Julius Africanus, the first great Christian chronographer and universal historian, was a pioneer in weaving the sacred history of Israel and the emerging Church into the broader fabric of world events. An older contemporary and friend of Origen, he combined the habits of a philosopher with the diligence of a scholar, seeking to serve the Church through the orderly arrangement of history and knowledge. His work would form the foundation for centuries of Christian historiography, influencing both Eastern and Western thought well into the medieval period.
Life and Travels
Africanus was born in the late second century and spent much of his life in Emmaus (Nicopolis) in Palestine—not the Emmaus of Luke’s Gospel, but a different town some 176 stadia from Jerusalem. He journeyed widely, studying in Alexandria under Heraclas, traveling to Edessa, Armenia, and Phrygia, and even serving as an envoy to Rome in 221 on behalf of the rebuilding of Emmaus after its ruin. He died around AD 240, having reached advanced age.
Though not known to have held episcopal office—later Syriac sources anachronistically call him bishop of Edessa—he may have been a presbyter. His primary vocation, however, appears to have been that of a learned Christian layman, whose broad knowledge of Hebrew and Greek literature enabled him to serve as a bridge between classical culture and the Christian worldview. Socrates Scholasticus placed him in the company of Clement of Alexandria and Origen for learning.
The Chronicle: A Monument of Christian Historiography
Africanus’ chief work was his Chronography in five books, spanning from the creation of the world (which he dated to 5499 BC) to AD 221, the fourth year of Emperor Elagabalus. His purpose was to present a continuous, systematic account of sacred and secular history—countering pagan claims that Christianity was novel by demonstrating its deep roots in the history of Israel, far older than Greek philosophy or poetry.
Using the accession of Cyrus as a fixed point (Olympiad 55, 1), Africanus calculated 1237 years from the Exodus to the end of the Babylonian captivity, relying on the Septuagint’s chronology. He placed the Exodus in the year A.M. 3707, counted 740 years from the Exodus to Solomon, and dated the birth of Christ to A.M. 5500—ten years earlier than the Dionysian era. In his reckoning, Christ’s public ministry lasted only one year, placing the crucifixion in A.M. 5531.
Africanus was the first to offer such a unified historical scheme, using typological and symbolic calculations—for instance, seeing the 31 years of Christ’s life as the complement to Methuselah’s 969 years. His interpretation of Daniel’s 70 weeks as 490 lunar years (equal to 475 Julian years) reveals his blending of biblical exegesis and chronological precision. He regarded the darkness at the crucifixion as miraculous, rejecting any naturalistic explanation such as a solar eclipse.
The Cesti: A Miscellany of Knowledge
Another work, the Cesti (Κεστοί, “Variegated Girdles”), was a wide-ranging miscellany on geography, natural history, medicine, agriculture, warfare, and other topics. Dedicated to Emperor Alexander Severus, it was essentially a compendium of useful information—secular in content yet reflecting the intellectual breadth of its author. Only fragments remain, and while some have questioned his authorship due to its non-theological nature, there is no strong reason to doubt that Africanus compiled it.
Letters and Biblical Criticism
Eusebius preserves mention of two significant letters:
– To Origen: In this surviving text, Africanus questions the authenticity of the story of Susanna in the Book of Daniel, noting its absence from the Hebrew canon, differences in style, and linguistic evidence suggesting a Greek rather than Hebrew origin. His method—attending to textual, stylistic, and canonical factors—marks one of the earliest examples of higher criticism in Christian literature. Origen’s lengthy reply defends the passage, arguing that Christians should not depend on Jewish authorities to determine the integrity of Scripture.
– To Aristides: Here Africanus addresses the apparent discrepancy between the genealogies of Christ in Matthew and Luke, harmonizing them by distinguishing between natural descent (Matthew) and legal descent (Luke). This letter survives only in fragments but has been partially reconstructed in modern scholarship.
Legacy
Africanus’ chronicle became the backbone of later Christian universal histories, directly influencing Eusebius and, through him, the medieval historiographical tradition. His combination of biblical interpretation, historical synthesis, and critical inquiry was unprecedented in Christian literature. Though much of his work survives only in fragments and quotations, his legacy endures as that of a learned Christian who sought to place the Church’s story within the great drama of the world’s history—anchoring faith not in myth or legend, but in the ordered flow of time as shaped by God’s providence.
