Sources: The Didache (full title: Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), rediscovered 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios in Constantinople; dated ~50–120 AD by different scholars.

The Didache is the earliest surviving church order document and one of the most theologically significant rediscoveries of modern biblical scholarship. Its contents: (1) The Two Ways (chs. 1–6) — a moral catechism contrasting the Way of Life and the Way of Death, with close parallels to the Dead Sea Scrolls’ Community Rule (1QS) — evidence of Jewish moral instruction being directly incorporated into Christian practice; (2) Baptism instructions (ch. 7) — preference for flowing water, but a three-fold pouring is permissible if needed; (3) Fasting and prayer (ch. 8) — fast on Wednesdays and Fridays (not Mondays and Thursdays like “the hypocrites,” i.e., Jews); pray the Lord’s Prayer three times daily; (4) Eucharist (chs. 9–10) — prayers of striking Jewish thanksgiving structure, with no institution narrative (no “this is my body”) — suggesting an early Eucharistic practice predating Paul’s tradition (1 Cor 11:23–26); (5) Church order (chs. 11–15) — traveling apostles and prophets are to be tested; bishops and deacons elected; a Sunday assembly; (6) Eschatological conclusion (ch. 16) — the Lord’s coming, the appearance of the deceiver, and the resurrection. The Didache preserves a form of early Christianity closer to its Jewish matrix than anything else at this date.