[billbears]

And the memory that the early church left us about Peter's martyrdom is crystal clear: he was crucified upside down in Rome during the reign of Nero.

But neither Ignatius or Iranaeus report of Peter's death do they? The memory of the early church isn't 'crystal clear' on this issue it seems

Underground, persecuted sects don't leave truckloads of documents lying around.

Mysteriously somehow recorded copies of the Gospel were able to survive, surely a little note about Peter's death could have made it as well. That is if it happened as stated

[Campion]

Mysteriously somehow recorded copies of the Gospel were able to survive

Don't you suppose they took better care of the Scriptures than of writings of various random folks?

surely a little note about Peter's death could have made it as well. That is if it happened as stated

Well, see above. You presumably don't deny that Peter died. If you believe the Bible, you don't deny that he was martyred. Why is it that you want him to have died anywhere but Rome, to the degree that you will question the evidence we have in favor of the the total lack of evidence placing his death anywhere else?

[RobbyS]

The New Testament consists of occasional writings of the first Christians, so much of what they say which was crystal clear to the people of that time, or at least to many, is not at all clear to us. We do not know who wrote many of these books, when they were written or where, or how they have come down to us.