us predates the ear!
             liest known Greek text by approximately two centuries.
             While the dating of the first Christian Physiologus is often disputed, it is generally accepted that it appeared between the late third and early fifth centuries "somewhere within the cultural orbit of Alexandria." This version was written in Greek (Wirtjes lxxi). Because of theological similarities between the Christian Physiologus and the works of Origen, most scholars attribute the work to him (Curley xiii).
             The first Latin texts are dated from ca. 400 A.D. The most influential of these is known by scholars as the Latin Version B. It is considered important for two reasons: it closely mirrors the original Greek text, and it is the variant thought to be the most influential on later European productions (Curley xx).
             The only surviving Old English portions of Physiologus are found in the Exeter Book. Four stories are reproduced in the manuscript, but the story of The Phoenix is pri
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