Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online

The nomenclature “Docetism” does not lend itself to an easy definition. Ancient authors, such as Serapion, wrote of a heretical group “whom we call Docetists” (οὓς Δοκηταὶ καλοῦμεν; Eus. Hist. eccl. 6.12). Ignatius of Antioch informed us of a group of unnamed “unbelievers” who claimed that Jesus suffered in appearance only (τίνες λέγουσιν τὸ δοκεῖν αὐτὸ πεπονθέναι; Ign. Smyrn. 2.1; Tral l. 10) and denied that he was of flesh ( Smyrn. 5.2). Second-century CE Docetists were among many who attempted to come to grips with certain passages in authoritative New Testam…

In comparison to the Didache (1–6) and the Epistle of Barnabas (18–20), the Doctrina Apostolorum (“Teaching of the Apostles”) faithfully preserves the original substance of the Two Ways source. Each of these three writings represents an independent account of the ancient Two Ways tradition in which the basic pattern is essentially the same, with two ways being contrasted, one of life and one of death, each of them followed by a distinct catalog of virtues and vices respectively. The Latin Doctrina Apostolorum has a number of features that, rather than reflecting Christian i…

Church tradition considers Flavia Domitilla to have been the first noblewoman to embrace Christianity in the final years of the 1st century CE, during Domitian’s reign, and commemorates her feast on May 12. However, a remarkable contrast exists between the information provided by pagan sources (Pagan/Paganism) and that given by the later Christian tradition.Pagan SourcesAccording to Suetonius, Flavia Domitilla was the daughter of Domitilla the Elder, daughter of the emperor Vespasian and therefore sister of Titus and Domitian. She married Titus…

The term Donatists refers to an ecclesiastical movement in North Africa, which, after the Diocletian persecution, claimed to represent the true church. While the term Donatistae (besides Donatiani and esp. pars  Donati – “party of Donatus”) was coined by the contemporary opponents and later victors (esp. Optatus of Milevis and Augustine of Hippo) with regard to the long-time leading champion of the party, Donatus of Carthage (Donatus the Great), the term Donatism is modern. The reason why Donatism is a “uniquely African…

Donatus the Great (d. 355 CE) was a Carthaginian bishop who led the eponymous Donatist faction of the African church for nearly 40 years. He was a popular minister and an effective leader, considered a successor to Cyprian of Carthage by both friend and foe (see Aug. Serm. 33.3). Even Augustine of Hippo, who opposed the Donatist faction throughout his life, named Donatus one of the “precious stones” of the African church ( Serm. 37.3; see Mandouze, 2003).BiographyWhat little is known of Donatus derives from hostile opponents, the Caecilianist apologist Optatus of Milevi…

The Dormition and Assumption apocrypha are the earliest texts to relate the events of the end of the Virgin Mary’s life. All of these ancient narratives include a detailed account of Mary’s “Dormition,” that is, her falling asleep (κοίμησις), which is a common euphemism for death in the ancient world. The early Latin texts tend instead to refer to this event as her “passing” ( transitus), also a common ancient euphemism. Nevertheless the fate of Mary’s body and soul after their separation is a point on which there is some significant diversity in the early…

Dorotheus (or Dorotheos) of Gaza was a monk and an abbot who lived in Palestine in the early 6th century CE. Despite the great popularity of his writings, no account of his life ( Vita) is known, nor does his name occur on any list of saints. Much can nevertheless be learned of his life from three sources: the letters of Barsanuphius and (especially) of John, the Vita of Dositheus (who lived for three years under Dorotheus’ direction), and from Dorotheus’ own writings. It is now generally agreed that Dorotheus was born in Antioch in the first decade of the 6…

We find information about dreams in classical times and in the early church in several different sources and genres (Dörnberg, 2008, 20–25). A common format is a narrative in which a dream occurs. Another genre is the dream theory, reflections on the origin, function, and possible interpretation of dreams. A special means of speaking about dreams is the metaphorical method (Isa 29:7). There are even some inscriptions where dreams are mentioned, and finally there are pictures of (biblical…

Dumium or Dumio was an episcopal see that arose out of an influential and relevant monastery during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. It was located on the northern outskirts of Bracara Augusta (Braga, Portugal), in the Cávado Valley, on the left bank of its namesake, and was part of the Diocletian province of Gallaecia . The current parish of Dume continues to serve as an episcopal see, now used by auxiliary bishops under the assignment of the archbishop of Braga. The monastery of Dumium, considered to be one of the earliest suburban mon…

The settlement variously called “Dura” or “Europos” – depending on which empire controlled it at any given time – was founded by the Seleucids in 303 BCE as a medium-sized colony and a crucial crossroads that connected travel and trade along the Euphrates River with the cities to its west. During its Roman era, which lasted almost a hundred years (165–256 CE) before conquest by the Sassanians, Dura-Europos blossomed into a quintessential frontier town, exploding in diversity of ethnicity, langua…