EUSEBIUS [SON] OF PAMPHILUS 1

original: "ԵՒՍԵԲԵԱՅ ՊԱՄՓԻԼԱՑՒՈՅ" — Eusebius of Caesarea often called himself "Eusebius Pamphili" to honor his mentor, the martyr Pamphilus.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

BOOK ONE

Regarding the succession of the holy apostles and the passage of time from the days of our Savior Savior: Jesus Christ until our own; and however many and whatever sorts of things are handed down in the histories of the churches, especially regarding those who were appointed as heads and who led the most illustrious churches with praise; and who those were who, throughout various generations, preached the Word of God either in writing or without writing; and who they were and in what times—those who, out of a desire for innovation, fell into grievous error through foreign religions, and being openly known as teachers of false knowledge This refers to "Gnosis" or Gnosticism, which Eusebius viewed as a counterfeit of true Christian knowledge., like fierce wolves, unsparingly attacked the flock.

I have desired to commit to writing the succession of the acts of the apostles from the days of our Savior until our own time; and however many, or of what kind, the events are said to be which occurred in the history of the churches. And what sort of people they were who, in a wonderful manner, were distinguished as heads and leaders among the people. And who they were who, from generation to generation, preached the word of God, whether without books or through writings. And who they were, and how many, and how many times new teachers of error and false knowledge sprouted up, who without sparing, like destructive wolves, grew bold against the flock of Christ. And together with these, whatever events occurred to the same [people]...

The text ends mid-sentence as it transitions to the next page, continuing the description of the historical scope including the calamities that befell the Jewish nation and the persecutions faced by the early Church.