The Separation of Early Christianity from Judaism By Marianne Da ...

being compounded by the nature of the sources, which are mostly not historical in aim or are religiously apologetic.

Greek and Roman

The sources include Greek and Latin authors who wrote on Jews and Judaism. Examples include words documented by Menahem Stern, which show some prejudice and anti-Semitism, but also admiration for Judaism, and provide evidence for the rise of Christianity as a separate religion.¹⁴ The witness of these external observers provides a balance to that of Jewish writings, which have little to say about Christianity, and Christian writings, which have a great deal to say about Judaism and generally are polemical and sharp in tone.

New Testament

The New Testament provides information on the beginning of the separation of early Christianity from Judaism, as do the New Testament apocrypha and Nag Hammadi material, such as the Gospel of Thomas, or the Gospel of Peter. However, the limitations of this material as to historical data will be taken into account. As the material is vast, only a selection can be examined.

Early Christian Writings–Patrological Literature

Migne's Patrologia Graeca and Patrologia Latina are essential, as well as more recent textual updates and corrections and early Christian literature in translation in several collections.¹⁵ Some of this literature includes the Epistle of Barnabas,¹⁶ the Didache, The Didascalia Apostolorum, and the Apostolical Constitutions. Other essential references are Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History and Life of Constantine, Rufinus (continuation of Eusebius’ history), Socrates, and Epiphanius.

Early Church Council Documents

A critical reference work containing the original Latin and Greek Council documents, is Joannes D. Mansi's Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova, et Amplissima Collectio.¹⁷ These decrees of local synods and councils