Philotheos Bryennios

Philotheos Bryennios was a Greek Orthodox theologian and scholar who made a significant contribution to the study of early Christianity. He was educated at the theological school in Halki, Greece, and at the universities of Leipzig, Munich, and Berlin. He became a professor and then director of the school in Halki, and later the head of the Patriarchal School in Constantinople. He was appointed metropolitan of Serres in Macedonia in 1875, and then metropolitan of Nicomedia in 1877. He participated in several ecumenical conferences and commissions, and was involved in the dialogue between the Orthodox and the Old Catholic churches. He was also a prolific writer of theological works, such as The Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, The Epistles of Clement, and The History of the Roman Church. His most notable discovery was a manuscript in the library of the monastery of the Holy Sepulcher in Constantinople, which contained a copy of the Didache, an early Christian document that was presumed lost. The Didache contains teachings of the apostles on various topics, such as baptism, prayer, fasting, and ethics. Bryennios published the Didache in 1883, along with notes and commentary. His discovery sparked a renewed interest in the origins and development of Christianity, and influenced many scholars and theologians. Bryennios died in 1917 in his native Constantinople.