Then tidings of these things
Of the spread of the Gospel in several parts, and the success of
it in the conversion of sinners, especially at Antioch:
came unto the ears of the church which was in
Jerusalem;
these tidings were brought to the apostles and brethren there, by
messengers which the ministers of the word sent unto them to let
them know what success they met with; notwithstanding the
persecution raised against the church of Jerusalem at the death
of Stephen, and the havoc that was made of the members of it, and
the dispersion of others, yet it still continued a church, and so
it did for ages after: there are reckoned fifteen bishops of it
unto the times of Trajan, and the destruction of the city by him,
when the Jews were no longer suffered to live in it; and they are
these, James the brother of our Lord, Simeon, Justus, Zacchaeus,
Tobias, Benjamin, John, Matthias, Philip, Seneca, Justus, Levi,
Ephres, Joseph, and Judas; and these are said F8 to be
all originally Hebrews: but after the destruction of the city by
Trajan, and the Jews were forbid inhabiting it, the church
consisted of Gentiles only; and of them bishops were constituted
over it, and were as follow: Marcus, Cassianus, Publius, Maximus,
Julianus, Gaianus, Symmachus, Caius, another Julianus, Capito,
another Maximus, Antoninus, Valens, Dolychianus, Narcissus,
Aelius, Germanio, Gordius, and another Narcissus; all these
governed this church in the "second" century: and in the "third"
century, the bishops of this church were Alexander, Mazabanes,
Labdas, and Hermon, who was the last before the Dioclesian
persecution: in the "fourth" century, Macarins, Maximus, and
Cyril, presided over it; and these were succeeded in the "fifth"
century by Joannes Nepos, Prayllius, Juvenalis, Anastasius, and
Martyrius; in this age also Lucian and Hesychius were presbyters
of this church. In the "sixth" century, the names of the bishops
of this church were Salustius, Helias, Johannes, Petrus,
Macarius, Eustochius, Johannes, Neamus, and Isicius: in the
"seventh" century were Thomas, Johannes, Neannus, Isaac,
Zacharias, and Sophronius, who was the last bishop of Jerusalem
before the utter and last devastation of it by the Saracens
F9; since which time the city has
underwent various fates, being sometimes in the hands of the
Christians, and at other times possessed by the Turks, in whose
power it now is.
And they sent forth Barnabas;
who was himself an Hellenist, and of the country of Cyprus, and
so very fit to be sent to the Grecians or Hellenists at Antioch,
who had received the Gospel to confirm them in it: for his orders
were,
that he should go as far as Antioch
which is said to be about fifteen or sixteen days journey from
Jerusalem: the phrase, "that he should go", is not in the
Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic
versions.