Christianity-Early Years Documents and Images

Eusebius of Caesarea's Oration on the 30th Anniversary of Constantine's reign.

Origen's theory of how the Scriptures should be read

Selections from the Gospel of Thomas

This beautiful hymn, found in the Acts of Thomas, reveals classic folktale form, but with motifs which could be considered 'gnostic.'

One of the first Christian theologians, writing in the mid second century CE.

One of the earliest saints' lives, which was to have tremendous influence.

A fascinating holy man text from 5th century CE

A lovely collecton of early Christian hymns, written in Syriac, from the second (?) century

Origen, the first greata systematic theologian, sets forth his method, and discusses some topics which would later have him condemned as a heretic

Plotinus, a neo-Platonic philospher, provides in these excerpts a view of the origin of the cosmos, and of the return of humans to their origin.

The figure of Simon, known from Acts of the Apostles, is made into the first of the heresies by Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, writing at the end of the second century CE.

A brief collection of legislation by Christian Emperors on the Jews.

A fascinating tale of a non-martyr heroine

Some of the correspondence between Nestorius and Cyril, including Cyril's famous 12 Anathemas