READER QUESTION Kaique Rossoni, Colatina, ES
ILLUSTRATES Mechanical Sleeve
EDITION Felipe van Deursen
Science has not been able to prove whether the 12 disciples of Jesus existed in the way they are described by the Church. The few historians and bishops who have left accounts of them, such as Eusebius of Caesarea, author of Ecclesiastical History (4th century), have their credibility affected, as their texts were intended to reinforce the Christian faith, at a time when religion still lacked well-defined dogmas, established hierarchy and stabilized central power. This only began to be drawn when Christianity became the official religion of Rome, in 380. It is possible that the biographies of the 12 apostles mix the lives of several followers of Jesus with fictional elements. Here, we show how they died according to the Bible or according to texts from the first centuries of Christianity.
CONSULTANCY Tom Bissel, author of Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelveand Craig Blomberg, professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary (USA) and author of The Historical Reliability of Gospels
SOURCES Book The News Testament: a Historical Introduction to Early Christian Writings, by Bart D. Ehrman; Dissertation A Historical Evaluation Of The Evidence For The Death Of The Apostles As Martyrs For Their Faithby Sean Joslin McDowell