BARUCH Author’s Note: This page explores the historical evidence for Baruch’s acceptance as Scripture, accompanied by an annotated database of early Christian citations. I view Irenaeus as, by far, the most important piece of evidence for Baruch: “the commandments of God, and of the law which endureth for ever. All…
JUDITH Author’s Note: This page presents the historical evidence for Judith’s place in the early Church, together with a searchable collection of its patristic citations. The issues Irenaeus evinces for Baruch (and Susanna, etc.) are but a piece of the problem that the earliest Fathers present. Clement of Rome’s Epistle…
TOBIT Author’s Note: This page brings together the historical evidence for Tobit, including an annotated citation database documenting its use by the early Church Fathers. “Four Aramaic and one Hebrew fragment [of Tobit] were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, indicating an authoritative status among some sects.”[1] Bear in mind…
Author’s Note: This page examines the historical evidence for Susanna’s acceptance as Scripture in the early Church, supplemented by a searchable database of patristic citations and sources. What, precisely, is the evidence against the acceptance of Susanna as authentic Scripture by the early Church? Precisely nothing. Not a single Father…
CITATION EVIDENCE Author’s Note: This section assembles the historical citation evidence for the Deuterocanonical books from the early Church Fathers. The searchable master citation database below was compiled specifically for Canon Crossfire and enables readers to explore the evidence by biblical book, Church Father, date, source, and type of citation.…
The Codex Claromontanus Author’s Note: The Codex Claromontanus preserves one of the earliest surviving canon lists, providing valuable manuscript evidence for the books accepted by the early Church. The last of our lists before 350, and our first inarguably Christian canon list, is the Codex Claromontanus.[1] Gallagher and Meade tell…
Eusebius’ “Lists” Author’s Note: Although Eusebius never presents a formal Old Testament canon list of his own, his writings contain important evidence that is often treated as though they do. The next “list” is Eusebius. However, he never gives his own Old Testament list. Instead, he copied lists he read…
Origen’s Jewish List Author’s Note: Origen’s list of the Jewish Scriptures is frequently cited in modern canon debates, making it essential to examine both what he wrote and what he believed. The first is the list from Origen.[1] It is a Jewish list. On the face of it, it is…
CANON LISTS Author’s Note: Canon lists offer direct historical testimony concerning the books recognized as Scripture by early Christian writers and communities, making them some of the most important evidence in the canon debate. One last thing before we start discussing citation evidence: a brief review of the three alleged…
THE GREAT UNCIAL CODICES Author’s Note: The earliest nearly complete biblical manuscripts provide invaluable evidence for understanding which books were recognized as Scripture by the ancient Church. But before we cover all that, let’s first begin with a different kind of “canon list”: entire manuscript copies of the Apocrypha, and…
