Preparation for the Gospel (Ancient Greek:Εὐαγγελικὴ προπαρασκευή,Euangelikē proparaskeuē), commonly known by itsLatin titlePraeparatio evangelica, is a work of Christianapologetics written byEusebius in the early part of the fourth century AD. It was begun about the year 313,^[1] and attempts to prove the excellence of Christianity over pagan religions and philosophies. It was dedicated toBishopTheodotus of Laodicea.^[2]

Eusebius devotes a considerable portion of the work to explaining what he sees as a debt that Greek philosophers owed to Hebrew culture.^[3]

ThePraeparatio consists of fifteen books completely preserved. Eusebius considered it an introduction to Christianity for pagans. It remains a valuable resource for classicists because Eusebius excerpts historians and philosophers not preserved elsewhere.

Among the most important of these otherwise lost works are:

• Excerpts fromTimon of Phlius' bookPython including what is known as theAristocles Passage in whichPyrrho summarizes his new philosophy ofPyrrhonism.
• A summary of the writings of thePhoenician priestSanchuniathon; its accuracy has been shown by the mythological accounts found on theUgaritic texts.
• The account ofEuhemerus's wondrous voyage to the island ofPanchaea, where Euhemerus purports to have found his true history of the gods, which was taken fromDiodorus Siculus's sixth book.
• Excerpts from the writings of thePlatonist philosopherAtticus.
• Excerpts from the writings of theMiddle Platonist philosopherNumenius of Apamea.
• Excerpts from the works ofPorphyry, theNeoplatonist critic of Christianity ("On Images", "Philosophy from Oracles" "Letter to Anebo", "Against the Christians", "Against Boethus", "Philological Lecture").
• Excerpts from theBook of the Laws of the Countries (also known as theDialogue on Fate) by the early Christian authorBardaisan of Edessa, theSyriac original of which was not discovered until the 19th century.

This work was used byGiovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494) as a resource for his well-known orationA Speech by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Prince of Concord.

The firstLatin translation of thePraeparatio was made byGeorge of Trebizond and printed atVenice byNicolas Jenson in 1470.^[4] The JesuitFrançois Viger also translated the text into Latin for his edition with commentary of 1628.^[5]

The term also denotes an early church doctrine,praeparatio evangelica, meaning a preparation for the gospel among cultures yet to hear of the message of Christ. "[Early Christians] argued that God had already sowed the older cultures with ideas and themes that would grow to fruition once they were interpreted in a fully Christian context."^[6]Eusebius' ownPraeparatio Evangelica does not adopt the common notion (which occurs at least as early as Clement of Alexandria) of Greek philosophy as a "preparation for the Gospel." Eusebius instead offers a lengthy argument for the wisdom of the ancient Hebrews becoming a preparation for Greek philosophy (at least Platonic philosophy, see Praep.ev. 11–13). For Eusebius, the Greeks stole any truths they possessed from the "more ancient" Hebrews.

• Introduction and English text, translated by E. H. Gifford (1903)
• Evangelicae praeparationis libri XV – Tomus I, by E. H. Gifford (1903)
• Evangelicae praeparationis libri XV – Tomus I – ΕΥΣΕΒΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΜΦΙΛΟΥ ΠΡΟΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗΣ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΚΗΣ – ΒΙΒΛΙΟN A, Greek text

• Works by Eusebius of Caesarea
• Ancient Greek philosophical literature
• Phoenicia in ancient sources
• Phoenician mythology

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