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=== Early Church Fathers ===

=== Early Church Fathers ===

Early Christian sources outside the New Testament also mention Jesus and the historical details of his life.  Important texts from the Apostolic Fathers are, to name just the most significant and ancient, Clement of Rome's ''Letter to the Corinthians'' (''c.'' 100), Ignatius of Antioch's many epistles (''c.'' 107-110), Justin Martyr's second century apologetic works, and others.  But perhaps the most significant Patristic sources are the early second century references of Papias and Quadratus (of Athens).  They both mention disciples of Jesus – eyewitnesses who testified to his life and miracles – who were still alive at the time they wrote.  Papias, in giving his sources for the information contained in his (now lost) gospel commentaries, stated:

Early Christian sources outside the New Testament also mention Jesus and the historical details of his life.  Important texts from the Apostolic Fathers are, to name just the most significant and ancient, Clement of Rome's ''Letter to the Corinthians'' (''c.'' 100), Ignatius of Antioch's many epistles (''c.'' 107-110), Justin Martyr's second century apologetic works, and others.  But perhaps the most significant Patristic sources are the early second century references of [[Papias]] and Quadratus (of Athens).  They both mention disciples of Jesus – eyewitnesses who testified to his life and miracles – who were still alive at the time they wrote.  Papias, in giving his sources for the information contained in his (now lost) gospel commentaries, stated:

: ''…if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders should come my way, I inquired about the words of the elders &mdash; [that is,] what [according to the elders] Andrew or Peter said, or Philip, or Thomas or James, or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and the elder John, the Lord’s disciples, were saying.''<ref>translation by Richard Bauckham in his ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2006), pp. 15-16.</ref>

: ''…if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders should come my way, I inquired about the words of the elders &mdash; [that is,] what [according to the elders] Andrew or Peter said, or Philip, or Thomas or James, or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and the elder John, the Lord’s disciples, were saying.''<ref>translation by Richard Bauckham in his ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2006), pp. 15-16.</ref>

Thus, while Papias was collecting his information (''c''. 90), Aristion and the elder John (who were Jesus’ disciples) were still alive and teaching in Asia minor, and Papias gathered information from people who had known them.<ref>Richard Bauckham, ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2006), pp. 15-21.</ref>  Another Father, Quadratus, who wrote an apology to the emperor Hadrian, stated:

Thus, while Papias was collecting his information (''c''. 90), Aristion and the elder John (who were Jesus’ disciples) were still alive and teaching in Asia minor, and Papias gathered information from people who had known them.<ref>Richard Bauckham, ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2006), pp. 15-21.</ref>  Another Father, Quadratus, who wrote an apology to the emperor Hadrian, stated: