The Development of the Canon of the New Testament

The Stichometery of Nicephorus (9th century?)

Nicephorus (Patriarch of Constantinople 806-815) drew up a Chronography reaching from Adam to the year of his death (829), to which he appended a canon catalogue, the origin of which has not been clearly settled, but which may perhaps be located in Jerusalem. Whether it is older that 850 (so Jülicher) remains open to question. It is striking that in the enumeration of the NT books the Revelation of John is not present. The catalogue of the Old and New Testament books is followed by that of the antilegomena (which contains the Revelation of John) and of the apocrypha. Next to each book is the count of its stichoi (lines).

And the (writings) of the Old Testament which are gainsaid and are not recognized in the Church (canonized) are the following:

1. 3 Books of the Maccabees	7300 lines
2. The Wisdom of Solomon	1100 lines
3. The Wisdom of Jesus Sirach	2800 lines
4. The Psalms and Odes of Solomon	2100 lines
5. Esther	350 lines
6. Judith	1700 lines
7. Susanna	500 lines
8. Tobith, also (called) Tobias	700 lines

And of the New Testament (writings) the following are gainsaid:

1. The Revelation of John	1400 lines
2. The Revelation of Peter	300 lines
3. The Epistle of Barnabas	1360 lines
4. The Gospel of the Hebrews	2200 lines

Apocrypha of the Old Testament are the following:

1. Enoch	4800 lines
2. (Testaments of the) Patriarchs	5100 lines
3. The Prayer of Joseph	300 lines
4. The Testament of Moses	1100 lines
5. The Assumption of Moses	1400 lines
6. Abraham	300 lines
7. Eldad and Modad	400 lines
8. (Book of the) prophet Elias	316 lines
9. (Book of the) prophet Zephaniah	600 lines
10. (Book of the) Zacharias, the father of John	500 lines
11. Pseudepigraphica of Baruch, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel

Apocrypha of the New Testament are the following:

1. The Circuit of Paul	3600 lines
2. The Circuit of Peter	2750 lines
3. The Circuit of John	2500 lines
4. The Circuit of Thomas	1600 lines
5. The Gospel of Thomas	1300 lines
6. The Teaching (Didache) of the Apostles	200 lines
7. The 32 (books) of Clement	2600 lines
8. (Writings) of Ignatius, of Polycarp and of Hermas ...

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The Stichometery of Nicephorus
in Greek and Latin (courtesy of Andy Harrington)