The Jesus Archive
About this place

The great Greek city of Egypt, a centre of learning and of a large Jewish community. Its Christian catechetical teachers included Clement and Origen, and the Secret Mark letter claims Mark wrote a ‘more spiritual gospel’ for the church there. Its bishop Athanasius issued in 367 the earliest known list of exactly the twenty-seven New Testament books.

Where to start

The Early ChurchAthanasius of Alexandria, Festal Letter 39AD 367 · Athanasius of Alexandria
The Early ChurchOrigen, Against Celsus, Book Ic. AD 248 · Origen of Alexandria
The Other GospelsThe Secret Gospel of Mark (the Mar Saba Letter)Disputed: c. 200 if authentic; reported 1958 · Letter attributed to Clement of Alexandria; tr. Samuel Zinner

Written or found here

1
  1. AD 367AD 367

    Athanasius of Alexandria, Festal Letter 39

    Athanasius of Alexandria

    The Easter letter of 367 in which the bishop of Alexandria lists the books of Scripture. It is the earliest surviving list of exactly the 27 books of today’s New Testament, and it names other books, including the Didache, as useful but outside the canon.

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Every mention

27 writings
  1. AD 70The Gospel of MarkThe New Testament1×
  2. AD 80The Letter to the HebrewsThe New Testament2×
  3. AD 80The Letter of JamesThe New Testament1×
  4. AD 85The Acts of the ApostlesThe New Testament3×
  5. AD 90The Letter of JudeThe New Testament1×
  6. AD 93Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 18: the Testimonium Flavianum and John the BaptistWitnesses Outside the Church1×
  7. AD 93Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 20: the death of James, brother of JesusWitnesses Outside the Church1×
  8. AD 95The Gospel of JohnThe New Testament1×
  9. AD 95The Revelation to JohnThe New Testament1×
  10. AD 100The Third Letter of JohnThe New Testament1×
  11. AD 100The Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)The Early Church1×
  12. AD 110The Second Letter of PeterThe New Testament2×
  13. AD 125The Gospel of ThomasThe Other Gospels1×
  14. AD 180Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, Book IThe Early Church1×
  15. AD 200The Secret Gospel of Mark (the Mar Saba Letter)The Other Gospels6×
  16. AD 230Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, Book IXThe Early Church1×
  17. AD 248Origen, Against Celsus, Book IThe Early Church1×
  18. AD 250The Gnôsis of the Light (Untitled Text of the Bruce Codex)The Other Gospels1×
  19. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book IIIThe Early Church2×
  20. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book IVThe Early Church1×
  21. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book VThe Early Church7×
  22. AD 367Athanasius of Alexandria, Festal Letter 39The Early Church3×
  23. AD 550Hone’s Apocryphal New Testament: the Arabic Infancy Gospel and the Abgar LettersThe Other Gospels1×
  24. 1907G. R. S. Mead, The Gnostic Crucifixion (1907)The Other Gospels1×
  25. 2026Registry of Gospels and Their Canonical StatusThe Other Gospels4×
  26. 2026The documentary record of Jesus and the movements that interpreted himThe Dossier4×
  27. 2026Sources and further readingThe Dossier1×