The Center for Early African Christianity
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Three Hebrew Boys in the Fiery Furnace

Marble, Unknown Provenance

    500s
Ghanaian empire most important power in West Africa.

    505
Death of Eugenius, bishop of Carthage.

    512-532
Fulgentius (Fulgence), bishop of Ruspe (467-532) writes his Letters, The Rule of Faith, Synodal Letter of Fulgence of Ruspe and Other African Bishops, to John and Venerius, answers semi-Pelagian views.

    519
End of Acacian Schism and acceptance of Chalcedon in East, excepting "monophysites" who are still persecuted in Egypt and throughout North Africa.

    523
Vandal king Thrasamund dies.

    520–547
Ferrandus, a disciple of Fulgentius, is deacon of the church of Carthage.

    530
Death of Vandal king Hilderic.

    532
Death of Fulgentius of Ruspe.

    533
Byzantine General Belisarius uproots Vandals from North Africa and reconquers Egypt, restoring the empire almost to its former dimensions from Mauretania to Armenia, building many fortresses and basilicas in Africa; now Byzantine forms of Christian architecture appear throughout North Africa.

    534
Death of Vandal king Gelimer.

    536-567
Justinian establishes Chalcedonian episcopal hierarchy in Alexandria until rise of Islam.

c. 550
Cassiodorus founds the monastery Vivarium in Calabria in southern Italy, with scriptorium out of which many texts originally written in Africa became first known to Europeans and accessible to pre-medieval monastic libraries, conveying the fourth century African intellectual tradition to sixth century Europe for the first time.

    560-570
Primasius, bishop of Hadrumetum, author of Commentary on the Apocalypse and Letters.

    552
Death of Verecundus of Iunca in Byzacena.

    553
Fifth ecumenical council, Second Council of Constantinople; Condemnation of Three Chapters.

c. 563
Columba's (c. 521-597) mission to Iona begins bringing African penitential discipline to Scots.

    585
Columbanus (545-615) from Ireland to Gaul, founds monastery of Luxeuil, bringing African orthodox penitential tradition in a great circle back to Europe from Ireland to serve Europe's early medieval formation.

    595
Heraclius the elder, leading general of the Emperor Maurice, becomes exarch of Carthage; he is the father of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius the younger.

    590-604
Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) brings Augustinian theology to normative status in the west; inaugurates mission to England.