CHAPTER V

THE BISHOPS OF JERUSALEM FROM THE PERIOD OF OUR SAVIOUR UNTIL THESE TIMES

WE have not ascertained in any way, that the times of the bishops in Jerusalem have been regularly preserved on record, for tradition says that they all lived but a very short period. Thus much, however, I have learned from writers, that down to the invasion of the Jews under Adrian, there were fifteen successions of bishops in that church, all of whom, they say, were Hebrews, and received the knowledge of Christ pure and unadulterated; so that, in the estimation of those who were able to judge, they were well approved, and worthy of the episcopal office. For at that time, the whole church under them consisted of faithful Hebrews, who continued from the time of the apostles, until the siege that then took place. The Jews then again revolting from the Romans, were subdued and captured, after very severe conflicts. In the mean time, as the bishops from the circumcision failed, it may be necessary now to recount them in order, from the first. The first, then, was James, called the brother of our Lord; after whom, the second was Simeon, the third Justus, the fourth Zaccheus, the fifth Tobias, the sixth Benjamin, the seventh John, the eighth Matthew, the ninth Philip, the tenth Seneca, the eleventh Justus, the twelfth Levi, the thirteenth Ephres, the fourteenth Joseph, and finally, the fifteenth Judas. These are all the bishops of Jerusalem that filled up the time from the apostles until the above-mentioned period, all of whom were of the circumcision. And Adrian being now in the twelfth year of his reign, Xystus, who had now completed the tenth year of his episcopate, was succeeded by Telesphorus, the seventh in succession from the apostles. In the mean time, however, after the lapse of a year and some months, Eumenes succeeded, the sixth in order, in the episcopate of Alexandria, his predecessor having filled the office eleven years.