofEpirus Vetus,today a ruin on the northern part of the western Greek coast. In theEpistle to Titus,Paul said he intended to go there.It is possible that there were some Christians in its population. According toEusebius,Origen(c. 185–254) stayed there for some time

Ancient Corinth,today a ruin near modernCorinthin southern Greece, was an early center of Christianity. According to theActs of Apostles,Paul stayed eighteen months in Corinth to preach.He initially stayed withAquila and Priscilla,and was later joined bySilasandTimothy.After he left Corinth,Apollowas sent fromEphesusby Priscilla to replace him.Paul returned to Corinth at least once.He wrote theFirst Epistle to the Corinthiansfrom Ephesus approximately in 54-55 which focused on sexual immorality, divorces, lawsuits, and resurrections.TheSecond Epistle to the CorinthiansfromMacedoniawas written around 56 as a fourth letter discussing his proposed plans for the future, instructions, unity, and his defense of apostolic authority.The earliest evidence of theprimacy of the Roman Churchcan be seen in theFirst Epistle of Clementwritten to the Corinthian church, dated around 96.The bishops in Corinth include Apollo,Sosthenes,andDionysius.

Athens,the capital and largest city in Greece, was visited by Paul. He probably traveled by sea, arriving atPiraeus,the harbor of Athens, coming fromBerœa of Macedoniaaround the year 53.According toActs 17,when he arrived at Athens, he immediately sent for Silas and Timotheos who had stayed behind in Berœa.While waiting for them, Paul explored Athens and visited the synagogue, as there was alocal Jewish community.A Christian community was quickly established in Athens, although it may not have been large initially.A common tradition identifies theAreopagiteas the first bishop of the Christian community in Athens, while another tradition mentionsHierotheos the Thesmothete.The succeeding bishops were not all of Athenian descent: Narkissos was believed to have come from Palestine, andPubliusfrom Malta.Quadratusis known for an apology addressed to EmperorHadrianduring his visit to Athens, contributing to early Christian literature.AristeidesandAthenagorasalso wrote apologies during this time.By the second century, Athens likely had a significant Christian community, asHygeinos,bishop of Rome, write a letter to the community in Athens in the year 139.

GortynonCretewas allied with Rome and was thus made capital of RomanCreta et Cyrenaica.St. Titusis believed to have been the first bishop. The city was sacked by the pirateAbu Hafsin 828.

Thrace

Paul the Apostlepreached inMacedonia,and also inPhilippi,located inThraceon theThracian Seacoast. According toHippolytus of Rome,Andrew the Apostlepreached inThrace,on theBlack Seacoast and along the lower course of theDanube River.The spread of Christianity among theThraciansand the emergence of centers of Christianity likeSerdica(present daySofia),Philippopolis(present dayPlovdiv) and Durostorum (present daySilistra) was likely to have begun with these earlyApostolic missions.Thefirst Christian monasteryin Europe was founded in Thrace in 344 bySaint Athanasiusnear modern-dayChirpan,Bulgaria,following theCouncil of Serdica.

Libya

See also:Christianity in Libya

Cyreneand the surrounding region ofCyrenaicaor the North African "Pentapolis",south of the Mediterranean from Greece, the northeastern part of modernLibya,was a Greek colony in North Africa later converted to a Roman province. In addition to Greeks and Romans, there was also asignificant Jewish population,at least up to theKitos War(115–117). According toMark 15:21,Simon of Cyrenecarried Jesus' cross.Cyreniansare also mentioned inActs 2:10,6:9,11:20,13:1.According to Byzantine legend, the first bishop wasLucius,mentioned in Acts 13:1.

Western Roman Empire

See also:Western Christianity

Rome

St. Peter's Basilica,believed to be theburial site of St. Peter,seen from theRiver Tiber

See also:Bishop of Rome,God-fearer,Proselyte,andHistory of the Jews in the Roman Empire

Exactly when Christians first appeared in Rome is difficult to determine. TheActs of the Apostlesclaims that theJewish ChristiancouplePriscilla and Aquilahad recently come from Rome toCorinthwhen, in about the year 50,Paulreached the latter city,indicating that belief in Jesus in Rome had preceded Paul.

Historians consistently consider Peter and Paul to have beenmartyredin Rome under the reign ofNeroin 64, after theGreat Fire of Romewhich, according toTacitus,the Emperorblamed on the Christians.In thesecond centuryIrenaeus of Lyons,reflecting the ancient view that the church could not be fully present anywhere without abishop,recorded thatPeterandPaulhad been the founders of the Church in Rome and had appointedLinusas bishop.

However, Irenaeus does not say that either Peter or Paul was "bishop" of the Church in Rome and several historians have questioned whether Peter spent much time in Rome before his martyrdom. While the church in Rome was already flourishing when Paul wrote hisEpistle to the Romansto them from Corinth (c. 58)he attests to a large Christian community already thereand greets some fifty people in Rome by name,but not Peter,whom he knew.There is also no mention of Peter in Rome later during Paul's two-year stay there inActs 28,about 60–62. Most likely he did not spend any major time at Rome before 58 when Paul wrote to the Romans, and so it may have been only in the 60s and relatively shortly before his martyrdom that Peter came to the capital.

Oscar Cullmannsharply rejected the claim that Peterbegan the papal succession,and concludes that while Peterwastheoriginal head of the apostles,Peter was not the founder of any visible church succession.

A scene showingChrist Pantocratorfrom aRoman mosaicin the church ofSanta Pudenzianain Rome,c.410 AD

The original seat of Roman imperial power soon became a center of church authority, grew in power decade by decade, and was recognized during the period of theSeven Ecumenical Councils,when the seat of government had been transferred toConstantinople,as the "head" of the church.

Rome andAlexandria,which by tradition held authority over sees outside their ownprovince,were not yet referred to aspatriarchates.

The earliest Bishops of Rome were all Greek-speaking, the most notable of them being:Pope Clement I(c. 88–97), author of anEpistle to the Church in Corinth;Pope Telesphorus(c. 126–136), probably the only martyr among them;Pope Pius I(c. 141–154), said by theMuratorian fragmentto have been the brother of the author of theShepherd of Hermas;andPope Anicetus(c. 155–160), who received SaintPolycarpand discussed with him thedating of Easter.

Pope Victor I(189–198) was the first ecclesiastical writer known to have written in Latin; however, his only extant works are his encyclicals, which would naturally have been issued in Latin and Greek.

Greek New Testament texts were translated into Latin early on, well beforeJerome,and are classified as theVetus LatinaandWestern text-type.

During the 2nd century, Christians and semi-Christians of diverse views congregated in Rome, notablyMarcionandValentinius,and in the following century there were schisms connected withHippolytus of RomeandNovatian.

The Roman church survived various persecutions. Among the prominent Christians executed as a result of their refusal to perform acts of worship to the Roman gods as ordered by emperorValerianin 258 wereCyprian,bishop ofCarthage.The last and most severe of the imperial persecutions was thatunder Diocletian in 303;they ended in Rome, and the West in general, with the accession ofMaxentiusin 306.

Carthage

See also:Church of Carthage,Bishop of Carthage,andCouncils of Carthage

Early Christian quarter inancient Carthage

Carthage, in theRoman province of Africa,south of the Mediterranean from Rome, gave the early church the Latin fathersTertullian(c. 120 – c. 220) and Cyprian(d. 258). Carthage fell to Islam in 698.

The Church of Carthage thus was to theEarly African churchwhat theChurch of Romewas to theCatholic Church in Italy.The archdiocese used theAfrican Rite,a variant of theWestern liturgical ritesinLatin language,possibly a local use of the primitiveRoman Rite.Famous figures includeSaint Perpetua, Saint Felicitas, and their Companions(died c. 203), Tertullian (c. 155–240), Cyprian (c. 200–258),Caecilianus(floruit 311),Saint Aurelius(died 429), andEugenius of Carthage(died 505). Tertullian and Cyprian are consideredLatin Church Fathersof theLatin Church.Tertullian, a theologian of partBerberdescent, was instrumental in the development oftrinitarian theology,and was the first to applyLatin languageextensively in his theological writings. As such, Tertullian has been called "the father ofLatin Christianity"and "the founder of Western theology".Carthage remained an important center of Christianity until 698, hosting severalcouncils of Carthage.

Southern Gaul

Amphithéâtre des Trois-Gaules,in Lyon. The pole in the arena is a memorial to the people killed during thepersecution.

See also:Christianity in Gaul

The Mediterranean coast of France and theRhone valley,then part of RomanGallia Narbonensis,were early centers of Christianity. Major Christian communities were found inArles,Avignon,Vienne,Lyon,andMarseille(the oldest city in France). ThePersecution in Lyonoccurred in 177. The Apostolic FatherIrenaeusfromSmyrnaofAnatoliawasBishop of Lyonnear the end of the 2nd century and he claimedSaint Pothinuswas his predecessor. TheCouncil of Arles in 314is considered a forerunner of theecumenical councils.TheEphesine theory attributes the Gallican Rite to Lyon.

Aquileia

See also:Bishop of Aquileia

The ancient Roman city ofAquileiaat the head of theAdriatic Sea,today one of the main archaeological sites ofNorthern Italy,was an early center of Christianity said to be founded byMarkbefore his mission to Alexandria.Hermagoras of Aquileiais believed to be its first bishop. TheAquileian Riteis associated with Aquileia.

Milan

See also:Bishop of Milan

It is believed that the Church ofMilanin northwest Italy was founded by the apostleBarnabasin the 1st century.Gervasius and Protasiusand others were martyred there. It has long maintained its own rite known as theAmbrosian Riteattributed toAmbrose(born c. 330) who was bishop in 374–397 and one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. Duchesne argues that theGallican Rite originated in Milan.

Syracuse and Calabria

See also:Bishop of SyracuseandBishop of Reggio Calabria

Syracusewas founded by Greek colonists in 734 or 733 BC, part ofMagna Graecia.Syracuse is one of the first Christian communities established byPeter,preceded only by Antioch. Paul also preached in Syracuse. Historical evidence from the middle of the third century, during the time ofCyprian,suggests that Christianity was thriving in Syracuse, and the presence ofcatacombsprovides clear indications of Christian activity in the second century as well. Across theStrait of Messina,Calabriaon the mainland was also probably an early center of Christianity.

Malta

See also:Christianity in Malta

St Paul's IslandsnearSt. Paul's Bay,traditionally identified as the place where St Paul was shipwrecked

According to Acts, Paul was shipwrecked and ministered on an island which some scholars have identified asMalta(an island just south ofSicily) for three months during which time he is said to have been bitten by a poisonous viper and survived (Acts 27:39–42;Acts 28:1–11), an event usually dated c. AD 60. Paul had been allowed passage fromCaesarea Maritimato Rome byPorcius Festus,procuratorofIudaea Province,to stand trial before the Emperor. Many traditions are associated with this episode, andcatacombs in Rabattestify to an Early Christian community on the islands. According to tradition,Publius,the Roman Governor of Malta at the time of Saint Paul's shipwreck, became the firstBishop of Maltafollowing his conversion to Christianity. After ruling the Maltese Church for thirty-one years, Publius was transferred to the See ofAthensin 90 AD, where he was martyred in 125 AD. There is scant information about the continuity of Christianity in Malta in subsequent years, although tradition has it that there was a continuous line of bishops from the days of St. Paul to the time of Emperor Constantine.

Salona

See also:Religion in Croatia

Salona,the capital of theRoman province of Dalmatiaon the eastern shore of theAdriatic Sea,was an early center of Christianity and today is a ruin in modernCroatia.Titus,a disciple of Paul, preached there. Some Christians sufferedmartyrdom.

Salona emerged as a center for the spread of Christianity, withAndronicusestablishing the See ofSyrmium(Mitrovica) inPannonia,followed by those inSisciaandMursia.TheDiocletianic Persecutionleft deep marks inDalmatiaandPannonia.Quirinus,bishop ofSiscia,died a martyr in A.D. 303.

Seville

See also:Bishop of Seville

Sevillewas the capital ofHispania Baeticaor the Roman province of southern Spain. The origin of the diocese of Seville can be traced back to Apostolic times, or at least to the first century AD.Gerontius, the bishop ofItalica,nearHispalis(Seville), likely appointed a pastor for Seville.A bishop of Seville named Sabinus participated in theCouncil of Illiberisin 287.He was the bishop whenJusta and Rufinawere martyred in 303 for refusing to worship the idol Salambo.Prior to Sabinus, Marcellus is listed as a bishop of Seville in an ancient catalogue of prelates preserved in the "Codex Emilianensis".After theEdict of Milanin 313, Evodius became the bishop of Seville and undertook the task of rebuilding the churches that had been damaged.It is believed that he may have constructed the church of San Vicente, which could have been the firstcathedral of Seville.Early Christianity also spread from theIberian peninsulasouth across theStrait of Gibraltarinto RomanMauretania Tingitana,of note isMarcellus of Tangierwho was martyred in 298.

Roman Britain

See also:History of the Church of England § Roman and Sub-Roman Christianity in the British Isles

Christianity reachedRoman Britainby the third century of the Christian era, the first recorded martyrs in Britain beingSt. AlbanofVerulamiumandJulius and AaronofCaerleon,during the reign ofDiocletian(284–305).Gildasdated the faith's arrival to the latter part of the reign ofTiberius,although stories connecting it withJoseph of Arimathea,Lucius,orFaganare now generally consideredpious forgeries.Restitutus,Bishop of London,is recorded as attending the314 Council of Arles,along with theBishop of LincolnandBishop of York.

Christianisationintensified and evolved intoCeltic Christianityafter theRomans left Britainc. 410.

Outside the Roman Empire

See also:History of Eastern Christianity in AsiaandChurch of the East

Christianity also spread beyond the Roman Empire during the early Christian period.

Armenia

Etchmiadzin Cathedral,regarded theoldest cathedral in the world

It is accepted that theKingdom of Armeniabecame the first polity to adopt Christianity as its state religion. Although it has long been claimed that Armenia was the first Christian kingdom, according to some scholars this has relied on a source by Agathangelos titled "The History of the Armenians", which has recently been redated, casting some doubt.

Christianity became the official religion of the Kingdom of Armenia in 301,when it was still illegal in the Roman Empire. According to church tradition,theArmenian Apostolic Churchwas founded byGregory the Illuminatorof the late third – early fourth centuries after the conversion ofTiridates III.The church traces its origins to the missions ofBartholomew the Apostleand Thaddeus (Jude the Apostle) in the 1st century.

Tiridates III was the first Christian king in Armenia from 298 to 330.

Georgia

According to Orthodox tradition, Christianity was first preached inGeorgiaby the ApostlesSimonandAndrewin the 1st century. It became the state religion ofKartli(Iberia) in 319. The conversion of Kartli to Christianity is credited to a Greek lady calledSt. Ninoof Cappadocia. TheGeorgian Orthodox Church,originally part of theChurch of Antioch,gained its autocephaly and developed its doctrinal specificity progressively between the 5th and 10th centuries.The Biblewas also translated into Georgian in the 5th century, as theGeorgian Alpha betwas developed for that purpose.

India

Main articles:Christianity in India,Christianity in Pakistan,andSaint Thomas Christians

According to tradition, theIndo-Parthianking Gondophares was proselytized bySt Thomas,who continued on to southern India, and possibly as far as Malaysia or China.

According toEusebius' record,the apostlesThomasandBartholomewwere assigned toParthia(modern Iran) and India.By the time of the establishment of the Second Persian Empire (AD 226), there were bishops of the Church of the East in northwest India, Afghanistan andBaluchistan(including parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan), with laymen and clergy alike engaging in missionary activity.

An early third-century Syriac work known as theActs of Thomasconnects the apostle's Indian ministry with two kings, one in the north and the other in the south. According to theActs,Thomas was at first reluctant to accept this mission, but the Lord appeared to him in a night vision and compelled him to accompany an Indian merchant, Abbanes (or Habban), to his native place in northwest India. There, Thomas found himself in the service of theIndo-ParthianKing, Gondophares. The Apostle's ministry resulted in many conversions throughout the kingdom, including the king and his brother.

Thomas thereafter went south toKeralaand baptized the natives, whose descendants form theSaint Thomas Christiansor theSyrian Malabar Nasranis.

Piecing together the various traditions, the story suggests that Thomas left northwest India when invasion threatened, and traveled by vessel to theMalabar Coastalong the southwestern coast of the Indian continent, possibly visiting southeastArabiaandSocotraen route, and landing at the former flourishing port ofMuzirison an island nearCochinin 52. From there he preached the gospel throughout the Malabar Coast. The various churches he founded were located mainly on thePeriyar Riverand its tributaries and along the coast. He preached to all classes of people and had about 170 converts, including members of the four principal castes. Later, stone crosses were erected at the places where churches were founded, and they became pilgrimage centres. In accordance with apostolic custom, Thomas ordained teachers and leaders or elders, who were reported to be the earliest ministry of the Malabar church.

Thomas next proceeded overland to theCoromandel Coastin southeastern India, and ministered in what is nowChennai(earlier Madras), where a local king and many people were converted. One tradition related that he went from there to China viaMalaccain Malaysia, and after spending some time there, returned to the Chennai area.Apparently his renewed ministry outraged theBrahmins,who were fearful lest Christianity undermine their social caste system. So according to the Syriac version of theActs of Thomas,Mazdai, the local king atMylapore,after questioning the Apostle condemned him to death about the year AD 72. Anxious to avoid popular excitement, the King ordered Thomas conducted to a nearby mountain, where, after being allowed to pray, he was then stoned and stabbed to death with a lance wielded by an angry Brahmin.

Mesopotamia and the Parthian Empire

Edessa,which was held by Rome from 116 to 118 and 212 to 214, but was mostly a client kingdom associated either with Rome orPersia,was an important Christian city. Shortly after 201 or even earlier, its royal house became Christian.

Edessa (nowŞanlıurfa) in northwestern Mesopotamia was from apostolic times the principal center ofSyriac-speaking Christianity. it was the capital of an independent kingdom from 132 BC to AD 216, when it became tributary to Rome. Celebrated as an important centre of Greco-Syrian culture, Edessa was also noted for its Jewish community, withproselytesin the royal family. Strategically located on the main trade routes of theFertile Crescent,it was easily accessible fromAntioch,where the mission to the Gentiles was inaugurated. When early Christians were scattered abroad because of persecution, some found refuge at Edessa. Thus the Edessan church traced its origin to theApostolic Age(which may account for its rapid growth), andChristianityeven became the state religion for a time.

The Church of the East had its inception at a very early date in the buffer zone between theParthianand Roman Empires in Upper Mesopotamia, known as theAssyrian Church of the East.The vicissitudes of its later growth were rooted in its minority status in a situation of international tension. The rulers of the Parthian Empire (250 BC – AD 226) were on the whole tolerant in spirit, and with the older faiths of Babylonia and Assyria in a state of decay, the time was ripe for a new and vital faith. The rulers of the Second Persian empire (226–640) also followed a policy of religious toleration to begin with, though later they gave Christians the same status as a subject race. However, these rulers also encouraged the revival of the ancient Persian dualistic faith ofZoroastrianismand established it as the state religion, with the result that the Christians were increasingly subjected to repressive measures. Nevertheless, it was not until Christianity became the state religion in the West (380) that enmity toward Rome was focused on the Eastern Christians. After the Muslim conquest in the 7th century, the caliphate tolerated other faiths but forbade proselytism and subjected Christians to heavy taxation.

The missionaryAddaievangelizedMesopotamia(modernIraq) about the middle of the 2nd century. An ancient legend recorded byEusebius(AD 260–340) and also found in theDoctrine of Addai(c. AD 400) (from information in the royal archives of Edessa) describes how KingAbgar V of Edessacommunicated to Jesus, requesting he come and heal him, to which appeal he received a reply. It is said that after the resurrection,Thomassent Addai (or Thaddaeus), to the king, with the result that the city was won to the Christian faith. In this mission he was accompanied by a disciple, Mari, and the two are regarded as co-founders of the church, according to theLiturgy of Addai and Mari(c. AD 200), which is still the normal liturgy of the Assyrian church. TheDoctrine of Addaifurther states that Thomas was regarded as an apostle of the church in Edessa.

Addai, who became the first bishop of Edessa, was succeeded byAggai,then byPalut,who was ordained about 200 bySerapion of Antioch.Thence came to us in the 2nd century the famousPeshitta,or Syriac translation of the Old Testament; alsoTatian'sDiatessaron,which was compiled about 172 and in common use until St.Rabbula,Bishop of Edessa (412–435), forbade its use. This arrangement of the fourcanonical gospelsas a continuous narrative, whose original language may have been Syriac, Greek, or even Latin, circulated widely in Syriac-speaking Churches.

A Christian council was held at Edessa as early as 197.In 201 the city was devastated by a great flood, and the Christian church was destroyed.In 232, the Syriac Acts were written supposedly on the event of the relics of the Apostle Thomas being handed to the church in Edessa. Under Roman domination many martyrs suffered at Edessa: Sts.ScharbîlandBarsamya,underDecius;Sts. Gûrja, Schâmôna, Habib, and others underDiocletian.In the meanwhile Christian priests from Edessa had evangelized Eastern Mesopotamia andPersia,and established the first churches in the kingdom of theSasanians.Atillâtiâ, Bishop of Edessa, assisted at theFirst Council of Nicaea(325).

Persia and Central Asia

By the latter half of the 2nd century, Christianity had spread east throughoutMedia,Persia,Parthia,andBactria.The twenty bishops and many presbyters were more of the order of itinerant missionaries, passing from place to place as Paul did and supplying their needs with such occupations as merchant or craftsman. By AD 280 the metropolis of Seleucia assumed the title of "Catholicos" and in AD 424 a council of the church at Seleucia elected the first patriarch to have jurisdiction over the whole church of the East. The seat of the Patriarchate was fixed atSeleucia-Ctesiphon,since this was an important point on the east–west trade routes which extended to India and China, Java and Japan. Thus the shift of ecclesiastical authority was away from Edessa, which in AD 216 had become tributary to Rome. the establishment of an independent patriarchate with nine subordinate metropoli contributed to a more favourable attitude by the Persian government, which no longer had to fear an ecclesiastical alliance with the common enemy, Rome.

By the time that Edessa was incorporated into thePersian Empirein 258, the city ofArbela,situated on theTigrisin what is nowIraq,had taken on more and more the role that Edessa had played in the early years, as a centre from which Christianity spread to the rest of the Persian Empire.

Bardaisan,writing about 196, speaks of Christians throughoutMedia,ParthiaandBactria(modern-dayAfghanistan)and, according toTertullian(c. 160–230), there were already a number of bishoprics within the Persian Empire by 220.By 315, the bishop ofSeleucia–Ctesiphonhad assumed the title "Catholicos".By this time, neither Edessa nor Arbela was the centre of the Church of the East anymore; ecclesiastical authority had moved east to the heart of the Persian Empire.The twin cities of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, well-situated on the main trade routes between East and West, became, in the words of John Stewart, "a magnificent centre for the missionary church that was entering on its great task of carrying the gospel to the far east".

During the reign ofShapur IIof theSasanian Empire,he was not initially hostile to his Christian subjects, who were led byShemon Bar Sabbae,thePatriarchof theChurch of the East,however, the conversion of Constantine the Great toChristianitycaused Shapur to start distrusting his Christian subjects. He started seeing them as agents of a foreign enemy. The wars between the Sasanian and Roman empires turned Shapur's mistrust into hostility. After the death of Constantine, Shapur II, who had been preparing for a war against the Romans for several years, imposed a double tax on his Christian subjects to finance the conflict. Shemon, however, refused to pay the double tax. Shapur started pressuring Shemon and his clergy to convert to Zoroastrianism, which they refused to do. It was during this period the 'cycle of the martyrs' began during which 'many thousands of Christians' were put to death. During the following years, Shemon's successors,ShahdostandBarba'shmin,were also martyred.

A near-contemporary 5th-century Christian work, theEcclesiastical HistoryofSozomen,contains considerable detail on the Persian Christians martyred under Shapur II. Sozomen estimates the total number of Christians killed as follows:

The number of men and women whose names have been ascertained, and who were martyred at this period, has been computed to be upwards of sixteen thousand, while the multitude of martyrs whose names are unknown was so great that the Persians, the Syrians, and the inhabitants of Edessa, have failed in all their efforts to compute the number.

— Sozomen, in hisEcclesiastical History,Book II, Chapter XIV

Arabian Peninsula

See also:GhassanidsandLakhmids

To understand the penetration of theArabian Peninsulaby the Christian gospel, it is helpful to distinguish between theBedouinnomads of the interior, who were chiefly herdsmen and unreceptive to foreign control, and the inhabitants of the settled communities of the coastal areas and oases, who were either middlemen traders or farmers and were receptive to influences from abroad. Christianity apparently gained its strongest foothold in the ancient center of Semitic civilization in South-west Arabia orYemen(sometimes known as Seba orSheba,whose queen visitedSolomon). Because of geographic proximity, acculturation withEthiopiawas always strong, and the royal family traces its ancestry to this queen.

The presence of Arabians at Pentecost and Paul's three-year sojourn in Arabia suggest a very early gospel witness. A 4th-century church history, states that the apostleBartholomewpreached in Arabia and thatHimyariteswere among his converts. The Al-Jubail Churchin what is nowSaudi Arabiawas built in the 4th century. Arabia's close relations with Ethiopia give significance to the conversion ofthe treasurerto the queen of Ethiopia, not to mention the tradition that the Apostle Matthew was assigned to this land.Eusebiussays that "onePantaneous(c. A.D. 190) was sent fromAlexandriaas a missionary to the nations of the East ", including southwest Arabia, on his way to India.

Nubia

Christianity arrived early inNubia.In theNew Testamentof theChristian Bible,a treasury officialof "Candace, queen of the Ethiopians" returning from a trip toJerusalemwasbaptisedbyPhilip the Evangelist:

Then the Angel of the Lord said to Philip, Start out and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: And behold, aman of Ethiopia,anEunuchof great authority under Candace, Queen of E-thi-o'pi-ans, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship.

Ethiopia at that time meant any upper Nile region.Candacewas the title and perhaps, name for theMeroëorKushitequeens.

In the fourth century, bishopAthanasiusofAlexandriaconsecrated Marcus as bishop ofPhilaebefore his death in 373, showing thatChristianityhad permanently penetrated the region.John of Ephesusrecords that aMonophysitepriest named Julian converted the king and his nobles of Nobatia around 545 and another kingdom of Alodia converted around 569. By the 7th centuryMakuriaexpanded becoming the dominant power in the region so strong enough to halt the southern expansion ofIslamafter theArabshad taken Egypt. After several failed invasions the new rulers agreed to a treaty with Dongola allowing for peaceful coexistence and trade. This treaty held for six hundred years allowing Arab traders introducing Islam to Nubia and it gradually supplantedChristianity.The last recorded bishop wasTimothyatQasr Ibrimin 1372.

See also

• Baptism in early Christianity
• Christianity in the ante-Nicene period
• Christianity in the 4th century
• Diversity in early Christian theology
• Early Christian art and architecture
• History of Christianity
• Proto-orthodox Christianity
• Split of Christianity and Judaism

Bibliography

• Vidmar, John(2005).The Catholic Church Through the Ages: A History(Illustrated, annotated ed.).Paulist Press.ISBN978-0-8091-4234-7.
• Bond, Helen K.(2012).The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed.Bloomsbury Academic.ISBN978-0-567-12510-1.
• Chadwick, Henry(1993).The Early Church.The Penguin History of the Church. Vol. 1 (revised ed.). Penguin Books.ISBN978-0-14-023199-1.
• Dunn, James D.G.Jews and Christians: The Parting of the Ways,AD 70 to 135. pp 33–34. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (1999).ISBN978-0-8028-4498-9.
• Fredriksen, Paula(1999).Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity.Vintage Books.ISBN978-0-679-76746-6.
• Freeman, Charles(2011).A New History of Early Christianity.Yale University Press.ISBN978-0-300-17083-2.
• González, Justo L.(1987).A History of Christian Thought.Vol. 1: From the Beginnings to the Council of Chalcedon (revised ed.). Abingdon Press.ISBN978-0-687-17182-8.
• González, Justo L.(2010).The Story of Christianity.Vol. 1 The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation (revised and updated ed.). HarperCollins.ISBN978-0-06-185588-7.
• Hopkins, Keith(1998). "Christian Number and Its Implications".Journal of Early Christian Studies.6(2).Johns Hopkins University Press:185–226.doi:10.1353/earl.1998.0035.ISSN1086-3184.S2CID170769034.Project MUSE9960.
• Klutz, Todd (2000). "Paul and the Development of Gentile Christianity". InEsler, Philip F.(ed.).The Early Christian World.Routledge Worlds. Routledge. pp.178–190.ISBN978-1-032-19934-4.
• MacCulloch, Diarmaid(2010).Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years.Penguin Books.ISBN978-1-101-18999-3.
• Marcus, Joel (2006). "Jewish Christianity". InMitchell, Margaret M.;Young, Frances M.(eds.).The Cambridge History of Christianity.Vol. 1: Origins to Constantine. Cambridge University Press. pp.87–102.doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521812399.ISBN978-1-139-05483-6.
• McGrath, Alister(2013).Christian History: An Introduction.Wiley-Blackwell.ISBN978-1-118-33780-6.
• Mitchell, Margaret M.(2006). "Gentile Christianity". In Mitchell, Margaret M.;Young, Frances M.(eds.).The Cambridge History of Christianity.Vol. 1: Origins to Constantine. Cambridge University Press. pp.103–124.doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521812399.ISBN978-1-139-05483-6.
• Schnelle, Udo(2020).The First One Hundred Years of Christianity: An Introduction to Its History, Literature, and Development.Translated by Thompson, James W. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic.ISBN978-1-4934-2242-5.
• Seifrid, Mark A.(1992).Justification by Faith: The Origin and Development of a Central Pauline Theme.Novum Testamentum, Supplements.Leiden:Brill Publishers.ISBN978-90-04-09521-2.ISSN0167-9732.
• Wilken, Robert Louis (2012).The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity.Yale University Press.ISBN978-0-300-11884-1.

Further reading

• Pelikan, Jaroslav Jan.The Christian Tradition: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100–600).University of Chicago Press (1975).ISBN978-0-226-65371-6.
• Stark, Rodney.The Rise of Christianity.HarperCollins Pbk. Ed edition 1997.ISBN978-0-06-067701-5
• Taylor, Joan E.Christians and the Holy Places: The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins.Oxford University Press (1993).ISBN978-0-19-814785-5.
• Thiede, Carsten Peter.The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish Origins of Christianity.Palgrabe Macmillan (2003).ISBN978-1-4039-6143-3.

External links

• Early Christian SourcesEnglish translations of the surviving writings of the early Christians.
• Early Christians(archived 1 September 2014)
• PBS Frontline: The First Christians
• First Christians and Rome
• Cave in Jordan Said to Have Been Used by Early ChristiansBiblical Archaeology Review (archived 7 January 2010)