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The chronology of the bishops of Jerusalem I have nowhere found
preserved in writing; for tradition says that they were all short
lived. But I have learned this much from writings, that until the
siege of the Jews, which took place under Adrian, there were fifteen
bishops in succession there. all of whom are said to have been of
Hebrew descent, and to have received the knowledge of Christ in
purity, so that they were approved by those who were able to judge of
such matters, and were deemed worthy of the episcopate. For their
whole church consisted then of believing Hebrews who continued from the
days of the apostles until the siege which took place at this time; in
which siege the Jews, having again rebelled against the Romans, were
conquered after severe battles. But since the bishops of the
circumcision ceased at this time, it is proper to give here a list of
their names from the beginning.
The first, then, was James, the so-called brother of the Lord;
the second, Symeon; the third, Justus; the fourth, Zacchaeus;
the fifth, Tobias; the sixth, Benjamin; the seventh, John; the
eighth, Matthias; 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 the bishops of Jerusalem that lived between the age of the apostles
and the time referred to, all of them belonging to the circumcision.
In the twelfth year of the reign of Adrian, Xystus, having
completed the tenth year of his episcopate, was succeeded by
Telesphorus, the seventh in succession from the apostles. In the
meantime, after the lapse of a year and some months, Eumenes, the
sixth in order, succeeded to the leadership of the Alexandrian
church, his predecessor having held office eleven years.
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