Eusebian Canons

A system devised by Eusebius of Caesarea to facilitate the location of parallel passages in the gospels. Each gospel is divided into sections, numbered consecutively (355 in Matthew, 233 in Mark, 342 in Luke, 232 in John), and the sections, indicated by these numbers, are listed in parallel with the corresponding sections of other gospels. There are ten lists or canons. The system may have been suggested by the work of Ammonius of Alexandria (c.200)-they are sometimes called the Ammonian Sections*-and is explained by Eusebius in a letter to Carpianus.