through translations of the Bible into new languages, spread both a
Christian consciousness and a sense of cultural identity.• In both Syria and Egypt, Christianity quickly expanded beyond the
Hellenistic cities of Antioch and Alexandria.
o By the 2nd century, Christianity flourished around Edessa in
East Syria. Early translations of the Old and New Testaments
were in the form of Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic); a complete
translation of the Bible (the Peshitta) was completed by the
end of the 4th century. A great ecclesiastical literature also was
generated in Syriac.
o Similarly, in upper Egypt, evidence of Christianity in the Coptic
language appears from the 3rd century, with the New Testament
appearing in several Coptic dialects and Gnostic writings, such
as those found at Nag Hammadi, composed in Coptic.• In Persia, Christianity made an appearance in the 3rd century and
continued to flourish through some vicissitudes.
o Under the Sassanid king Shapur II (310–380), Christians
underwent a 40-year persecution; the ecclesiastical historian
Sozomen reports that 16,000 were killed.
o From 399 to 420, in contrast, Christians enjoyed royal favor.
The Bible was read in Syriac, but some efforts were made to
translate it into Middle Persian. From 420 to 450, there was
again persecution.o Persia became the center of Nestorian Christianity, which
emphasized the humanity rather than the divinity of Christ.
Nestorianism eventually became the national church and the
source of missionary activity along the trade routes to the
Far East.• In the 4th century, Constantius II (the imperial sponsor of Arianism)
sent Bishop Theophilus to the Sabaean tribal people in Yemen. An
Arabic translation of the New Testament appeared there in the 7th