E arly C hristianity C in ontExts _Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd 1 9/18/14 9:56 AM _Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd 2 9/18/14 9:56 AM E A R LY C H R IS T I A N I T Y C ON T E X T S I N An Exploration across Cultures and Continents EDITED BY William Tabbernee K Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd iii 10/1/14 12:03 PM © 2014 by William Tabbernee Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Early Christianity in contexts : an exploration across cultures and continents / edited by William Tabbernee. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 978-0-8010-3126-7 (cloth) 1. Church history—Primitive and early church, ca. 30–600. 2. Church history—Middle Ages, 600–1500. I. Tabbernee, William, 1944– editor. BR145.3.E23 2014 270.1—dc23 2014020859 Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 14 15 16 17 18 19 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd iv 10/1/14 12:03 PM For Kay Lynn Northcutt My Beloved Coexplorer of Christianity, Cultures, and Continents Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd v 10/1/14 12:03 PM Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd vi 10/1/14 12:03 PM Contents Illustrations xi Preface xvii Abbreviations xix General Introduction 1 1. The Roman Near East—Lincoln Blumell, Jenn Cianca, Peter Richardson, and William Tabbernee 11 Introduction 11 The Near East within the Roman Empire • Geography and Ecology • Peoples and Religions • Trade, Commerce, and Roads • Contextual Influences • Christianity in the Levant Palaestina 21 Jerusalem • Judaea • Samaria • Galilee Syria 37 Antioch, the Tetrapolis, and Syria Coele • Syria Phoenice • Phoenicia/Phoenica Libanensis Arabia 47 The Decapolis • Northern Arabia • Central Arabia • Southern Arabia • Sinai and the Negev • Arabia Felix Complexity of Christianity in the Roman Near East 61 2. Beyond the Eastern Frontier—Cornelia Horn, Samuel N. C. Lieu, and Robert R. Phenix Jr. 63 Introduction 63 Northern Mesopotamia 66 Boundaries • Ethnicity • Language and Culture • Religion • Sources • Archaeology and Art • Adiabene • Mygdonia/Roman Mesopotamia • Osrhoene vii Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd vii 10/1/14 12:03 PM viii Contents Persia 94 Deported Roman Christians • Syriac versus Persian • Toleration, Integration, and Persecution • Persecution under Shapur II • The Synods of 410 and 424 • Barsauma and the School of Nisibis • Mar Aba and the Sasanian Church • The Spread of Persian Christianity 3. The Caucasus—Christopher Haas 111 Introduction 111 Geography • Cultural Identities • Strategic Importance Georgia 116 Before Christianity • Earliest Christianity • Christianization Armenia 134 Before Christianity • Earliest Christianity • A Church between Rome and Persia • Estrangement, Conflict, and Endurance 4. Deep into Asia—Samuel N. C. Lieu and Ken Parry 143 Introduction 143 Central Asia • China • India • Christian Traditions in Asia Central Asia 150 The Early Period • The Pax Mongolica China 159 Christian Monuments • Christian Texts from Dunhuang • Other Christian Texts • Cultural Adaptation • The Demise of Early Christianity India 171 The Early Period • The Apostle Thomas • Socotra and Sri Lanka • The Arrival of the Portuguese • Art Historical Evidence 5. The World of the Nile—Malcolm Choat, Jitse Dijkstra, Christopher Haas, and William Tabbernee 181 Introduction 181 Ancient Kingdoms • Greeks and Romans Egypt 187 Religion • The Spread of Christianity • The Third Century • Coptic Christianity • The Fourth Century • Christianity and Other Religions • The Arab Conquest Alexandria 205 Earliest Alexandrian Christianity • The Catechetical School • Institutional Development Axum 210 Frumentius’s Royal Connections • A Christian Nation Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd viii 10/1/14 12:03 PM Contents ix Nubia 214 The Religious Transformation of Lower Nubia in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries • John of Ephesus’s Account of the Missions to Nubia in Context • Nubian Christianity 6. Roman North Africa—Jane Merdinger 223 Introduction 223 Geography • Berbers, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians Roman North Africa 228 Romanization • Religion before Christianity • Contextual Challenges and Influences • Christianity by the Time of Constantine Carthage and Africa Proconsularis 233 Scillitan Martyrs • Namphano and Companions • Tertullian • Carthage • Martyrdom and Persecution • Perpetua and Felicitas • Cyprian • The Donatist Schism Numidia 244 Lambaesis • Cirta/Constantina • Theveste • Hippo Regius Mauretania 251 Caesarea Mauretania • Tipasa Tripolitania 256 History of the Region • People, Geography, and Climate • Lepcis Magna 7. Asia Minor and Cyprus—William Tabbernee 261 Introduction 261 Subjection to the Roman Empire • The Inception of Christianity • Peoples and Religions • Contextual Challenges and Influences • Christianity by the Time of Constantine Asia Minor 268 Asia • Galatia • Lycia-Pamphylia • Bithynia-Pontus • Cappadocia Cyprus 312 Pre-Constantinian Christianity • Archaeological Evidence • Heterodoxy The Nature of Early Christianity in Asia Minor and Cyprus 315 8. The Balkan Peninsula—Julia Valeva and Athanasios K. Vionis 321 Introduction 321 Land, Population, and Frontiers • Polytheism, Oriental Cults, and Christianity • Challenges to Christianity • Church Planning and Liturgy Achaea 329 From Paganism to Christianity • Before and after Constantine • The Peloponnese • Attica • Boeotia The Greek Islands 340 Before and after Constantine • The Cyclades • The Dodecanese and the East Aegean Islands • Crete Tabbernee_EarlyChrContexts_BKB_djm.indd ix 10/1/14 12:03 PM