1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 1.26-1.27 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 1.26. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃ 1.27. וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם׃ | 1.26. And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’" 1.27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." |
|
2. Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel, 1.26-1.27 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1.26. וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל־רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן־סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה׃ 1.27. וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ בֵּית־לָהּ סָבִיב מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָעְלָה וּמִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה רָאִיתִי כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב׃ | 1.26. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above." 1.27. And I saw as the colour of electrum, as the appearance of fire round about enclosing it, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him." |
|
3. Hebrew Bible, Daniel, 7.13 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 7.13. חָזֵה הֲוֵית בְּחֶזְוֵי לֵילְיָא וַאֲרוּ עִם־עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ אָתֵה הֲוָה וְעַד־עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּא מְטָה וּקְדָמוֹהִי הַקְרְבוּהִי׃ | 7.13. I saw in the night visions, And, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven One like unto a son of man, And he came even to the Ancient of days, And he was brought near before Him." |
|
4. Anon., The Life of Adam And Eve, 13-17, 12 (1st cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
|
5. New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 15.20-15.23, 15.44-15.49 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 15.20. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became thefirst fruits of those who are asleep. 15.21. For since death came byman, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 15.22. For as inAdam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15.23. Buteach in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who areChrist's, at his coming. 15.44. It is sown a natural body; it is raised aspiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritualbody. 15.45. So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a livingsoul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 15.46. However thatwhich is spiritual isn't first, but that which is natural, then thatwhich is spiritual. 15.47. The first man is of the earth, made ofdust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. 15.48. As is the onemade of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is theheavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 15.49. As we haveborne the image of those made of dust, let's also bear the image of theheavenly. |
|
6. New Testament, Romans, 5.12-5.21 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.12. Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned. 5.13. For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 5.14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. 5.15. But the free gift isn't like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 5.16. The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. 5.17. For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. 5.18. So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. 5.19. For as through the one man's disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one will many be made righteous. 5.20. The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly; 5.21. that as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. |
|
7. Anon., Acts of Thomas, 10 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 10. And the apostle stood, and began to pray and to speak thus: My Lord and MY God, that travellest with thy servants, that guidest and correctest them that believe in thee, the refuge and rest of the oppressed, the hope of the poor and ransomer of captives, the physician of the souls that lie sick and saviour of all creation, that givest life unto the world and strengthenest souls; thou knowest things to come, and by our means accomplishest them: thou Lord art he that revealeth hidden mysteries and maketh manifest words that are secret: thou Lord art the planter of the good tree, and of thine hands are all good works engendered: thou Lord art he that art in all things and passest through all, and art set in all thy works and manifested in the working of them all. Jesus Christ, Son of compassion and perfect saviour, Christ, Son of the living God, the undaunted power that hast overthrown the enemy, and the voice that was heard of the rulers, and made all their powers to quake, the ambassador that wast sent from the height and camest down even unto hell, who didst open the doors and bring up thence them that for many ages were shut up in the treasury of darkness, and showedst them the way that leadeth up unto the height: l beseech thee, Lord Jesu, and offer unto thee supplication for these young persons, that thou wouldest do for them the things that shall help them and be expedient and profitable for them. And he laid his hands on them and said: The Lord shall be with you, and left them in that place and departed. |
|
8. Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, 9.14.1 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
|
9. Irenaeus, Refutation of All Heresies, 1.26.2, 9.14.1 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
|
10. Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah, 3b (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 3b. דמשכא להו תקופת תמוז עד חגא והוי להו צערא והאמר רבא מצטער פטור מן הסוכה נהי דפטור בעוטי מי מבעטי,מיד הקב"ה יושב ומשחק עליהן שנאמר (תהלים ב, ד) יושב בשמים ישחק וגו' א"ר יצחק אין שחוק לפני הקב"ה אלא אותו היום בלבד,איכא דמתני להא דרבי יצחק אהא דתניא רבי יוסי אומר לעתיד לבא באין עובדי כוכבים ומתגיירין ומי מקבלינן מינייהו והתניא אין מקבלין גרים לימות המשיח כיוצא בו לא קבלו גרים לא בימי דוד ולא בימי שלמה,אלא שנעשו גרים גרורים ומניחין תפילין בראשיהן תפילין בזרועותיהם ציצית בבגדיהם מזוזה בפתחיהם,כיון שרואין מלחמת גוג ומגוג אומר להן על מה באתם אומרים לו על ה' ועל משיחו שנאמר (תהלים ב, א) למה רגשו גוים ולאומים יהגו ריק [וגו'],וכל אחד מנתק מצותו והולך שנאמר (תהלים ב, ג) ננתקה את מוסרותימו [וגו] והקב"ה יושב ומשחק שנאמר יושב בשמים ישחק וגו' א"ר יצחק אין לו להקב"ה שחוק אלא אותו היום בלבד,איני והא אמר רב יהודה אמר רב שתים עשרה שעות הוי היום שלש הראשונות הקב"ה יושב ועוסק בתורה שניות יושב ודן את כל העולם כולו כיון שרואה שנתחייב עולם כלייה עומד מכסא הדין ויושב על כסא רחמים,שלישיות יושב וזן את כל העולם כולו מקרני ראמים עד ביצי כנים רביעיות יושב ומשחק עם לויתן שנאמר (תהלים קד, כו) לויתן זה יצרת לשחק בו אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק עם בריותיו משחק ועל בריותיו אינו משחק אלא אותו היום בלבד,א"ל רב אחא לרב נחמן בר יצחק מיום שחרב בית המקדש אין שחוק להקב"ה ומנלן דליכא שחוק אילימא מדכתיב (ישעיהו כב, יב) ויקרא ה' אלהים צבאות ביום ההוא לבכי ולמספד ולקרחה וגו' דלמא ההוא יומא ותו לא,אלא דכתיב (תהלים קלז, ה) אם אשכחך ירושלם תשכח ימיני תדבק לשוני לחכי אם לא אזכרכי דלמא שכחה הוא דליכא אבל שחוק מיהא איכא אלא מהא (ישעיהו מב, יד) החשיתי מעולם אחריש אתאפק וגו',ברביעיות מאי עביד יושב ומלמד תינוקות של בית רבן תורה שנאמר (ישעיהו כח, ט) את מי יורה דעה ואת מי יבין שמועה גמולי מחלב עתיקי משדים למי יורה דעה ולמי יבין שמועה לגמולי מחלב ולעתיקי משדים,ומעיקרא מאן הוה מיגמר להו איבעית אימא מיטטרון ואיבעית אימא הא והא עביד,ובליליא מאי עביד איבעית אימא מעין יממא ואיבעית אימא רוכב על כרוב קל שלו ושט בשמונה עשר אלף עולמות שנאמר (תהלים סח, יח) רכב אלהים רבותים אלפי שנאן אל תקרי שנאן אלא שאינן ואיבעית אימא יושב ושומע שירה מפי חיות שנאמר (תהלים מב, ט) יומם יצוה ה' חסדו ובלילה שירו עמי,אמר רבי לוי כל הפוסק מדברי תורה ועוסק בדברי שיחה מאכילין לו גחלי רתמים שנאמר (איוב ל, ד) הקוטפים מלוח עלי שיח ושורש רתמים לחמם אמר ריש לקיש כל העוסק בתורה בלילה הקב"ה מושך עליו חוט של חסד ביום שנאמר יומם יצוה ה' חסדו ובלילה שירו עמי מה טעם יומם יצוה ה' חסדו משום דבלילה שירו עמי,איכא דאמרי אמר ר"ל כל העוסק בתורה בעולם הזה הדומה ללילה הקב"ה מושך עליו חוט של חסד בעולם הבא הדומה ליום שנאמר יומם יצוה ה' חסדו וגו',אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל מאי דכתיב (חבקוק א, יד) ותעשה אדם כדגי הים כרמש לא מושל בו למה נמשלו בני אדם כדגי הים לומר לך מה דגים שבים כיון שעולין ליבשה מיד מתים אף בני אדם כיון שפורשין מדברי תורה ומן המצות מיד מתים דבר אחר מה דגים שבים כיון שקדרה עליהם חמה מיד מתים כך בני אדם כיון שקדרה עליהם חמה מיד מתים,איבעית אימא בעולם הזה ואיבעית אימא לעולם הבא איבעית אימא בעולם הזה כדר' חנינא דא"ר חנינא הכל בידי שמים חוץ מצנים פחים שנאמר (משלי כב, ה) צנים פחים בדרך עקש שומר נפשו ירחק מהם,ואיבעית אימא לעולם הבא כדרשב"ל דאמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש אין גיהנם לעתיד לבא אלא הקדוש ברוך הוא מוציא חמה מנרתיקה ומקדיר רשעים נידונין בה וצדיקים מתרפאין בה רשעים נידונין | 3b. bwhen the season of Tammuz extends until the festivalof iSukkot /i, bandin such years sitting in the isukka bcauses them suffering.The Gemara asks: bBut doesn’t Rava saythat bone who suffersin the isukka bis exempt fromperforming bthemitzva of isukka /i,and under these circumstances even a Jew is permitted to leave the isukka /i? If so, why are the gentiles criticized for leaving? The Gemara answers: bGranted that one is exemptfrom performing the mitzva and is permitted to leave his isukka /i, but bshould one kickit?,The Gemara resumes its narration: bImmediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and makes sport ofthose gentiles, i.e., He laughs at them, bas it is stated: “He that sits in heaven makes sport,the Lord has them in derision” (Psalms 2:4). With regard to this verse, bRabbi Yitzḥak says: There is no making sport for the Holy One, Blessed be He, but on that day alone. /b, bThere arethose bwho teach that which Rabbi Yitzḥaksubsequently said bwith regard to thismatter, bas it is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Yosei says: In the future, the nations of the worldwill bcome and convert.The Gemara asks: bAnd do we accept themas converts at that time? bBut isn’t it taughtin another ibaraita /i: The court bdoes not accept converts in the days of the Messiah; similarly, they did not accept converts either in the days of David or in the days of Solomon,due to a concern that these people wanted to convert for ulterior motives, because the Jewish people were mighty and respected?, bRather,Rabbi Yosei means bthat they become convertswho have battachedthemselves to the Jewish people, band they don phylacteries on their heads, phylacteries on their arms,place britual fringes on their garments,and ba imezuzain their doorways. /b, bWhenthese converts bsee the war of Gog and Magog,every convert of this sort will bsay toGog and Magog: bFor whatpurpose bdid you come? Theywill bsay to him:We came to fight bagainst the Lord and against His Messiah, as it is stated: “Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples mutter in vain.The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Messiah” (Psalms 2:1–2)., bAndthen bevery oneof these converts will btear loose hissign of performance of ba mitzva and leave, as it is stated: “Let us tear their bands asunder,and cast away their cords from us” (Psalms 2:3). bAnd the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and makes sport,i.e., laughs or rejoices, bas it is stated: “He that sits in heaven makes sport,the Lord has them in derision” (Psalms 2:4). bRabbi Yitzḥak says: There is no making sport for the Holy One, Blessed be He, but on that day alone. /b,The Gemara asks: bIs that so?Is there is no other making sport for the Holy One, Blessed be He? bBut doesn’t Rav Yehuda saythat bRav says: There are twelve hoursin bthe day.During bthe first three, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and engages in Torahstudy. During the bsecondthree hours, bHe sits and judges the entire world. Once He sees that the world has rendered itself liable to destruction, He arises from the throne of judgment and sits on the throne of mercy,and the world is not destroyed.,During the bthirdset of three hours, the Holy One, Blessed be He, bsits and sustains the entire world, from the horns of wild oxen to the eggs of lice.During the bfourththree hours, bHe sits and makes sport with the leviathan, as it is stated: “There is leviathan, whom You have formed to sport with”(Psalms 104:26). Evidently, God makes sport every day, not only on that one day. bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak saysin explanation: bHe makes sport with His creations,just as He sports with the leviathan; bHe does not make sport of His creations but on that day alone. /b, bRav Aḥa said to Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: From the day the Temple was destroyed, there is nolonger any bmaking sport for the Holy One, Blessed be He. And from where do wederive bthat there is no making sport? If we saythat it is bfromthat bwhich is written: “And in that day did the Lord, the God of hosts, call to weeping, and to lamentation, and to baldnessand to girding with sackcloth” (Isaiah 22:12), that is inconclusive: bPerhaps that dayalone was called for weeping and lamentation, band no additionaldays., bRather,you might suggest that the source is bthat it is written: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you”(Psalms 137:5–6). This is also inconclusive, as bperhaps there is no forgettingof Jerusalem for God, bbut in any event there isstill bmaking sport. Rather,it is derived bfrom thisverse: b“I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself;now will I cry like a travailing woman, gasping and panting at once” (Isaiah 42:14).,The Gemara asks: If God no longer makes sport, bwhat does Henow bdo during the fourththree-hour period of the day? The Gemara answers: bHe sits and teaches Torah to schoolchildren, as it is stated: “Whom shall one teach knowledge? And whom shall one make to understand the message? Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts”(Isaiah 28:9). The verse is interpreted in the following manner: bTo whomdoes God bteach knowledge, and to whom does He make to understand the message? Tothose bwho arejust bweaned from the milk and tothose bwho are drawn from the breasts,i.e., children only recently weaned from nursing.,The Gemara asks: bAnd initially,before the destruction of the Temple, bwho would teachthe schoolchildren? The Gemara answers: bIf you wish, saythat the angel bMetatronwould teach them, band if you wish, sayinstead that bHe would doboth bthis,sport with the leviathan, band that,teach the schoolchildren; whereas after the destruction of the Temple in the fourth period of the day He only teaches the schoolchildren.,The Gemara asks: bAnd duringthe twelve hours of bthe night, what doesGod bdo?The Gemara answers: bIf you wish, saythat the night is bsimilar to the day,i.e., God performs the same activities as in the day. bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that He brides on his light cherub and flies in eighteen thousand worlds, as it is stated: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even [ ishi /i] thousands”(Psalms 68:18). bDo not readit as beven [ ishi /i], ratherread it as: bThat which are not [ ishe’ei /i].Since the minimum of thousands is two thousand, the phrase: That which are not thousands, indicates that two thousand are not present, i.e., the chariots of God are twenty thousand minus two thousand, which means that God rides in eighteen thousand worlds. bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that God bsits and listens to the songs from the mouths of theangelic bcreatures, as it is stated: “By day the Lord will command His loving-kindness, and in the night His song shall be with me”(Psalms 42:9).,§ bRabbi Levi says: Anyone who interruptshis study bof words of Torah to occupyhimself bwith mundane matterswill be bfed with the coals of the broom tree, as it is stated: “They pluck salt-wort from wormwood, and the roots of the broom are their food”(Job 30:4). bReish Lakish says:With regard to bany-one who occupieshimself bwith Torah at night, the Holy One, Blessed be He, extends a thread of kindness over him by day, as it is stated: “By day, the Lord will command His kindness, and in the night His song shall be with me”(Psalms 42:9). The verse is understood as follows: bWhat is the reasonthat bby day, the Lord will command His kindnessto extend over him? It is bdue tothe fact bthat in the night His song is with me,i.e., he occupies himself at night with Torah, which is referred to as a song., bThere arethose bwho saythat this is what bReish Lakish says:With regard to banyone who occupieshimself bwith Torah in this world, which is comparable to night, the Holy One, Blessed be He, extends a thread of kindness over him in the World-to-Come, which is comparable to day, as it is stated: “By day, the Lord will command His kindness,and in the night His song shall be with me.”,The Gemara continues discussing the importance of Torah study. bRav Yehuda saysthat bShmuel says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “And makes people as the fish of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them”(Habakkuk 1:14)? bWhy are people compared to the fish of the sea?This serves bto say to you: Just aswith regard to bthe fish of the sea, once they arise onto dry land they die immediately; so too,with regard to bpeople, once they separatethemselves bfromstudying bwords of Torah andperforming bthe mitzvot, they die immediately. Alternatively, just aswith regard to the bfish of the sea, once the sun is heated over them they die immediately, so toowith regard to bpeople, once the sun is heated over them they die immediately. /b,The Gemara clarifies: bIf you wish, saythat this applies bin this world, and if you wish, sayinstead that it applies bto the World-to-Come. If you wish, saythat it applies bin this world, in accordance withthe opinion bof Rabbi Ḥanina. As Rabbi Ḥanina says: Alloccurrences that befall man bare in the hands of Heaven except for coldsand bobstacles [ ipaḥim /i],from which one is able to protect himself, basit bis stated: “Colds and snares are on the path of the crooked; he who guards his soul shall keep far from them”(Proverbs 22:5). This indicates that cold and, conversely, heat, are forms of harm from which one must protect himself, which teaches that being exposed to excessive heat can cause death., bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that this is referring bto the World-to-Come, in accordance withthe statement bof Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: There is no Gehenna in the World-to-Come. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He,will bremove the sun from its sheath [ iminnarteikah /i],where it is situated during these times, band heats [ iumakdir /i]that world with it. bThe wicked will be punished by itand consumed by the heat, bbut the righteous will be healed by it. The wicked will be punished /b |
|
11. Pseudo Clementine Literature, Homilies, 3.19-3.22, 17.19 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
|
12. Pseudo Clementine Literature, Recognitiones (E Pseudocaesario), 1.45-1.47, 1.70-1.71 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
|
13. Epiphanius, Panarion, 30.16.8 (4th cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
|
14. Pseudo Clementine Literature, Recognitions, 1.45-1.47, 1.70-1.71 (4th cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
| 1.45. Then Peter began to instruct me in this manner: When God had made the world, as Lord of the universe, He appointed chiefs over the several creatures, over the trees even, and the mountains, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all things which He had made, as we have told you; for it were too long to mention them one by one. He set, therefore, an angel as chief over the angels, a spirit over the spirits, a star over the stars, a demon over the demons, a bird over the birds, a beast over the beasts, a serpent over the serpents, a fish over the fishes, a man over men, who is Christ Jesus. But He is called Christ by a certain excellent rite of religion; for as there are certain names common to kings, as Arsaces among the Persians, C sar among the Romans, Pharaoh among the Egyptians, so among the Jews a king is called Christ. And the reason of this appellation is this: Although indeed He was the Son of God, and the beginning of all things, He became man; Him first God anointed with oil which was taken from the wood of the tree of life: from that anointing therefore He is called Christ. Thence, moreover, He Himself also, according to the appointment of His Father, anoints with similar oil every one of the pious when they come to His kingdom, for their refreshment after their labours, as having got over the difficulties of the way; so that their light may shine, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, they may be endowed with immortality. But it occurs to me that I have sufficiently explained to you the whole nature of that branch from which that ointment is taken. 1.46. But now also I shall, by a very short representation, recall you to the recollection of all these things. In the present life, Aaron, the first high priest, was anointed with a composition of chrism, which was made after the pattern of that spiritual ointment of which we have spoken before. He was prince of the people, and as a king received first-fruits and tribute from the people, man by man; and having undertaken the office of judging the people, he judged of things clean and things unclean. But if any one else was anointed with the same ointment, as deriving virtue from it, he became either king, or prophet, or priest. If, then, this temporal grace, compounded by men, had such efficacy, consider now how potent was that ointment extracted by God from a branch of the tree of life, when that which was made by men could confer so excellent dignities among men. For what in the present age is more glorious than a prophet, more illustrious than a priest, more exalted than a king? 1.47. To this, I replied: I remember, Peter, that you told me of the first man that he was a prophet; but you did not say that he was anointed. If then there be no prophet without anointing, how could the first man be a prophet, since he was not anointed? Then Peter, smiling, said: If the first man prophesied, it is certain that he was also anointed. For although he who has recorded the law in his pages is silent as to his anointing, yet he has evidently left us to understand these things. For as, if he had said that he was anointed, it would not be doubted that he was also a prophet, although it were not written in the law; so, since it is certain that he was a prophet, it is in like manner certain that he was also anointed, because without anointing he could not be a prophet. But you should rather have said, If the chrism was compounded by Aaron, by the perfumer's art, how could the first man be anointed before Aaron's time, the arts of composition not yet having been discovered? Then I answered, Do not misunderstand me, Peter; for I do not speak of that compounded ointment and temporal oil, but of that simple and eternal ointment, which you told me was made by God, after whose likeness you say that that other was compounded by men. 1.70. And when matters were at that point that they should come and be baptized, some one of our enemies, entering the temple with a few men, began to cry out, and to say, 'What mean ye, O men of Israel? Why are you so easily hurried on? Why are you led headlong by most miserable men, who are deceived by Simon, a magician.' While he was thus speaking, and adding more to the same effect, and while James the bishop was refuting him, he began to excite the people and to raise a tumult, so that the people might not be able to hear what was said. Therefore he began to drive all into confusion with shouting, and to undo what had been arranged with much labour, and at the same time to reproach the priests, and to enrage them with revilings and abuse, and, like a madman, to excite every one to murder, saying, 'What are you doing? Why do you hesitate? Oh sluggish and inert, why do we not lay hands upon them, and pull all these fellows to pieces?' When he had said this, he first, seizing a strong brand from the altar, set the example of smiting. Then others also, seeing him, were carried away with like readiness. Then ensued a tumult on either side, of the beating and the beaten. Much blood is shed; there is a confused flight, in the midst of which that enemy attacked James, and threw him headlong from the top of the steps; and supposing him to be dead, he cared not to inflict further violence upon him. 1.71. But our friends lifted him up, for they were both more numerous and more powerful than the others; but, from their fear of God, they rather suffered themselves to be killed by an inferior force, than they would kill others. But when the evening came the priests shut up the temple, and we returned to the house of James, and spent the night there in prayer. Then before daylight we went down to Jericho, to the number of 5000 men. Then after three days one of the brethren came to us from Gamaliel, whom we mentioned before, bringing to us secret tidings that that enemy had received a commission from Caiaphas, the chief priest, that he should arrest all who believed in Jesus, and should go to Damascus with his letters, and that there also, employing the help of the unbelievers, he should make havoc among the faithful; and that he was hastening to Damascus chiefly on this account, because he believed that Peter had fled there. And about thirty days thereafter he stopped on his way while passing through Jericho going to Damascus. At that time we were absent, having gone out to the sepulchres of two brethren which were whitened of themselves every year, by which miracle the fury of many against us was restrained, because they saw that our brethren were had in remembrance before God. |
|
