Julius Africanus

Julius Africanus wrote the first Christian world chronicle, counting the years of the world from Adam to AD 221. His letter to Aristides, partly preserved by Eusebius, explains how Matthew and Luke can give different genealogies of Jesus by appeal to levirate marriage. He also wrote to Origen doubting that the story of Susanna belonged to the book of Daniel.

Dates

ca. 160 – after 240 (approximate)

See or city

Emmaus (Nicopolis) in Palestine

Region

Palestine

Also known as

Sextus Julius Africanus

Notes

Eusebius (Church History 6.31) calls him a Christian historian and says he came from Emmaus (Nicopolis) in Palestine and wrote to Origen. He compiled a world chronicle in five books, running to AD 221, and a miscellany, the Kestoi. His dates are approximate.

Works

• Letter to Aristides on the Genealogies of ChristEpistula ad Aristidem · ca. 220–240 · CPG number not yet checked
• Letter to Origen on the History of SusannaEpistula ad Origenem de historia Susannae · ca. 220–245 · CPG 1704 (unverified)
• Fragments of the ChronographiesChronographiarum fragmenta · after 221 · CPG number not yet checked