Hegesippus was believed to have been born around 110. He was also called Hegesippus the Nazarene. He was a Christian writer of the early Church who may, have been a Jewish convert. He wrote against heresies of the Gnostics and of Marcion.
All of Hegesippus’ works are now lost, except eight passages about Church history quoted by Eusebius. Hegesippus also knew Saint Jerome.
Hegesippus wrote a history of all events from the passion of our Lord down to his own period in five volumes. There were five books, written in a simple style about the tradition of the Apostolic preaching. This gives us the tradition of teaching which had been handed down through the succession of bishops. This information about the earliest bishops would otherwise have been lost.
Hegesippus was a convert from Judaism. He learned the languages and oral traditions and customs of the Jews. He also wrote about previously unwritten traditions of the Jews. He seems to have lived in some part of the East. While Pope Anicetus was leading the church, Hegesippus traveled through Corinth to Rome. He collected in each place the teaching of the churches he visited. The Church of the Corinthians stayed true. Hegesippus mentioned the letter of Pope Clement I to the Corinthians, the connection with the persecution of Domitian.
Hegesippus died in 180.