The Origin Story

A documented timeline of how a first-century Jewish teacher's movement developed, spread, and was shaped by the political and theological forces of the Roman world. Each claim on this page is cited; sources are listed at the bottom.

~4 BC

A Refugee Child in an Occupied Land[1]

Phase 0: The Birth

~4 BC

Astrologers from the East: What the Text Actually Says[2][3]

Phase 0d: The Magi Arrive

33 AD

The Way Begins[4]

Phase 1: The Oral Tradition

50, 70 AD

Paul's Epistles Written[5][6]

Phase 2: The First Letters

70, 150 AD

The Gospels and Alternative Texts[7]

Phase 3: The Gospels Written

180, 325 AD

Which Books Count[8]

Phase 4: The Canon Takes Shape

325 AD

Christianity and the Roman State[9][10]

Phase 5: The Council of Nicaea

354, 430 AD

The Development of Hell Doctrine[11][12]

Phase 5b: Augustine of Hippo

1320 AD

A Poet's Vision Becomes Popular Theology[13]

Phase 5c: Dante's Inferno

Sources & References

[1]Matthew 2:13-15. Herod's decree is recorded in Matthew 2:16-18, though there is no external historical confirmation of this specific event.
[2]Matthew 2:1-12. The term Magoi (Greek) refers to Zoroastrian scholars or court astrologers.
[3]The names of the Magi appear in later tradition (sixth century AD) but not in the biblical text.
[4]Acts 2:42-47 describes the early community sharing possessions and breaking bread together.
[5]Paul's letters (1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans) predate the written Gospels by approximately 20-30 years.
[6]1 Corinthians 15:8 describes Paul's encounter with the risen Christ as a vision, not a physical appearance.
[7]Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction (2012), discusses the diversity of early Christian texts.
[8]Irenaeus of Lyon, Against Heresies (~180 AD). His argument for four Gospels is found in Book III.
[9]Council of Nicaea, 325 AD. Constantine's role and motivations are discussed in Eusebius, Life of Constantine.
[10]The Arian controversy concerned the relationship between God the Father and God the Son.
[11]Augustine, Confessions and City of God. Augustine's doctrine of original sin became foundational to Western Christianity.
[12]Origen of Alexandria (~185-254 AD) argued for apokatastasis (universal restoration). This view was condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 AD.
[13]Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Inferno (~1320 AD). Scholars note that many popular conceptions of hell derive from Dante rather than from biblical sources.