Three scientists\u2014Papaia, Banani, Ravioli\u2014and their assistant Igor, who were supposed to attend the famous dark matter conference, miss their flight and end up on the other side of the world. Arriving at the wrong airport, they book a hotel for the night, but it\u2019s not exactly what they expected\u2026 meaning, it\u2019s awful. During the trip, Ravioli downloads a study on the historical reliability of the gospels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re in Banani\u2019s room, where Banani is talking on the phone with Ravioli.
They\u2019re talking on the phone about the gospels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: And what sources do we have for this information?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Wait a second, let me grab the list\u2026 We have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papias of Hierapolis (lived between 60 and 130 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tertullian (155-220 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Origen (185-253 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And finally, an anonymous fragment called the Muratorian Canon, written around 170 A.D., of which we still have the original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: And who were these writers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: They were all important church leaders of the second century, including bishops and theologians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Where can I find their writings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Today, there are English translations available on specialized websites. However, for some of them, we only have quotations reported by Eusebius of Caesarea, a 4th-century historian. Eusebius wrote the famous Ecclesiastical History when all these works were still available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: Incredible. Banani struggles to sleep in a heatwave, yet he can stay wide awake reading a study packed with mind-numbing technical details. Maybe we should bottle this research and sell it as an energy drink!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n