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Written c. A.D. 50 – 120

An early Christian community

the Didache

No name survives for this. The years given are when the writing was done, not a life.

Worth knowing

  • Nobody knows who wrote the Didache. It reads like the working manual of a congregation rather than the work of an author, which is probably what it is.
  • It teaches new believers how to live, how to baptise, how to pray, how to hold a meal, and how to tell a genuine travelling teacher from a freeloader.
  • The complete text vanished from every known library for centuries and turned up in 1873, in a single Greek manuscript in Constantinople.

In Scholar’s Dream, an early Christian community has two books

Passages you can read in the game

Longer excerpts the Scriptorium holds on screen for a player to sit and read, word for word.

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways. The way of life is this. First of all, you shall love the God that made you; secondly, your neighbour as yourself. And all things whatsoever you would not have befall yourself, neither do to another.”

Didache 1.1–5 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from Dida

“Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for them that persecute you; for what thank is it, if you love them that love you? Do not even the Gentiles the same? But love them that hate you, and you shall not have an enemy.”

Didache 1.7–10 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from Dida

“My child, flee from every evil and everything that resembles it. Be not angry, for anger leads to murder, nor jealous nor contentious nor wrathful; for of all these things murders are engendered.”

Didache 3.1–5 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from Dida

“You shall not hate any man, but some you shall reprove, and for others you shall pray, and others you shall love more than your life.”

Didache 2.7 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from Dida

“As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, so may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom; for yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever and ever.”

Didache 9.8–9 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from The Didache

“Neither pray as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in his Gospel, thus pray: Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth… Three times in the day pray so.”

Didache 8.3–11 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from The Didache

“Whosoever therefore shall come and teach you all these things that have been said before, receive him; but if the teacher himself be perverted and teach a different doctrine to the destruction thereof, hear him not; but if to the increase of righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.”

Didache 11.1–3 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from The Didache

“And every prophet teaching the truth, if he does not do what he teaches, he is a false prophet.”

Didache 11.16 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from The Didache

“Be watchful for your life; let your lamps not be quenched and your loins not ungirded, but be ready; for you know not the hour in which our Lord comes… For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate.”

Didache 16.1–6 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).
from The Didache

Words An early Christian community’s books borrow from others

Moves these books can learn whose quotation comes from somebody else. The citation on each one names who actually said it.

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.”

Didache 1.1 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain).public domain
How it works in the game: the move Two Ways
EthicsArgument · power 40 · 100% accurate

In the game"There are two ways…" May convict the foe, lowering its Contend.

Learned byDida (Lv 1)

Strong against
×2"Haters of Mankind"an argument · why?

The Didache’s way of life begins with loving God and your neighbour, and blessing those who curse you. That is what these supposed haters of mankind were taught.

×2"We Are All Religious"an argument · why?

The Didache says there are two ways, one of life and one of death. Being religious is not enough, because not every way leads to life.

×2"What Good Are You?"an argument · why?

The Didache teaches a way of life: love your neighbour, give to anyone who asks, and care for the poor. A city is better off with people like that than with its games.

“He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.”

Proverbs 18:17 (WEB).
How it works in the game: the move Question the Premise
RationalityType shift

In the gameChallenge the foundation of an argument before it can be pressed. Lowers the foe’s Contend.

Learned byDida (Lv 4)

“First, thou shalt love the God who made thee; secondly, thy neighbour as thyself; and all things whatsoever thou wouldest not have done to thee, do not thou to another.”

Didache 1.2 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).public domain
How it works in the game: the move Catechetical Charge
EthicsArgument · power 70 · 100% accurate

In the gameThe Didache’s plain moral instruction, pressed home.

Learned byDida (Lv 10)

“And every prophet teaching the truth, if he does not do what he teaches, he is a false prophet.”

Didache 11.16 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).public domain
How it works in the game: the move Test the Teacher
EthicsArgument · power 60 · 100% accurate

In the gameThe manual’s practical test: does he do what he teaches? Often takes the credibility out from under the foe, lowering its Contend. Hits forged and pseudonymous books especially hard.

Learned byThe Didache (Lv 13)

“Eighty and six years have I served him, and he has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

Martyrdom of Polycarp 9 (public domain trans.).public domain
How it works in the game: the move Martyr’s Resolve
EthicsArgument · power 50 · 100% accurate

In the game"Eighty and six years…" Strikes half again as hard when the book is nearly spent.

Learned byThe Didache (Lv 16)

“As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, so may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom.”

Didache 9.8–9 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).public domain
How it works in the game: the move The Broken Bread
EcclesiologyRestore

In the gameThe oldest eucharistic prayer we have. What was scattered is gathered into one: clears every status effect from your whole team.

Learned byThe Didache (Lv 19)

“Be watchful for your life; let your lamps not be quenched and your loins not ungirded, but be ready; for you know not the hour in which our Lord comes.”

Didache 16.1 (trans. Lightfoot, public domain, lightly modernized).public domain
How it works in the game: the move Watch the Hour
EschatologyArgument · power 70 · 95% accurate

In the gameLamps lit, belt fastened, watching. The ready argument catches an unready one off its guard — often finds the telling stroke.

Learned byThe Didache (Lv 21)

More from the research (7)

Real, sourced quotations found while researching An early Christian community’s books for the game. They are not shown anywhere in the game itself.

"Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies and fast for them that persecute you; for what thank is it, if ye love them that love you? Do not even the Gentiles the same? But do ye love them that hate you, and ye shall not have an enemy. Abstain thou from fleshly and bodily lusts. If any man give thee a blow on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also, and thou shalt be perfect."

Didache 1.7–10 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

"Be watchful for your life; let your lamps not be quenched and your loins not ungirded, but be ye ready; for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh. And ye shall gather yourselves together frequently, seeking what is fitting for your souls; for the whole time of your faith shall not profit you, if ye be not perfected at the last season. For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate."

Didache 16.1–6 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

"Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not corrupt boys, thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not deal in magic, thou shalt do no sorcery, thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods, thou shalt not perjure thyself, thou shalt not bear false witness."

Didache 2.2 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

"Thou shalt not hate any man, but some thou shalt reprove, and for others thou shalt pray, and others thou shalt love more than thy life."

Didache 2.7 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

"My child, flee from every evil and everything that resembleth it. Be not angry, for anger leadeth to murder, nor jealous nor contentious nor wrathful; for of all these things murders are engendered. My child, be not lustful, for lust leadeth to fornication, neither foul-speaking neither with uplifted eyes; for of all these things adulteries are engendered."

Didache 3.1–5 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

"Neither pray ye as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus pray ye. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debt, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever and ever. Three times in the day pray ye so."

Didache 8.3–11 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

"As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, so may Thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom; for Thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever and ever."

Didache 9.8–9 (Lightfoot).
verified in primary source

Who else was alive

An early Christian community against everyone else in the game.

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