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Papias of Hierapolis
CDAMM

Papias of Hierapolis

Author: CenSAMM

Published: 6th June 2025

DOI: 10.17863/CAM.121563

CenSAMM. 2025. "Papias." In James Crossley and Alastair Lockhart (eds.), Critical Dictionary of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements. 6 June 2025. Retrieved from www.cdamm.org/articles/papias

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Introduction

Papias was the Christian leader in Hierapolis, ancient Phrygia (Asia Minor, now part of modern-day Turkey), who was probably active in the early second century CE. While there is scant information about his life and work, he remains known for his accounts of the origins of the Gospels and oral traditions connected with the first followers of Jesus. He claimed to have acquired eschatological teaching of Jesus that did not make it into the canonical Gospels, which looked to a time when animals and humans would live in harmony and accompanied by blessings of a vast quantity of grapes and wine. Papias was known for his literal understanding of chiliasm, a belief that there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ following the resurrection of the dead.

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Life

Little is known about Papias’s life. We only have snippets of his work quoted or referenced in the works of later Christian writers, notably the historian Eusebius of Caesarea (d. 339 CE) and the theologian Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 130–c. 202 CE). Papias was a leader or ‘bishop’ of Hierapolis who had written five books under the title An Exposition of the Lord’s Oracles, which included stories about the origins of the Gospels. Papias was said to have received traditions about Jesus from those who had heard the apostles or could be traced back to them. He was an associate of Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69–155 CE) and active around the same time as Ignatius of Antioch (early second century CE) (for biographical details see, e.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.33.4; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.36.1–2; 3.39.1–16). From the available information and the implications of Eusebius’s chronological history, it is probable that Papias was writing at the turn of second century CE, though the details have been debated.

For detailed academic discussion, see, e.g., Bartlet 1933; Schoedel 1967; Kortner 1983; Kurzinger 1983; Schoedel 1993; Norelli 2005; Hill 2006; Carlson 2017, 49–51; Shanks 2013; Carlson 2021.

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Chiliasm

Eusebius noted that Papias had access to mysterious traditions attributed to Jesus (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.39.11). From Irenaeus, we have such an example. It is an eschatological passage looking to a time of great viticultural abundance when animals will coexist in harmony (in expected fulfilment of Isaiah 11:6–9):

The days will come, in which vines shall grow, each having ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in each one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give five and twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, I am a better cluster, take me; bless the Lord through me. In like manner [the Lord declared] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears, and that every ear should have ten thousand grains, and every grain would yield ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour; and that all other fruit-bearing trees, and seeds and grass, would produce in similar proportions; and that all animals feeding [only] on the productions of the earth, should [in those days] become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and be in perfect subjection to man. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.33.3)

Papias provided further details about this tradition, claiming that the “traitor Judas did not give credit” to these promises and questioned Jesus: “How then can things about to bring forth so abundantly be wrought by the Lord.” Jesus was said to have replied, “They who shall come to these [times] shall see” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.33.4).

Even by contemporary standards of exaggeration to make a point about the immensity of eschatological blessings, the promises attributed to Jesus in Papias's tradition are remarkably voluminous. Stephen Carlson has calculated that the amount of wine that would be produced here “is literally astronomical, about four times the volume of the moon” (Carlson 2017, 53). Even so, comparable imagery of vinicultural verdancy was known in early Jewish traditions (e.g., 1 Enoch 10:19; 2 Baruch 29:5–6).

Eusebius associated Papias’s claims about mysterious traditions with Papias’s belief in a literal form of chiliasm, namely that “there will be a period of some thousand years after the resurrection of the dead, and that the kingdom of Christ will be set up in material form on this very earth” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.39.11–12). Eusebius was dismissive of such thinking, arguing that Papias’s literal reading of the writings of the apostles was a misunderstanding and adding that Papias “appears to have been of very limited understanding” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.39.12–13). Eusebius's personal disdain for Papias's ideas also reflects how Papias-style chiliasm was now being pushed to the sidelines in the making of Christian 'orthodoxy' on the question of eschatology.

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Sources

The earliest accounts of the life and work of Papias are from Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.33.4, and Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.36.1–2; 3.39.1–16, available in, e.g., Coxe, Roberts, and Donaldson 1885; Lake 1926; and Ehrman 2003.

The accounts of Irenaeus and Eusebius are available online (e.g., Irenaeus and Eusebius). The major Christian theologian Jerome (d. 420 CE) includes the story of Papias in his On Illustrious Men (18).

For a full collection of ancient and medieval references (or otherwise) to Papias, see Carlson 2021.

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References

Bartlet, Vernon. 1933. “Papias’s ‘Exposition’: Its Date and Contents.” In Amicitiae Corolla: A Volume of Essays Presented to James Rendel Harris, edited by H. G. Wood, 15–44. London: University of London Press.

Carlson, Stephen C. 2017. “Eschatological Viticulture in 1 Enoch, 2 Baruch, and the Presbyters of Papias.” Vigiliae Christianae 71: 37–58.

Carlson, Stephen C., ed. 2021. Papias of Hierapolis Exposition of Dominical Oracles: The Fragments, Testimonia, and Reception of a Second-Century Commentator. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Coxe, A. Cleveland, Alexander Roberts, and James Donaldson, eds. 1885. Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325. Volume 1: The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus. New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co.

Ehrman, Bart D., ed. 2003. Apostolic Fathers: Volume II. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Hill, Charles E. 2006. “Papias of Hierapolis.” Expository Times 117: 309–15.

Kortner, Ulrich H. J. 1983. Papias von Hierapolis: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des frühen Christentums. Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Kurzinger, Josef. 1983. Papias von Hierapolis und die Evangelien des Neuen Testaments. Regensburg: Pustet.

Lake, Kirsopp, ed. 1926. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Volume I: Books 1–5. Loeb Classical Library 153. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Norelli, Enrico. 2005. Papia di Hierapolis: Esposizione degli Oraculi del signore: I Frammenti. Milan: Paoline.

Schoedel, William R. 1967. Polycarp, Martyrdom of Polycarp, Fragments of Papias. The Apostolic Fathers: A New Translation and Commentary. New York: Nelson.

Schoedel, William R. 1993. “Papias.” Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt 2.27 (1): 235–70.

Shanks, Monte A. 2013. Papias and the New Testament. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2013.

Article information

CenSAMM. 2025. "Papias." In James Crossley and Alastair Lockhart (eds.), Critical Dictionary of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements. 6 June 2025. Retrieved from www.cdamm.org/articles/papias

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144,000

144,000 refers to a belief in an elect group, often at end times or in an imminent transformation of the world. The usage typically derives from the book of Revelation. In Revelation 7:1–8, 144,000 refers to the twelve tribes of Israel who have the seal of God on their foreheads. They are also presented as virgins, blameless, ‘redeemed from the earth’, and expected to sing a new song at Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1–5).

Apocalypticism

In popular usage, 'apocalypticism' refers to a belief in the likely or impending destruction of the world (or a general global catastrophe), usually associated with upheaval in the social, political, and religious order of human society—often referred to as an/the 'apocalypse'. Historically, the term has had religious connotations and the great destruction has traditionally been seen as part of a divine scheme, though it is increasingly used in secular contexts. See the Apocalypticism article for a more detailed discussion.

Armageddon

In popular use, ‘Armageddon’ involves ideas of great cataclysmic events or conflict. The term has long been used to refer to a future battle or ongoing war at the end of time or civilization, whether understood generally as a cataclysmic final battle or specifically as a battle at a place called Megiddo (a location in modern Israel), or a more flexible understanding of Megiddo as a coded reference to an alternative location. ‘Armageddon’ derives from the book of Revelation where it appears just once (Revelation 16:16) with reference to the location of a great cosmic battle associated with the end times. See the Armageddon article for a more detailed discussion.

Beast of the Apocalypse

In popular terms, the 'Beast' or the 'Beast of the Apocalypse' refer generally to a violent and destructive creature that emerges at end times. Such understandings of an end-time beast or beasts derive from the book of Revelation (also called the The Apocalypse) and its long and varied history of interpretation. Revelation refers to 'beasts' on different occasions, including beasts in opposition to God: one emerging from the sea or a pit (Revelation 11:7; 13:1; 17:8; cf. Daniel 7), one from the earth (Revelation 13:11), and another scarlet in colour (Revelation 17:3). The beast from the earth is also associated with the number 666 (alternatively: 616) (Revelation 13:18) and Revelation 19:20 claims that the beast will 'thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur' (New Revised Standard Version).

Eschatology

‘Eschatology’ concerns the study of end times and is derived from the Greek term ἔσχατος (eschatos), meaning ‘final, ‘last’, ‘end’, etc. Eschatology is a label that can incorporate a cluster of related beliefs which differ according to tradition (e.g., end of the world, resurrection, regeneration, Day of Judgment, Antichrist).

Kingdom of God

In the Bible, the ‘Kingdom of God’ (sometimes synonymous with the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’) refers to notions of ruling and kingship which are often understood to have a spatial or territorial dimension, whether in heaven or on earth. According to the book of Daniel, such ‘kingdom’ language is used to describe the claim that God rules the universe eternally (Daniel 4:34) but will also intervene in human history to establish a kingdom for his people (Daniel 2:44). According to the Gospels, Jesus predicted the coming Kingdom of God or Heaven and these predictions have been influential in the history of speculations about end times or the benefits of the kingdom being experienced in a present time and place. Across different traditions, such language has also been used to describe communities deemed holy or places deemed sacred, as well as being understood with reference to personal or ‘spiritual’ transformation.

Messianism

Messianism refers to ideas about a redeemer figure or figures who transform the fortunes of a given people or the world as a whole. The term ‘Messiah’ is derived from the Hebrew משיח (mashiach), meaning ‘anointed one’. In the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, it is a term used to denote people such as kings, priests and prophets anointed to carry out their duties on behalf of God. In early Judaism, the term took on a more precise meaning as a future redeemer figure, including a king in the line of David. New Testament texts made such clams about Jesus where a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew, Χριστός (christos), became part of his name: Jesus Christ.

Millenarianism

In popular and academic use, the term ‘millenarianism’ is often synonymous with the related terms ‘millennialism’, ‘chiliasm’ and ‘millenarism’. They refer to an end-times Golden Age of peace, on earth, for a long period, preceding a final cataclysm and judgement—sometimes referred to as the 'millennium'. The terms are used to describe both millenarian belief and the persons or social groups for whom that belief is central. ‘Millennialism’ or ‘chiliasm’ are chronological terms derived from the Latin and Greek words for ‘thousand’. They are commonly used to refer to a thousand-year period envisaged in the book of Revelation (20:4–6) during which Christ and resurrected martyrs reign prior to the final judgment. More recently the terms have been used to refer to secular formulas of salvation, from political visions of social transformation to UFO movements anticipating globally transformative extra-terrestrial intervention. See the Millenarianism article for a more detailed discussion.

Prophecy

‘Prophecy’ can be broadly understood as a cross-cultural phenomenon involving claims of supernatural or inspired knowledge transmitted or interpreted by an authoritative recipient, intermediary, or interpreter labelled a ‘prophet’. The term is also used in a more general and secular way to refer to individuals who simply predict or prognosticate future events, or those leading principled causes or in pursuit of a particular social or political vision without any special association with inspired or supernatural insight. The language of ‘prophet’ and ‘prophecy’ in English derives from the Greek προφητης (prophētēs) found in the Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and in the New Testament. See the Prophets and Prophecy article for a more detailed discussion.

Son of Man

‘Son of man’ simply means ‘man’ in biblical Hebrew and Aramaic and is a title for Jesus in the Greek New Testament. While the ancient idiom is gendered, some scholars prefer to bring out the generic implications and reflect inclusive language today in their English translations (e.g., 'son of a human being', 'son of humanity'). The phrase sometimes took on a more titular function before Jesus because of the book of Daniel. In Daniel 7, Daniel is said to have had a vision of four destructive beasts representing four kingdoms and who stand in contrast to a human-like figure—‘one like a son of man’. The ‘Ancient of Days’ then takes away the power of the beasts and Daniel sees ‘one like a son of man’ approaching, ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’ (Daniel 7:13; New International Version). Daniel 7 claims that this ‘son of man’ figure will be given ‘authority, glory and sovereign power’, ‘all peoples’ will worship him, and his kingdom will be everlasting. The precise identification of the ‘one like a son of man’ in Daniel 7:13 is not made explicit and there has been a long history of identification with a variety of candidates in apocalyptic and millenarian movements, sometimes without reference to the book of Daniel.

Zion

‘Zion’ is an alternative name for Jerusalem and the ‘city of David’ (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1; 1 Chronicles 11:5; 2 Chronicles 5:2), though it is also used with reference to Israel. Zion can also refer to ‘Mount Zion’, a hill located in Jerusalem which was the site of the Jewish Temple (destroyed 70 CE) and is the site of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Zion and Mount Zion are sometimes interpreted as coded references to an alternative geographical location or to something ‘spiritual’ and otherworldly. In some religious traditions, Zion plays a central role in expectations about end times or the benefits associated with end times being fulfilled in the present.

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