Saturday, June 14, 2014

Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History Book One

Here is the first installment of Book One. As an aside, just translating this bit reminded me of two things. First,my ancient Greek is really quite rusty, despite regularly reading the Greek New Testament over the last few years. Second, I really need to sort out the dictionary issue as some meanings aren't really in my small Liddell and Scott. For those who might be interested in my translating problems, please see my footnotes. Questions and observations always welcome. 

This passage is the table of contents for the first book, so, also, serves to warn the reader about what is coming up as far as installments go. Last time I tried to translate parts of the Ecclesiastical History, I bogged down in the very theological early part of this book, so I'm hoping I'll be able to work though that in good order. I can see why those sections need to be there, but they aren't easy. 

The first book of the Ecclesiastical History embraces these (topics)

1.      What foundation is there for (God’s) promise?
2.      A summary account concerning the pre-existence and divinity of the our Savior and Lord, Christ, the son of God.
3.      How the name of Jesus and even that of Christ became known from the first and honoured among the prophets who were sent by God.
4.      How the manner of the religion announced by him to all nations is neither revolutionary nor strange.
5.      Concerning the time of his appearance to men.
6.      How at that time, in accordance with the prophets, the leaders who succeeded their ancestors and ruled the people of Israel and the foreign king, Herod, died out[1].
7.      Concerning the recognized discord in the gospels about the birth of Christ.
8.      Concerning the plot of Herod against the children and how the sudden end of his life pursued him.
9.      Concerning the time of Pilate.
10.  Concerning the high priests of the Jews to whom Christ taught.
11.  Those things about the Jews which have been were witnessed to by the Baptist and Jesus.
12.  Concerning the disciples of our Savior.
13.  The history concerning the ruler of Edessa.




[1] Herod, the foreign king is in the nominative, so it seems logical to take this with the main verb, but I’m not sure if it makes sense in the context of the chapter. May need to revise. 

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