has, since the time of its identification with the work of Hippolytus, been recognized as one of the earliest liturgical manuals in existence. The commentary will show that, in part at least, it is even earlier than has hitherto been suspected, though in its current form it dates from the third century at a time around 235.2 However, before this argument can be presented, a step back needs to be taken. The evidence for the dating and redactional history proposed here for Apostolic Tradition derives