Re: Was Papias' source Aristion identical with Ariston of Pella?
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2024 7:23 am
In the history of scholarship on him, many dates have been proposed for the life of Papias. Taken together, they range from a proposed birth in ca. 60 to a death in 164. It seems safe to say that the reality is somewhere in between those limits; he probably didn't live to the age of 104. The proposed martyrdom in 164 can likely be dismissed, but that still leaves 60 to 160. Looking at the arguments, both the beginning and end numbers are not very plausible. The point here being that, chronologically, there is no problem in considering the possibility or the probability that the Christian tradent Ariston and the Christian tradent Aristion were the same individual.
Added later: Richard Bauckham proposed Papias was born ca. 50 (Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, 2006, p. 18).
Added later: Richard Bauckham proposed Papias was born ca. 50 (Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, 2006, p. 18).