Did Constantine Order Imperial Book

Burnings?

Posted: October 16, 2005

Introduction:

Constantine’s order to burn books that presented information contrary to the four canonical gospels is a myth that runs rampant in skeptical circles, and has been propagated1 in Archarya S (D. Murdock)’s book The Christ Conspiracy. Historical data, in reality, strongly opposes the claim that Constantine ordered the burning of books that opposed the material contained in the four canonical gospels.

Historical Data:

• The New Testament scholar Dr. Bart D. Ehrman wrote the following:

• “The historical reality is that the emperor Constantine had nothing to do with the formation of the canon of scripture: he did not choose which books to include or exclude, and he did not order the destruction of the Gospels that were left out of the canon (there were no imperial book burnings)” (TAFITDC:74).

Notes:

1. Archarya S wrote the following in The Christ Conspiracy: “After the Council of Nicea, per the murderous Constantine’s orders, the Christians turned up the heat on censorship, leading to the centuries-long orgy that obliterated millions of texts” (page 356).