Hippolytus of Thebes
late 7th or early 8th century Byzantine author and chronicler
Hippolytus of Thebes was a Byzantine author of the late 7th or early 8th century. His Chronicle, preserved only in part, is an especially valuable source for New Testament chronology.
Preserved fragments are scattered in about 40 manuscripts, mostly dealing with the Holy Family.
Thus, according to the Chronicle, Jesus was crucified in AD 30, and Mary, mother of Jesus lived for eleven years longer, dying in AD 41.
The Chronicle is cited twice in the "short chronological notes" compiled under Constantine V (r. 741–775).
Epiphanius the Monk, writing in the early 9th century, names Hippolytus as one of his authorities on the Life of the Blessed Virgin. Another fragment reports that after the Ascension, Mary continued to live in Jerusalem in a house bought by John the Apostle with the inheritance from his father Zebedee. This tradition of a house of Mary in Jerusalem is first alluded to by Sophronius of Jerusalem (d. 638).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Hippolytus of Thebes” as late 7th or early 8th century Byzantine author and chronicler. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as late 7th or early 8th century Byzantine author and chronicler. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 1, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q4892713. VIAF identifies the subject as 311398673. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Hippolytus of Thebes”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Hippolytus of Thebes primary sources, Hippolytus of Thebes archive and Hippolytus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Hippolytus of Thebes”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Hippolytus of Thebes” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.