Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, gave the church one of its greatest gifts by chronicling the rise of Christianity until the fourth century in The Ecclesiastical History. One of the earliest and most important histories of the church, this classic work is a must read. Eusebuis began writing in 311 and finished in 323, just two years before the Council of Nicaea. Comprehensive in its detail and scope and faithful to history, this work forms a solid foundation for the study of church history, historical theology, patristics, and the early church, all of which are integral to a grounded understanding of the New Testament church and the trajectory of its development. The Loeb edition of The Ecclesiastical History includes the original Greek text with English translation by Kirsopp Lake and J. E. L. Oulton as well as notes and an extensive introduction to the text.