BACKGROUND: The Shepherd of Hermas is once-widespread early Christian writing that presents itself as Hermas' account of encounters with Christ in the form of a Shepherd. The text was even included in some early copies of the Bible, but was eventually put outside of it. The Muratorian Canon says that the Shepherd was written "very recently", under the papacy of Pius I (140-155 AD). Yet in the text, the Shepherd tells Hermas to have Clement send the Shepherd's instructions abroad because this i