Ariston of Pella

Long the subject of numerous theories and assumptions, the second century CE writer Ariston of Pella has tantalized generations of scholars.  Ariston of Pella is mentioned in texts by well-known historians such as Eusebius of Caesarea and Tyrannius Rufinus, but vital additional information about Ariston remained scattered in many different Greek, Latin and Armenian sources. This book thoroughly examines each of those sources and reveals new information about Ariston of Pella’s name and toponym, the Christian Flight to Pella during the First Jewish-Roman War, the important information Ariston recorded about the Bar Kokhba Revolt, the Apology he wrote for Christianity addressed to the Roman Emperor Hadrian, his time in Armenia as the royal secretary for the Armenian King Artashēs and Ariston’s controversial relationship with the last twelve verses of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16: 9-20).  The current volume is the first book about Ariston of Pella that has ever been published.