Timeline of Church History

The History of the Church is a vital part of the Orthodox Christian faith. Orthodox Christians are defined significantly by their continuity with all those who have gone before, those who first received and preached the truth of Jesus Christ to the world, those who helped to formulate the expression and worship of our faith, and those who continue to move forward in the unchanging yet ever-dynamic Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church.

New Testament era

• 46 BC Julius Caesar institutes Julian Calendar.
• 20 BC Herod the Great begins to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
• ca.4 BC Christ is born in Bethlehem; 14,000 Holy Innocents slain in Bethlehem.
• 1 Assumption of Moses, Jewish apocrypha written.
• 6 Census of Quirinius; Iudaea Province created under direct Roman administration with capital at Caesarea, as the Romans annex Samaria, Judea and Idumea.
• 18-37 Caiaphas becomes the High Priest of the Jews.
• ca.25-26 Death of Joseph the Betrothed.
• 26-36 Pontius Pilate is appointed the Roman Prefect of Judaea province.
• ca.28 John the Baptist began his ministry in the "15th year of Tiberius" (Luke 3:1-2), preaching "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matt 3:1-2), baptized Christ in the Jordan (Mark 1:4-11), was arrested and beheaded by Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee.
• ca.28-30 Three year ministry of Jesus Christ, including: Temptation; Appointment of the Twelve Apostles; Sermon on the Mount; Miracles performed; Rejection; Transfiguration; Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem; driving out the Temple money changers; Cursing the fig tree; Giving the great commandment; Anointing; Mystical Supper; Arrest; Sanhedrin Trial; Before Pilate; Passion; Crucifixion on Good Friday; Entombment by Pharisees Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus of the Sanhedrin; Harrowing of Hell; Resurrection on Easter Sunday; Appearances to various people over the next forty days; Giving the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20); and Ascension.
• ca. 30 Martyrdom of Stephen the deacon, the first Christian martyr.
• 30 Conversion of Apostle Paul on road to Damascus.

Apostolic era (33-100)

• 33 The Holy Spirit descends on the day of Pentecost, filling the followers of Jesus Christ with power from on high.
• 34 Apostle Peter founds See of Antioch.
• 35 The name Christian first used in Antioch.
• 37 Joseph of Arimathea travels to Britain and lands in Glastonbury.
• 40 Apostle Barnabas sent from Jerusalem to Antioch to strengthen community after persecution when church leaders flee city.
• ca.42 Apostle Paul's ecstasy to the third heaven (2 Cor.12:2-4).
• ca.46-48 Apostle Paul's first missionary journey, with Apostle Barnabas (Acts 13 - 14).
• 49 Apostolic Council of Jerusalem rules that Gentiles do not have to become Jews before becoming Christians.
• ca.49-52 Apostle Paul's second missionary journey, with Apostle Silas (Acts 15:39 - 18:22).
• ca.50 Death of Gamaliel, a leading authority in the Sanhedrin and teacher of the Apostle Paul (Acts 22:3).
• 50 Apostle Matthew finishes the Gospel of Matthew in Aramaic.
• 52 Apostle Thomas arrives in Kerala, introducing Christianity to India.
• ca.53-57 Apostle Paul's third missionary journey (Acts 18:23 - 21:16).
• ca.59-62 Apostle Paul's fourth missionary journey, voyage to Rome (Acts 27 - 28:16).
• 62 Martyrdom of Apostle James the Just; crucifixion of Apostle Andrew in Patras.
• 63 Aristobulus consecrated as first bishop of Britain.
• 64-68 First of ten major persections of the Early Church, under Emperor Nero.
• 66 Flight of the Christian community in Jerusalem to Pella, Antioch, and other places in the Decapolis.
• 66-73 Jewish-Roman war.
• 67 Martyrdom of the Apostle Peter in Rome; martyrdom of the Apostle Paul in Rome; Apostle Linus elected first bishop of Rome; Roman legions VI Ferrata, V Macedonia, XV Apollinaris, XII Fulminata and X Fretensis sent to Jerusalem.
• 68 Suicide of Emperor Nero.
• 69 Ignatius of Antioch consecrated bishop of Antioch.
• 70 Apostle Mark writes Gospel; Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed by the Romans; expulsion of the Christians from the synagogues; Rabbi Johanan ben Zacchai founds college at Jamnia that becomes seat of Sanhedrin and center of Judaism A.D. 70-135, enabling emergence of Rabbinic Judaism; beginning of Jewish diaspora; by this time the work of the Apostle Paul has planted the faith on firm foundation in the major cities of the Roman empire.
• 71 Apostle Mark introduces Christianity to Egypt.
• 75 Judea, Galilea and Samaria are renamed Palaestina by the Romans.
• 80 Gospel of Luke written by the Apostle Luke; Jewish historian (and former general) Josephus writes Antiquities; Titus dedicates the Colosseum, site of the martyrdom of many early Christians.
• ca. 80-90 Didache written.
• 85 Acts of the Apostles written by Apostle Luke.
• 90 Council of Jamnia (Javneh) marks final separation and distinction between the Jewish and Christian communities, including rejection of the Septuagint widely then in use among the Hellenized Jewish diaspora; Jewish canon of Scripture closed; in the Eighteen Benedictions, Judaism's central prayer, a sentence is included in the Twelfth Benediction cursing the "Nazarenes", but it was no longer recited after the definite separation of Christians from the synagogue in the next century.
• 95 Apostle John writes Book of Revelation.
• ca.90-96 Persecution of Christians under Emperor Domitian.
• 96 Gospel of John written by Apostle John as supplement and further theological illumination of the Synoptic gospels.
• ca.100 Emergence of Christian Catacombs in the second century.
• 100 Death of Apostle John.

Ante-Nicene era (100-325)

• 107 Martyrdom of Ignatius of Antioch; death of Apostle Symeon.
• 108-124 Persecution under Emperor Trajan, continuing under Emepror Hadrian.
• ca.110 Apocalypse of Peter, apocryphal work, considered Scripture by Clement of Alexandria and the list in the Muratorian Canon.
• 120 Beginning of time of the Apologists: Justin Martyr, Aristides, Tatian, Athenagoras of Athens, Theophilus, Minucius Felix, Tertullian and Quadratus, writing to defend the Church against internal heresies, and to defend the faith before the Jews, and before the larger pagan world, using Greek philosophic concepts and terms.
• 124 Apostles Quadratus and Aristides present Christian apologies to Emperor Hadrian at Athens.
• 128 Aquila's Greek translation of the Old Testament.
• 130 Conversion of Justin Martyr.
• 132 Jews, led by Bar Kochba, whom some identify as the Messiah, revolt against Rome.
• 135 Christmas instituted as a feast day in Rome.
• 136 Emperor Hadrian crushes Jewish resistance, forbids Jews from returning Jerusalem, and changes city name to Aelia Capitolina; first recorded use of title Pope for the bishop of Rome by Pope Hyginus.
• 144 Excommunication of Marcion for his heretical rejection of the Old Testament and for his semi-Gnostic teachings, particularly Docetism.
• 150 Justin Martyr describes Divine Liturgy.
• 155 Martyrdom of Polycarp of Smyrna.
• 156 Beginning of Montanism.
• 165 Martyrdom of Justin.
• 166 Pope Soter inaugurates in Rome a separate annual feast for Pascha, in addition to the weekly Sunday celebrations of the Resurrection, which is also held on a Sunday, in contrast to the Quartodecimans.
• ca. 170 Emergence of Muratorian Canon.
• ca. 175 Tatian’s Diatessaron harmonizes the four canonical gospels into single narrative.
• 177-180 Persection under Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180).
• 180 Irenaeus of Lyons writes Against Heresies ; Saint Dyfan first martyr in British Isles (at Merthyr Dyfan, Wales); death of Scillitan Martyrs in North Africa.
• 180-192 Theodotion's Greek translation of the Old Testament.
• 190 Pantaenus founds the Catechetical School at Alexandria.
• 193-211 Symmachus' Greek translation of the Old Testament.
• 195 Bishop Saint Elvan dies at Glastonbury.
• 197 Quartodeciman controversy.
• 200 Martyrdom of Irenaeus of Lyons.
• 202 Emperor Septimus Severus issues edict against Christianity and Judaism; Martyrdom of Haralampus of Magnesia.
• 202-210 Persecution under Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211).
• 206 King Abgar IX converts Edessa to Christianity.
• 208 Tertullian writes that Christ has followers on the far side of the Roman wall in Britain where Roman legions have not yet penetrated.
• ca. 209 Martyrdom of Alban in Britain.
• 210 Hippolytus of Rome, bishop and martyr and last of Greek-speaking fathers in Rome, writes Refutation of All Heresies (Philosophumena), and Apostolic Tradition, the latter containing the earliest known description of the rite of ordination; also writes against Sabellianism, a type of Monarchianism.
• 215 Conversion of Tertullian to Montanism.
• 220 Sextus Julius Africanus writes the Chronographiai, a history of the world up to year 217.
• 225 Death of Tertullian.
• ca.225-250 Didascalia Apostolorum, "Teaching of the Apostles", oldest extant manual of church order describes church life at that time; circulated widely in Persia, being translated early on from Greek into Syriac.
• 227 Origen begins Commentary on Genesis, completes work on First Principles.
• 232 Heraclas becomes Pope of Alexandria.
• 235-238 Persecution under Emperor Maximinus Thrax; martyrdom of St. Hippolytus of Rome.
• 238 During reigns of Gordian and Philip the Arab the church proclaims the faith openly and increasingly attracts well-educated converts.
• 240 Church at Dura-Europos built (earliest identified Christian church).
• ca.240 Origen's Hexapla of the Old Testament, largest critical production of antiquity.
• 244 Plotinus founds Neoplatonist school in Rome, whose system is developed in conscious opposition to Christianity, however whose teachings indirectly influenced Augustine of Hippo and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and hence medieval theologians and mystics.
• 246 Paul of Thebes retreats to the Egyptian desert and becomes first Christian hermit.
• 246-247 Two Councils of Arabia.
• 247 Rome celebrated its thousandth anniversary this year, witnessing a period of increased persecution of Christians.
• 249-251 Persecution under Emperor Decius.
• 257-260 Persecution under Emperor Valerian (253-260).
• 255-256 Three Councils of Carthage.
• 258 Bp. Cyprian of Carthage martyred.
• 260 Paul of Samosata begins his heretical preaching against the divinity of Christ; Synod in Rome condemns Sabellianism and Subordinationism.
• 262 Porphyry of Tyre becomes disciple of Neoplatonist Plotinus in Rome.
• 263 Porphyry of Tyre writes Philosophy From Oracles, an anti-Christian book.
• 264 Excommunication of Paul of Samosata.
• 265 The word "Homoousios", "of the same substance", to define relationship between Father and Son, used for first time by Modalist Monarchians of Cyrene, playing an important part in defining Orthodoxy at Nicene Council in 325.
• 274-275 Persecution under Emperor Aurelian.
• 270 Death of Gregory Thaumaturgus; Porphyry of Tyre writes Against the Christians, a powerful anti-Christian book, causing several Christian contemporaries to try and refute him, and which was later banned and burned in 448; first priest ordained in Seleucia-Ctesiphon.
• 272 Martyrdom of Sabbas Stratelates ("the General") of Rome and 70 soldiers.
• 284 Diocletian becomes Roman emperor, persecutes Church and martyrs an estimated one million Christians; martyrdom of Cosmas and Damian, Andrew Stratelates ("the General") and 2,593 soldiers with him in Cilicia; the Era of the Martyrs dating system, currently used by the Coptic Church, had its beginning on this date, its year one.
• 285 Anthony the Great flees to the desert to pursue a life of prayer.
• 286 Martrydom of Maurice and the Theban Legion.
• 300 By this date, the Chrisitan population is about 6,200,000, or 10.5% of the population of the Roman Empire (based on population of 60 million).
• 301 Gregory the Illuminator converts King Tiridates I of Armenia to the Christian faith.
• 302 20,000 Martyrs burned at Nicomedia.
• 303 Outbreak of the Great Persecution (303-311), as Diocletian and Galerius launch the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; martyrdom of George the Trophy-bearer.
• 305 Martyrdom of Panteleimon and Catherine of Alexandria. Martyrdom of Bishop Ianouarios of Beneventio of Campania and his Companions.
• ca.305-311 Lactantius writes Divinae Institutiones, the first systematic Latin account of the Christian view of life.
• 306 Martyrdom of Demetrius of Thessaloniki.
• ca.306 Synod of Elvira in Spain, requires continence of all clergy, and severe disciplinary penalties for apostasy and adultery, becoming the pattern in the west.
• 308 Pope Marcellus, a rigorist, opposes more lenient treatment of the Christians who had lapsed under the recent persecution.
• 310 Armenia becomes first Christian nation; persecution of Christians under Persian King Shapur II (310-379).
• 311 Galerius issues Edict of Toleration ending persecution of Christians in his part of the Roman Empire; rebellion of the Donatists in Carthage.
• 312 Vision and conversion of Constantine the Great; defeat of Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, making Constantine Emperor of the West; martyrdom of Lucian of Antioch, who had completed a recension of the Septuagint and the Four Gospels in Greek, and inspired the development of the School of Antioch and Biblical textual study.
• 313 Edict of Milan issued by Constantine the Great and co-emperor Licinius, officially declaring religious freedom in the Roman Empire, specifically naming religious toleration for Christianity, restoration of property to Christian churches, and legal recognition.
• 314 Council of Ancyra held; Council of Arles condemns Donatism.
• 315 Council of Neo-Caesaria held.
• 316 Lactantius writes "De Mortibus Persecutorum", a graphic account of the lives and horrible deaths of those who persecuted the church.
• 318 Publication of On the Incarnation by Athanasius the Great, influencing the condemnation of Arianism; beginnings of Arian Controversy.
• 318 Pachomius the Great, disciple of Anthony the Great, organizes a community of ascetics at Tabennis in Egypt, founding cenobitic monasticism.
• 319 Translation of relics of Theodore Stratelates ("the General").
• 320 Expulsion of Arius by Alexander of Alexandria; martyrdom of Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.
• 320-21 Licinius' measures against Christians in the east enforced.
• 321 Constantine declares Sunday a holiday in honor of the Resurrection.
• 323 Constantine the Great builds church on the site of the martyrdom of Peter in Rome.
• 324 Constantine defeats Licinius and becomes sole emperor.