How Much Did Early Christians Refer to the Old Testament?        Feb. 2026

It is agreed that early Christians accepted the Old Testament, but it is interesting to compare the documented references of the Old Testament to the New. This chart showed who referred to which Old Testament passages and when. The apocrypha and pseudepigrapha are listed in a separate chart.

Rows: red = persecution of Christians, green = heresy, orange = schism, blue = Bible manuscripts, pink = strange teacher

Christian writer, heretic, or Bible manuscript

< Pages

Date A.D.

OT

Law

Gn

Ex

Lv

Nm

Dt

Josh

Jd

Ru

1S

2S

1Ki

2Ki

1C

2C

Ez

Neh

Es

Jb

Ps

Pr

Ec

SS

Isa

Jer

La

Eze

Dn

12

Ho

Jo

Am

Ob

Jn

Mic

Na

Hab

Zep

Hg

Zec

Mal

Nash Papyrus Ex 20:2-17 and Dt 5:6-6:4f

150 B.C.

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Rahlfs 957 manuscript (Dt 25:1-3, Greek)

200-100 B.C.

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Masada

169-93 B.C.

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Rahlfs 848 (=p.Fouad 266) (Gen, Dt, Greek)

100-1 B.C.

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Mas1a at Masada Lev 4:3-9

50-1 B.C.

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4Q102 in the Dead Sea Scrolls Pr 39  words

30-1 B.C.

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Nahal Hever 5/6Hev1a,5/6Hev1b,XHev/Se3

50 B.C.-50

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8 Hev XIIgr at Nahal Hever minor prophets

50 B.C.-50

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Mur 2 at Wadi Murabba’at Dt 10:1-3;11:2-3, etc.

c.132 A.D.

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Rahlfs 814 ms. (Gen 14:12-15, Greek Sept.)

150-200

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Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts

before 68

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Mas1b at Masada 45 frag’s (Lev 8:31-11:40)

25-73

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Max1C Dt 33:17-21; 34:2-6

-Apr/73

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Philo the Alexandrian Jew

many

20 B.C. to 50

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Nero and Domitian persecute Christians

50 & 95/96

Est 500K Christians. Christians were labeled atheists and killed for refusing to worship the emperor and pagan idols.

Clement of Rome (wrote 1 Clement)

16 ¼

96-98

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½

Papias + Presbyters

2 + ½

95-117

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Ignatius disciple of John (short version)

13

c.100-117

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Trajan persecutes Christians

107-117

Answered Pliny the Younger’s letter. Christians are not to be sought after, but only killed if found.

Didache (=Teaching of 12 Apostles)

4 ¾

c.60-120

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Wadi Murabba’at (Num 1:6-7) 31 words

75-125

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Apology of Aristides (Greek version)

4

125or138-161

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Quadratus of Athens fragment

1/8

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Epistle of Barnabas

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c.70-130

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Hadrian persecutes Christians

118 & 134

Hadrian loved Greek culture, and persecuted both Jews and Christians. The Jewish Bar Cochba revolt happened under him.

Bar Cochba persecutes Christians

135

Christians persecuted in Israel because Christians would not join Bar Cochba’s revolt.

2 Clement (anonymous writer)

5 ¾

120-140

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Polycarp, John’s disciple, to the Philippians

3 ½

100-155

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Letter to Diognetus (=Mathetes to Diognetus)

5 ¼

c.130-200

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Total Apostolic Fathers – until 155 A.D.

67.7

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Shepherd of Hermas

46 ½

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Justin Martyr, philosopher, apologist

137

c.138-165

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Evarestus’ Martyrdom of Polycarp

5

c.169

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Gnostic heresies become widespread

c.170-

Gnostics all believed Creator was evil or foolish. Rejecting the O.T., they mixed Greek paganism & Christianity

Dionysius of Corinth (against Marcion)

1/3

170

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Tatian+Diatessaron, Encratite later

18+86

c.172

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Athenagoras (apologist)

33 ½

177

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Christians of Vienna  and Lugdunum

6 ½

177

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Persecution of Marcus Aurelius

162/166-180

Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher. Persecution, mainly in Gaul, ended with his death.

Claudius Apollinaris of Hierapolis

½

177,160-80

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Melito/Meleto of Sardis (Quartodecimian)

11

170-177/80

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Hegesippus (chronicler)

2 ½

170-180

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Rhodon (against Marcion and Apelles)

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Theophilus of Antioch (to Autolycus)

32

168-181/8

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Ebionites (observe Law, Father, Son)

265 ½

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Irenaeus of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp

284 ¾

182-188

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Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 656 (Genesis in Greek)

100-200

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Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 1074

100-200

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Rahlfs 814 ms. (Gen 14:12-15, Greek Sept.)

150-200

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Minucius Felix + Apollonius of Ephesus

250+1

c.210

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Caius and the Muratorian Canon

3

190-217

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Sabellian heresy  (Praxeas, Noetus)

200-257-

They believed Father, Son, and Spirit were one person. Also called Patripassians for “passion of the Father”.

Persecution of Septimus Severus

202

Est. 2M Christians. Although a Christian helped him through a severe illness, he did not repeal existing laws against Christians.

Clement of Alexandria

424

193-217/20

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Tertullian (joined the Montanist Church)

741

198-220

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Tertullian’s 5 Books Against Marcion

194

207/8

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Bardaisan/Bardesan of Syria (heretical)

11 ½

-224/232

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Asterius Urbanus (against Montanists)

2 ¾

c.232

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Elchasaite Ebionites (Jesus God’s Son)

2 ¼

-236-

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Hippolytus, pupil of Irenaeus (undisputed)

218

222-235/6

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Maximin Thrax persecutes Christians

235-238

First empire-wide persecution, but only of clergy. Persecution stopped when his soldiers assassinated him.

Theodotus the probable Montanist

7 ¾

ca.240

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½

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¼

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Instructions of Commodianus

16

c.240

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