Ancient World History Chronology: CE 1-199
by Paul Harvey, Santa Clara, CA
www.kfu.com/~pharvey/chronologies.html
edited by Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.
1 February 1999

• 1: Christian calendar year AD 1 (anno Domini); world pop. c.250 million
• 6-64: province Iudaea: Augustus (31 B.C.E.) deposed Herod Archelaus (4 B.C.E.) and annexed Samaria, Judea, Idumea under direct Roman administration; capital at Caesarea; Legate (Governor) Quirinius of Syria conducted 1st Roman census (opposed by Zealot's Tax Revolt of Judah of Gamala & Saddok the Pharisee [JA18.4, JW2.118]) & appointed Annas (Ananus I) ben Seth High Priest of Jerusalem Temple ("House of Annas" produced 8 High Priests of Iudaea)
• 6-9-c12-15-26: Coponius - Ambivius - Rufus - Gratus: Roman Prefects of Iudaea
• 9-23: Wang Mang: overthrew Han Dynasty of China, attempted radical reforms
• 9: Arminius the Cheruscan destroys 3 Roman Legions near Rhine river of Germany
• 9: Hillel the Elder from Babylonia: b.30 B.C.E., "greatest Torah sage of Second Temple period", founded Bet Hillel Torah school; at the request of a student to teach the entire Torah "while standing on one foot" he replied: "What is hateful to you, do not unto your neighbor. This is the entire Torah, all the rest is commentary," i.e., "Go and study it."; "He who magnifies his name destroys it; he who does not increase his knowledge decreases it, and he who does not study deserves to die; and he who makes worldly use of the crown of Torah shall waste away." [Encyclopedia Judaica]
• 14-37Mar16: Tiberius: b.42 B.C.E., Roman Emperor, "Son of Divine Augustus", in 19 expelled Septuagint (Greek Bible, 282 B.C.E.) missionaries from Rome but they soon returned, in 37 dedicated Temple of Divus Augustus (Divine Augustus)
• 16-17: Eleazar: son of Annas (6-15), appointed High Priest of Jerusalem Temple
• 16: Germanicus (adopted by Tiberius in 4) suppressed Revolt of Arminius (9)
• 17: Titus Livius (Livy): b.59 B.C.E., Roman historian: "Ab Urbe Condita"; Loeb:14v
• c17: Ovidius (Ovid): b.43 B.C.E., Roman Poet: Amores; Ars Amatoria; Metamorphoses;Loeb:6v
• 18-36: Joseph Caiaphas: son-in-law of Annas, appointed High Priest of Jerusalem Temple by Prefect Valerius Gratus, deposed by Syrian Legate Vitellius
• 18-23: "Red Eyebrows" peasant revolt of China: Wang Mang assassinated
• c19: Herod Antipas (4 B.C.E.) moved Galilean capital from Sepphoris to "Tiberias"
• 23-220: Later (Eastern) Han Dynasty of China, founded by Kuang-wu at Loyang
• c24: Strabo: b.63 B.C.E., Greek geographer, wrote: "Geographica"; Loeb Classics 8v
• c25: Assumption (Testament) of Moses: original Hebrew extant Latin (Apocrypha)
• 26-36: Pontius Pilate: Roman Prefect of Iudaea (Samaria, Judea, Idumea)
• 27-34?: John the Baptist: "15th year of Tiberius" [Lk3:1-2], a Nazirite? [Lk1:15], arrested & killed by Herod Antipas [Lk3:19-20], {When others too joined the crowds about him, because they were aroused to the highest degree by his sermons, Herod became alarmed. Eloquence that had so great an effect on mankind might lead to some form of sedition, for it looked as if they would be guided by John in everything that they did. Herod decided therefore that it would be much better to strike first and be rid of him before his work led to an uprising, than to wait for an upheaval, get involved in a difficult situation and see his mistake.} [JA18.5.2, Loeb Classical Library]
• 30: Marcus Manilius: b.10 B.C.E.?, Roman poet, wrote: Astronomica; (Loeb Classics)
• c30: Shammai the Elder: founded Bet Shammai Torah school; "Make your study of the Torah a matter of established regularity, say little and do much, and receive all men with a friendly countenance." [Encyc. Judaica: Avot,1,15]
• 26-36?: Jesus the Nazarene:  < Latin:IESVS NAZARENVS < Greek:Iesous ho Nazarenos (or Nazoraios) < Aramaic: Yeshu haNatseraya > Hebrew Talmud:Yeshu haNotseri < Hebrew Bible: Yeshua' < Yehoshua'; son of Mary, born 12-4 B.C.E., bathed in Jordan to remove sin by John the Baptist [Mk1:4-11], {But after John was handed over to the authorities, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good word of God & say- ing, "The time has come & the kingdom of God is approaching. Repent & trust in the good word."} - Mk1:14-15(Gaus) || Mt4:12,17,Lk4:14-15, cf.Jn4:1-3,43- 46a; selected c12 apostles
• c50: Ascension of Isaiah: original written in Hebrew (Ethiopic Bible)
• c50: Barthelemy Greek Minor Prophets: R943, pb.1953, unknown translation type
• c50: Hero of Alexandria invented crude steam engine: "aeolipile"
• c50: early Gnostics?: Simon Magus of Samaria, Simonianism [Acts 8:9-24,Petrine Acts, EH2.13,...]; Nicolaus of Antioch, Nicolaitans? [Acts 6:5 ,Rev 2:6,15, EH3.29.1-3,...]; Menander disciple of Simon Magus; Basilides of Alexandria (d.160?) and Satorninus of Antioch (d.120?) disciples of Menander; ...
• 52-c60: M. Antonius Felix: Roman Procurator of Iudaea, a Greek freedman, in c55 massacred "Egyptian Prophet" & c30,000 unarmed Jews doing Exodus reenactment [Ac21, JW2.261, JA20.169], in c58 crushed Jewish revolt in Caesarea
• 54-68Jun9: Nero: b.37, Roman Emperor, last of Julio-Claudian Dynasty, in 59 killed mother Agrippina, in 62 killed wife Octavia, married Poppaea Sabina, in 64Jul18 "Great Fire", in 65 ordered suicides of poets Seneca the Younger (Dialogi; Naturales quaestiones; Loeb:11v) & Lucan (Bellum Civile;Loeb:1v), in 66 entered Olympic Games & won, freed Greece from Roman administration, ordered suicide of courtier Petronius (Satyricon; Loeb:1v), in 68Jun9 committed suicide, resurrected as "Nero redivivus"? (Revelation's 666?) ...
• 58: Ming-Ti: Chinese Emperor, introduced Buddhism to China
• 58-170: 3rd Corinthians: by Paul of Tarsus? original in Greek (Armenian Bible)
• c60-62-64: Porcius Festus - Lucceius Albinus: Roman Procurators of Iudaea
• 62: Jesus son of Ananias proclaimed "...a voice against Jerusalem..."[JW6.300]
• 62: Persius: b.34, Roman Stoic satirist, wrote: "Satirae"; (Loeb Classics)
• 62: {Being therefore this kind of person [i.e., a heartless Sadducee], Ananus {II} thinking that he had a favorable opportunity because Festus had died & Albinus was still on his way, called a meeting [literally, "sanhedrin"] of judges and brought into it the brother of Jesus-who-is-called-Messiah, James by name, and some others. He made the accusation that they had transgressed the law, and he handed them over to be stoned.} [JA 20.9.1; Marginal Jew ,p.57]
• 64-66: Gessius Florus: Roman Procurator of Iudaea (Samaria, Judea, Idumea), a Greek from Asia Minor, raided Temple setting off Jewish rebellion of 66-73
• 64Jul18: Great Fire of Rome: Nero accused Christians: {Therefore to squelch the rumor {{that he had started the Great Fire of Rome}}, Nero created scapegoats and subjected to the most refined tortures those whom the common people called "Christians," [a group] hated for their abominable crimes. Their name comes from Christ, who, during the reign of Tiberius, had been executed by the procurator Pontius Pilate. Suppressed for the moment, the deadly superstition broke out again, not only in Judea, the land which originated this evil, but also in the city of Rome, where all sorts of horrendous and shameful practices from every part of the world converge and are fervently cultivated.} [Tacitus Annals 15.44; Marginal Jew,Meier;p.89-90]
• 65-150: Gospel redaction and compilation stage of Christianity, post-Paul, center of Christianity shifted to Antioch & Rome ("New Babylon" of 1Pt5:13)
• c65: Q: (German: Quelle=Source), hypothetical Greek text used in Matt & Luke
• 65-150: Gospel of Peter; Dialogue of the Savior (Complete Gospels)
• 65-150: Didache: Instructions of the Apostles, pub. 1883 (Apostolic Fathers)
• 65-150: Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 1224 fragments: pub. 1914, {When the scholars a[nd Pharise]es and priests observe[ed hi]m, they were indignant [because he reclined in the com]pany of sin[ners]. But Jesus overheard [them and said,] Those who are we[ll don't need a doctor.]} -5(SV) || Mk2:15-17; Mt9:10-13;Lk5:29-32 (Ref: The Complete Gospels, 1992, ISBN:0-944344-30-5)
• 65-150: Gospel of Thomas: based on Q?, pub. 1959, Greek originals: Papyrus Ox. 1,654-5; {Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the imperial rule is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the imperial rule is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."} -Th 3 (SV), cf. Mk13:21-23; Mt24:23-28; Lk17:20-25; Jb28:12-14,20-22(LXX); Bar3:29-32,35-37; Dt30:11-14(LXX) ; Sir1:1-3 {His disciples said to him, "When will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new world come?" He said to them, "What you are looking forward to has come, but you don't know it."} -Th 51(SV), cf. Mt11:28-29; DSav 65-68; Sir 51:26-27, 6:23-31; Lk17:20-21; Mk9:12-13; Mt17:11; 2Tm2:17-18 {His disciples said to him, "When will the imperial rule come?" "It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's imperial rule is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it."} -Th 113(SV) || Lk17:20-21; cf. Mary 4:4-5; Mk13:21;Mt 24:23;Lk 17:23 (Ref: The Complete Gospels, ISBN:0-944344-30-5)
• 65-175: Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 fragments: pub. 1908, {In response the savior said to him: "I feel sorry for the blind who can't see. You bathe in these stagnant waters where dogs & pigs wallow day & night.} -2:7(SV) cf. Mt7:6; Jn9:40-41; 2Pt2:22; Rv22:15 (Ref: The Complete Gospels, ISBN:0-944344-30-5)
• 65-175: Papyrus Egerton 2 (Unknown Gospel) fragments: pub. 1935/87, in Greek from Palestine, one of the oldest extant Christian texts (c175), {Turning to the rulers of the people, made this statement: "Pore over the writings. You imagine that in them there is life to be had. They do indeed give evidence on my behalf."} -EgerG 1:2(SV) || Jn5:39 (Comp. Gospels)
• 65-250: Papyrus Fayum (P. Vindob. G. 2325) fragments: pub. 1887, {(He said, after) eating according to custom, "Al[l of you on this] night will fall away, [according to] scripture: 'I will strike the [shepherd and the] sheep will be scattered.'" [When] Peter said, "Even if all, [yet not I," (Jesus said) "Before] the cock crows twice [today three times] you will deny me."} cf. Mk14:26-31; Mt26:30-35;Lk22:31-34 [Ref: Anchor Bible Dictionary, 1992]
• 65-350: "Jewish-Christian Gospels": 7 fragments of Gospel of the Ebionites and 7 fragments of Gospel of the Hebrews in Greek; 36 fragments of Gospel of the Nazarenes in Aramaic; [Ref: NT Apocrypha, W. Schneemelcher, vol. 1]
• 66-428: Armenian Arsacid Dynasty: founded by Trdat the Parthian, appr. by Nero
• 66-73: Roman-Jewish War: final destruction of Second Temple (Herod's Temple) {What more than all else incited them [the Jews] to the [1st Roman] war was an ambiguous oracle ... found in their sacred scriptures, to the effect that at that time 1 from their country would become ruler of the world. This they understood to mean someone of their own race, & many of their wise men went astray in their interpretation of it. The oracle, however, in reality signified the sovereignty of Vespasian who was proclaimed Emperor on Jewish soil} [Josephus' JW 6.312-13; Crossan, Who Killed Jesus?, p44, ISBN:0-06-061479-X]
• 66: Roman Legate of Syria Cestius Gallus forced to retreat from Iudaea
• 67: Roman General Vespasianus (Vespasian) conquered Galilee
• 67: Peter: 1st Pope?, 1st bishop of Antioch?, martyred (crucified?) in Rome?
• 67-78,79-91: Pope Linus (2Tm4:21?) - Pope Anacletus ("blameless?" Titus 1:7?)
• 68: Qumran (Essenes?) community destroyed by Rome ("Dead Sea Scrolls", 1949)
• 68Jun-69Jan-69Apr-69Dec: Galba-Otho-Vitellius: Roman Emperors, all assassinated
• 69-79Jun23: Vespasianus: b.9, Roman Emperor, appointed by Senate, founded Flavian Dynasty (69-96), built Colosseum, quelled Rome & Jerusalem revolts, in 70 July eldest son Titus reclaimed Roman Antonia fortress in Jerusalem, in August conquered Jerusalem, destroyed Temple; in 71 built Arch of Titus, in 73 Jewish fortress at Masada fell, residents committed mass suicide
• 69: "Nero redivivus" martyred in Galatia [ABD; Tacitus Hist.2.8]
• 70-361: special annual tax of 2 drachmas levied on all Jews of the Roman Empire since Jupiter Capitolinus (God of Rome) had defeated God of Jerusalem {Besides other taxes, that on the Jews was levied with the utmost rigour, and those were prosecuted who without publicly acknowledging that faith yet lived as Jews, as well as those who concealed their origin and did not pay the tribute levied upon their people. {{These were doubtless Christians, whom the Romans commonly confounded with the Jews.}} I recall being present in my youth when the person of a man ninety years old was examined before the procurator and a very crowded court, to see whether he was circumcised.} [Suetonius, de Vita Caesarum, Book VII, Domitian, XII.2, Loeb Classics]
• 70-640: Sanhedrin (High Court) period of Judaism: rise of house of Hillel (9)
• 70-132: Sanhedrin (High Court) of Judaism regularly held in Jabneh (Jamnia), begun by Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai to 'perform commandments & teach Torah'
• c70: Gospel of Mark: Peter's interpreter? [1Pt5:13], written in Rome?, ends unexpectedly at Mk16:8, original ending apparently lost, endings added c400
• c70: "Signs Gospel": hypothetical Greek text used in Gospel of John to prove Jesus is Messiah; Opening: Jn1:6-7,19-49; in Galilee: Jn2:1-12a,4:46b-54,21: 1-14,6:1-14,15b-25; in Jerusalem: Jn11:1-45,9:1-8,5:2-9; Culmination: Jn11: 47-53,2:14-19,12:37-40; Passion Prelude: Jn12:1-8,12-15; Passion: Jn18:1-19: 42; Resurrection: Jn20:1-22; Closing: Jn20:30-31 (Complete Gospels)
• 71: "The Jewish War": (JW), by Josephus (c100), written in Greek
• c74: Publius Annius Florus: Roman historian; (Loeb Classical Library)
• 79-81Sep13: Titus: b.39, Roman Emperor, Vespasianus' eldest son
• 79: Pliny the Elder: b.23, Roman scholar, victim of Mt. Vesuvius eruption on August 24 that destroyed Pompeii & Herculaneum, wrote of Essenes; Loeb:10v
• 80: Terentius Maximus of Parthia claimed to be "Nero redivivus" [ABD]
• c80: Gospel of Matthew: most popular in early church, based on Mark and Q
• c80: "Council of Jamnia" said to have canonized Jewish Scripture [discredited]
• 81-96Sep18: Domitianus: b.51, Roman Emperor, Vespasianus' youngest son, "Nero redivivus?", proclaimed himself "Lord & God", stabbed to death by wife ...
• 88: 2nd "Nero redivivus" of Parthia: "Even now his subjects wish he were alive, and most men believe that he is." [ABD; Dio Chrysostom Orations.21.10]
• c90: Gospel of Luke: based on Mark & Q, also Acts - same author, style of LXX
• c90: Josephus claimed 22 Jewish books: 5 Law, 13 History, 4 Hymns [AA1.8]
• 91-101: Pope Clement I: Phil 4:3?, wrote to Corinth in 95: "1 Clement" (AF) {...Clement's Bible is the Old Testament, to which he refers repeatedly as Scripture (graphe), quoting it with more or less exactness. Clement also makes occasional reference to certain words of Jesus; though they are authoritative for him, he does not appear to enquire how their authenticity is ensured. In two of the three instances that he speaks of remembering 'the words' of Christ or of the Lord Jesus, it seems that he has a written record in mind, but he does not call it a 'gospel'. He knows several of Paul's epistles, and values them highly for their content; the same can be said of the Epistle to the Hebrews, with which he is well acquainted. Although these writings obviously possess for Clement considerable significance, he never refers to them as authoritative 'Scripture'.} [Canon NT, Metzger,p.43]
• 94: Jewish Antiquities by Josephus in Aramaic, trans. to Greek; Testimonium Flavianum: {At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians (named after him) has not died out.} [JA18.3.3 Meier redaction, Marginal Jew, p.61]
• c95: Quintilianus: b.35?, Roman rhetor, wrote: Institutio oratoria; Loeb:4v
• 96-98Jan25: Nerva: b.35?, Roman Emperor, law reform, adopted successor Trajan
• c96: Statius: b.40?, Roman poet, wrote: Silvae, Thebais, Achilleis; Loeb:2v
• 97: Wang Ch'ung: b.27, Chinese Confucianist
• 98-117Aug8: Trajanus: b.53?, Roman Emperor, selected by Nerva, Empire reached largest size; annexed Dacia (=Romania 106-1453), Arabia (106-c630), Armenia (114-162), Mesopotamia (114-115); Roman Arch Aqueduct at Segovia, Spain; revolt in 115-117 when Procurator Lucius Quietus provoked Kitos War in Jerusalem, spread to Libya, Cyrenaica, Egypt, Cyprus, Mesopotamia, ended Roman eastward expansion, Parthia restored, Egyptian Jewry declined
• c100: Apollonius of Tyana: neo-Pythagorean, raised dead, pred. Domitian's end
• c100: Gospel of John: only eyewitness? the disciple Jesus loved? Gnostic? ...
• c100: Odes of Solomon: Gnostic?, Greek or Syriac?, ref by John? (Apocrypha)
• c100: Epistle of Barnabas: Christian exegesis of LXX (AF = Apostolic Fathers)
• c100: 2 Clement: an old sermon but not by Clement (AF = Apostolic Fathers)
• c100: 2 Esdras (Vg=EsdraeIV): v14:45 claims 24 Jewish books (Vulgate,Peshitta)
• c100: Apocalypse of Baruch (2 Baruch in Syriac; 3 Baruch in Greek) (Peshitta)
• c100: Paralipomena of Jeremiah: (4 Baruch), written in Hebrew (Ethiopic Bible) c
• 100: Testaments 12 Patriarchs: Hebrew-Aramaic frags @Qumran1,4(Armenian Bible)
• c100: Epistle to the Laodiceans: [cf.Col4:16] ??? (Vulgate Fuldensis, 546)
• c100: Masoretes at Tiberias compile Masora (MT), standard Jewish Scriptures
• c100: Chang Cheng: Chinese astronomer, built 1st seismoscope
• c100: Flavius Josephus: b.37?, Jewish general, turncoat, historian, hellenist: 71: JW=Jewish War; c90: AA=Against Apion; 94: JA=Jewish Antiquities; Loeb10v
• 100-150: Secret Book (Apocryphon) of James; Gospel of Mary Magdalene; Infancy Gospel of Thomas; Protoevangelion of James; Secret Gospel (of Mark) (Complete Gospels)
• 101-109-116-125-136: Popes Evaristus - Alexander - Sixtus I - Telesphorus
• c104: Martialis: b.40?, Roman epigrammist; (Loeb Classical Library: 2v)
• c105: Ts'ai Lun: of China "invented" paper, monopoly held till 751 [earliest extant papers are c100 B.C.E. from Sian (1957), 49 B.C.E. from Sinkiang (1933)]
• c110: Ignatius: 3rd bishop of Antioch, martyred in Rome, letters subjected to heavy Christian forgery, advocated bishop: "careful not to oppose the bishop , in order that we may be obedient to God. ... regard the bishop as the Lord himself." [IEph5-6]; "godly bishop ... presiding in the place of God ... Lord did nothing without the Father, ... so you must not do anything without the bishop ... be subject to the bishop ... as Jesus Christ in the flesh was to the Father," [IMag2,6-7,13]; "subject to the bishop as to Jesus Christ, ... respect the bishop, who is a model of the Father," [ITr2-3]; "follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed the Father, ... one who honors the bishop has been honored by God;" [ISmy8-9]; rejected Sabbath: "no longer keeping the Sabbath but living in accordance with the Lord's Day," [IMag9.1] (AF)
• 114: Lucius Apuleius: Roman satirist: The Golden Ass, Metamorphoses; Loeb:3v
• c114: Pliny the Younger: b.61?, Roman consul, recorded Christians as "singing hymns to Christ as to a god" <... Christo quasi deo> [Letter 10.96]; Loeb:2v
• 115: Lucian: Gk satirist: Passing of Peregrinus (satire of Christians); Loeb8v
• 117-138 Jul10: Hadrianus: b.76, Roman Emperor, built wall across Britain, tried to build Jupiter Capitolinus Temple on Jerusalem Temple ruins causing Jewish Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135), Judea and Jerusalem erased from maps, southern Syria renamed "Palaestina" (coined by Herodotus, 425 B.C.E.)
• c117: Publius Cornelius Tacitus: b.55?, Roman Historian: "Annals"; (Loeb:5v)
• c120: Plutarch: b.46?, Greek historian, wrote 200+: "Parallel Lives"; Loeb:27v
• c125: Papyrus 52: oldest extant NT fragment, p.1935, parts of Jn18:31-33,37-38
• c125: Shepherd of Hermas: written in Rome (AF = Apostolic Fathers)
• c125: Quadratus: bishop of Athens [ANF=Ante-Nicene Fathers,Eerdmans,v.8]
• 125-225: "Christian Apologists" writings against Roman Paganism by: Quadratus (c125), Aristides of Athens (c145), Justin Martyr (165), Tatian (172), Melito (177), Apollinaris (c180), Athenagoras (c180), Theophilus (180), also Epistle to Diognetus (150-225?) in Apostolic Fathers collection
• c130: "Gospel of Basilides": a 24 book commentary?, Gnostic?, lost
• c130: Papias: bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, wrote: "Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord", lost, widely quoted (Eusebius, 340) (AF)
• c130: Aquila of Pontus: Roman convert to Christianity then to Judaism, student of Rabban Gamaliel, compiled literal Greek OT translation in Jabneh (Jamnia)
• 135: R. Akiva ben Joseph of Judea: b.50?, executed by the Romans for teaching Torah in public after revolt, flesh was torn from his body with iron combs, coined "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" as 1st principle of Torah
• 138-161 Mar 7: Antoninus Pius: b.86, Roman Emperor, selected by Hadrian, in 145 dedicated Temple of Divus Hadrianus (Divine Hadrian)
• 138-165: Sanhedrin (High Court) of Judaism regularly held in Usha, Galilee
• 138-142-155-166: Pope Hyginus - Pope Pius I - Pope Anicetus
• c140: Juvenalis: b.60?, greatest Roman Satirist; (Loeb Classics with Persius)
• c140: Apocalypse of Peter: written in Greek [NT Apocrypha,Schneemelcher,v.2]
• c140: Suetonius: b.70, Roman historian: "de Vita Caesarum"; Loeb Classics: 2v
• c140: Marcion of Pontus: 1st Radical Paulinist?, inspired by Luke 5:36, claimed Jesus rejected "Law & Prophets" (OT), claimed to have recovered lost original Gospel from Luke, promoted Canon of heavily edited Gospel of Luke and 10 Pauline Letters and his own "Antitheses"; "Western" Gospel text-type
• 149: Hsu Shen: wrote Shou wen chieh tzu, Chinese dictionary of 10,516 symbols
• c150: Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria: Greek astronomer, "Geocentric"; (Loeb)
• c150: Gospel of the Egyptians: Coptic translation of orig. Greek (Nag Hammadi)
• c150: Nagarjuna founded Madhyamika (Mahayana Buddhism) school in India
• c150: "Teachings of Silvanus": Gnostic; v99.13: Christ has a single hypostasis [hidden spiritual reality]; v102.3: Christ is incomprehensible with respect to his hypostasis (Nag Hammadi)
• c150: "Western Reviser" adds/subtracts from original Acts to produce "Western" version which is 10% larger and found in Papyrus P29,38,48 & Codex Bezae (D) {Who it was that was responsible for the additional information concerning the apostolic age or where it came from is entirely unknown. According to F. G. Kenyon, "What one would like to suppose (but for which there is no external evidence), is that one of St. Paul's companions transcribed Luke's book [Acts] (perhaps after the author's death), and inserted details of which he had personal knowledge, & made other alterations in accordance with his own taste in a matter on which he was entitled to regard himself as having authority equal to that of Luke."} [Textual Comm., Metzger, p272, 3-438-06010-8]
• c150: Papyrus Chester Beatty 6: R963, Greek Num 5:12-36:13, Deut 1:20-34:12
• c150: Ts'an T'ung Ch'i: by Wei Po-yang of China, earliest extant alchemy
• c155: Montanus: of Pepuza, Phrygia; prophetic Christian leader
• c156: Chang Tao-ling: b.34?, Chinese Taoist, left clothes, ascended to heaven
• c160: Polycarp: bishop of Smyrna, martyred at 86, wrote "Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians" c110; "Martyrdom of Polycarp"; both in Greek (AF)
• 161-180Mar17: Marcus Aurelius: b.121, Roman Emperor, selected by Pius, Stoic philosopher, wrote: Greek "Meditationes" & Latin "Letters" (Loeb); Parthia invaded Armenia: 162; Great Plague: 164-180; Boucholoi Revolt of Egyptian Delta: 172; Revolt of Syrian Governor Cassius: 175; German Revolt: 178-188
• 165-180: Sanhedrin (High Court) of Judaism regularly held in Shefaram, Galilee
• 165: Justin Martyr: b.114?, Roman Platonist convert to Christianity, martyred, wrote: 1-2 Apology; Dialogue with Trypho a Jew [ANF=Ante-Nicene Fathers,v.1]
• c165: Gellius: b.123?, Roman writer, wrote: "Attic Nights"; Loeb Classics: 3v
• 166-174: Pope Soter: moved "Easter" from Biblical Nisan 14 to following SUNday
• 170: Christian Council of Asia Minor: against Montanus & his Montanist sect
• c170: Symmachus: an Ebionite, wrote an entirely new Greek OT translation
• c170: Dionysius: bishop of Corinth, complained Christians were changing & faking his own letters just as they had changed the Gospels [EH4.23.12;ANF,v.8]
• c170: Alogi: Asia Minor Christian sect, rejected antipope Saint Hippolytus' "Logos" doctrine? (217-235), rejected Gospel of John and Revelations which were said to be written by the Gnostic Cerinthus [Epiphanius, Heresies 51.3]
• 172: Tatian the Assyrian: b.110, Gnostic?, disciple of Justin Martyr, founded Encratite sect of Antioch, wrote: Address to Greeks [ANF,v.2], used "Law and Prophets" but rejected Acts and Pauline Letters [EH4.29.5], Diatessaron (Harmony) [ANF,v.10] blend of 4 "Western" text-type Gospels into 1: {[the mother of the sons of Zebed]ee (Mt27:56) & Salome (Mk15:40) & the wives [of those who] had followed him from [Galile]e to see the crucified (Lk23:49b-c). And [the da]y was Preparation; the Sabbath was daw[ning] (Lk23:54). And when it was evening (Mt27:57), on the Prep[aration], that is, the day before the Sabbath (Mk25:42), [there came] up a man (Mt27:57), be[ing] a member of the council (Lk23:50), from Arimathea (Mt27:57), a c[i]ty of [Jude]a (Lk23:51), by name Jo[seph](Mt27:57), good & ri[ghteous] (Lk23:50), being a disciple of Jesus, but se[cret]ly, for fear of the [Jew]s(Jn19:38). And he (Mt27:57) was looking for [the] k[ingdom] of God(Lk23:51b). This man [had] not [con]sented to [their] p[urpose] (Lk23:51a)} {#0212} [Text NT, Metzger,0-19-507297-9,p90]
• 174-189: Pope Eleutherius
• c175: Acts of Paul: (inc. 3 Cor.), in Greek [NT Apocrypha,Schneemelcher,v.2]
• c175: Valentinus: b.100?, founded Gnostic Valentinian School of Rome, taught secret wisdom from Paul [Rm16:25,1Cor2:7] from his disciple Theudas, wrote: "On the 3 Natures", quoted in Pseudo-Anthimus: God is 3 hypostases [hidden spiritual realities] & 3 prosopa [persons]: Father, Son, Holy Spirit
• 177: Melito: bishop of Sardis [ANF=Ante-Nicene Fathers, Eerdmans,v.8]
• 178: "True Discourse": by Celsus, an anti-Christian polemic, original lost but fragments recorded by Origen (253) in "Contra Celsum": {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 soldier named Panthera (cf. 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.} [CC 1.28-32; Marginal Jew,Meier,p.223]
• 180-192Dec31: Commodus: b.161, Roman emperor, Hercules redivivus, strangled
• 180-210: Sanhedrin (High Court) of Judaism regularly held in Beth-shearim
• 180: Theophilus: bishop of Caesarea [ANF=Ante-Nicene Fathers,Eerdmans,v.8]
• 180: Gaius: b.110?, Roman jurist, wrote: "Institutiones": summary of Roman Law
• c180: Athenagoras: Athenian philosopher convert to Christianity [ANF,v.2]
• c180: Apollinaris: bishop of Hierapolis [ANF=Ante-Nicene Fathers,v.8]
• 184-204: Yellow Turban Rebellion of China: contributed to final Han overthrow
• c185: Theophilus: 7th bishop of Antioch, convert from paganism [ANF,v.2]
• 189-198: Pope Victor I: 1st Latin Pope, called Council in 190 to determine "official" new date of "Easter" but failed, excommunicated Eastern churches that continued to observe "Easter" on Biblical Nisan 14 "Quartodeciman"
• c190: Serapion: 9th bishop of Antioch, disputed Gospel of Peter (65) [EH6.12]
• c190: Hsu Yo: Chinese mathematician, wrote: Shu Shu Chi I
• c190: Heracleon: disciple of Gnostic Valentinus, 1st commentary on Gospel of John (cited by Origen & Clement), wrote: "Tripartite Tractate" (Nag Hammadi)
• 193Jan-Mar-Jun: Pertinax - Didius Julianus: Roman Emperors, both assassinated
• 193-211Feb4: Septimius Severus: b.146, Roman Emperor, persecuted Christians...
• 196: Polycrates: b.125?, bishop of Ephesus, supported Quartodecimans in "Easter" controversy versus Pope Victor in 190 [ANF=Ante-Nicene Fathers,v.8]
• 198-217: Pope Zephyrinus; also 1st antipope Natalius? [Eccl. Hist. 5.28.8-12]