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Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho

Those who are familiar with this work will surely concur in that it is a wonder.  I find so much richness in it, and
even a nostalgic look at a still-messianic Judaism, that there are few words to introduce it.  The setting is probably
Ephesus, only shortly after the Bar-Kochba rebellion (132-135), which ended in the refounding of Jerusalem as Aelia
Capitolina, and the banning of Jews from even looking upon the city except on one day of the year.  The discussion
is cordial enough, and originally was presented as taking place over two days, with probably a slightly different group
of young men with Trypho on the second day being the pretext for the many repetitions in the work.  Unfortunately, the
break between the two days is lost in an apparently sizable lacuna in chapter 74.  There are other indications throughout
that we may also be lacking some further material (e.g., discussion of Jesus' circumcision and law-keeping, 67.5-6).

The translation of the Dialogue presented here is originally that of Falls, with the addition of the section numbers.  
I've altered Falls' translation to make it more modern, removing Thee and Thou and such, and making a certain number
of other alterations through consulting the texts of both Archambault and Marcovich.  Falls' translation was already far 
more easy to read than the standard Ante-Nicene Fathers translation, and so I hope this presentation will be appreciated.  

I have pecifically worked on this Dialogue as my Christmas present to the world for the year 2002.  Let's hope that the 
example of dialogue contained herein will be taken to heart by all those who need to speak with one another, rather 
than past one another.

Please contact me with any errors you may find, or for any suggestions on the presentation. The format differs from 
my other pages in that I have not specifically restricted the length of the lines, for ease of sizing this quite lengthy 
dialogue within a browser window for the sake of the reader's comfort.

Sources: 
Archambault, Georges. Justin: Dialogue avec Tryphon. Paris: Picard, 1909.
Falls, Thomas. Saint Justin Martyr. Fathers of the Church 6. New York: Christian Heritage, Inc., 1948
Marcovich, Miroslav. Justini Martyris Dialogus cum Tryphoni. New York: De Gruyter, 1997.

All Scriptural citations are according to LXX

Chapter 1

ONE MORNING as I was walking along a broad avenue, a man, accompanied by some friends, came up to me and said: "Good morning, Philosopher."  Whereupon, he and his friends walked along beside me. After returning his greeting, I asked: "What is the matter?  Is there anything special you wish of me?"

[2] He answered: "Corinthus the Socratic taught me in Argos never to slight or ignore those who wear your garb, but to show them every consideration and to converse with them, since from such a conversation some good might be derived by them or myself. It would be to the advantage of both if either should benefit from this meeting. Accordingly, whenever I see anyone wearing such a robe, I gladly accost him. So, for this same reason, it has been a pleasure to greet you. These friends of mine share my hope of hearing something profitable from you." 

[3] "Who, indeed, are you, most excellent sir?" I asked with a smile.

 He did not hesitate to tell me his name and background. "Trypho," he said, "is my name. I am a Hebrew of the circumcision, a refugee from the recent war, and at present a resident of Greece, especially of Corinth."

 "How," I asked, "can you gain as much from philosophy as from your own lawgiver and prophets?"

 "Why not," he replied, "for do not the philosophers speak always about God? Do they not constantly propose questions about his unity and providence? Is this not the task of philosophy, to inquire about the Divine?"

 [4] "Yes, indeed," I said, "we, too, are of the same opinion. But the majority of the philosophers have simply neglected to inquire whether there is one or even several gods, and whether or not a divine providence takes care of us, as if this knowledge were unnecessary to our happiness. Moreover, they try to convince us that God takes care of the universe with its genera and species, but not of me and you and of each individual, for otherwise there would be no need of our praying to Him night and day. [5] It is not difficult to see where such reasoning leads them. It imparts a certain immunity and freedom of speech to those who hold these opinions, permitting them to do and to say whatever they please, without any fear of punishment or hope of reward from God. How could it be otherwise, when they claim that things will always be as they are now, and that you and I will live in the next life just as we are now, neither better nor worse. But there are others who think that the soul is immortal and incorporeal, and therefore conclude that they will not be punished even if they are guilty of sin; for, if the soul is incorporeal, it cannot suffer; if it is immortal, it needs nothing further from God."

 [6] Then, smiling politely, he said, "Explain to us just what is your opinion of these matters, and what is your idea of God, and what is your philosophy."

Chapter 2

"I will explain to you," I replied, "my views on this subject. Philosophy is indeed one's greatest possession, and is most precious in the sight of God, to whom it alone leads us and to whom it unites us, and they in truth are holy men who have applied themselves to philosophy. But, many have failed to discover the nature of philosophy, and the reason why it was sent down to men; otherwise, there would not be Platonists, or Stoics, or Peripatetics, or Theoretics, or Pythagoreans, since this science of philosophy is always one and the same. [2] Now, let me tell you why it has at length become so diversified. They who first turned to philosophy, and, as a result, were deemed illustrious men, were succeeded by men who gave no time to the investigation of truth, but, amazed at the courage and self-control of their teachers as well as with the novelty of their teachings, held that to be the truth which each had learned from his own teacher. And they in turn transmitted to their successors such opinions, and others like them, and so they became known by the name of him who was considered the father of the doctrine. [3] When I first desired to contact one of these philosophers, I placed myself under the tutelage of a certain Stoic. After spending some time with him and learning nothing new about God (for my instructor had no knowledge of God, nor did he consider such knowledge necessary), I left him and turned to a Peripatetic who considered himself an astute teacher. After a few days with him, he demanded that we settle the matter of my tuition fee in such a way that our association would not be unprofitable to him. Accordingly, I left him, because I did not consider him a real philosopher. [4] Since my spirit still yearned to hear the specific and excellent meaning of philosophy, I approached a very famous Pythagorean, who took great pride in his own wisdom. In my interview with him, when I expressed a desire to become his pupil, he asked me, 'What? Do you know music, astronomy,. and geometry? How do you expect to comprehend any of those things that are conducive to happiness, if you are not first well acquainted with those studies which draw your mind away from objects of the senses and render it fit for the intellectual, in order that it may contemplate what is good and beautiful?'  [5] He continued to speak at great length in praise of those sciences, and of the necessity of knowing them, until I admitted that I knew nothing about them; then he dismissed me. As was to be expected, I was downcast to see my hopes shattered, especially since I respected him as a man of considerable knowledge. But, when I reflected on the length of time that I would have to spend on those sciences, I could not make up my mind to wait such a long time. [6] In this troubled state of mind the thought occurred to me to consult the Platonists, whose reputation was great. Thus it happened that I spent as much time as possible in the company of a wise man who was highly esteemed by the Platonists and who had but recently arrived in our city. Under him I forged ahead in philosophy and day by day I  improved. The perception of incorporeal things quite overwhelmed me and the Platonic theory of ideas added wings to my mind, so that in a short time I imagined myself a wise man. So great was my folly that I fully expected immediately to gaze upon God, for this is the goal of Plato's philosophy."

Chapter 3

As I was in this frame of mind and desired absolute solitude devoid of human distractions, I used to take myself to a certain spot not far from the sea. One day, as I approached that place with the intention of being alone, a respectable old man, of meek and venerable mien, followed me at a short distance. I stopped, turned quickly, and stared sharply at him.

[2] "Do you know me?" he asked. I replied that I did not.

"Why, therefore," he continued, "do you stare at me so?", "Because," I answered, "I am surprised to find you here. I didn't expect to see anyone here."

"I am worried," he said, "about some missing members of my household, and I am therefore looking around with the hope that they may show up somewhere in the vicinity. But what brings you here?"

"I take great delight," I answered, "in such walks, where I can converse with myself without hindrance because there is nothing to distract my attention. Places like this are most suitable for philology."

[3] "Are you, then, a philologian," he asked, "rather than a lover of deeds and of truth?  Do you not strive to be a practical man rather than a sophist?"

"But what greater deed," I replied, "could one perform than to prove that reason rules all, and that one who rules reason and is sustained by it can look down upon the errors and undertakings of others, and see that they do nothing reasonable or pleasing to God. Man cannot have prudence without philosophy and straight thinking. Thus, every man should be devoted to philosophy and should consider it the greatest and most noble pursuit; all other pursuits are only of second or third-rate value, unless they are connected with philosophy. Then they are of some value and should be approved; if they are devoid of philosophy and are not connected with it in any way, they then become base and coarse pursuits to those who practice them." 

[4] Interrupting, he asked, "Does philosophy therefore produce happiness?"

 "Absolutely," I replied, "and it alone."

 "Tell me," he asked, "what is philosophy and what is the happiness it engenders, if there is nothing which prevents your speaking."

 "Philosophy," I answered, "is the knowledge of that which exists, and a clear understanding of the truth; and happiness is the reward of such knowledge and understanding."

 [5] "But how do you define God?" he asked.

 "God is the Being who always has the same nature in the same manner, and is the cause of existence to all else," I replied.

 Pleased with my words, he once again asked, "Is not knowledge a word applied commonly to different matters? For, whoever is skilled in any of the arts, for example, in the art of military strategy or of navigation or of medicine, is called skillful. But this is not true in divine and human matters. Is there a science which furnishes us with an understanding of human and divine things, and, besides, a higher science of the divinity and virtue in them?"

 "Certainly," I replied.

 [6] "Well, now," he asked, "is the knowledge of man and God similar to that of music, arithmetic, astronomy, and the like?"

 "Not at all," I answered.

 "Your answer has not been correct, then," he continued, "for we acquire the knowledge of some things by study or practice, and of other things by sight. Now, if anyone were to say to you that in India there exists an animal different from all others, of such and such a species, assuming many shapes and colors, you would have no definite knowledge of it unless you saw it, nor could you attempt to give any description of it, unless you had heard of it from one who had seen it."

[7] "Absolutely not," I agreed.

 "Then, how," he reasoned, "can the philosophers speculate correctly or speak truly of God, when they have no knowledge of Him, since they have never seen nor heard Him?"

 "But the Deity, father," I rejoined, "cannot be seen by the same eyes as other living beings are. He is to be perceived by the mind alone, as Plato affirms, and I agree with him." 

Chapter 4

"Does our mind, then," he inquired, "possess such and so great a power? Or does it not perceive that which exists through the senses? Or will the human mind be capable of seeing God, if not aided by the Holy Ghost?"

 "Plato truly states," I retorted, "that the eye of the mind has this special power, which has been given to us in order that we may see with it, when it is pure, the very Being who is the cause of everything the mind perceives, who has neither color, nor form, nor size, nor anything the eye can see, but who is beyond all essence, who is ineffable and indescribable, who alone is beautiful and good, and who comes at once into those souls which are well disposed because of their affinity to and desire of seeing Him"

[2] "What affinity, then," he asked, "have we with God? Is the soul also divine and immortal and a part of the Supreme Mind itself? And as this Supreme Mind sees God, are we in like manner, able to perceive the Deity in our mind, and thus be happy even now?"

 "Absolutely," I replied.

 "Do all the souls," he asked, "of all the animals perceive Him? Or is man's soul different from that of a horse or an ass?"

 "No," I answered, "the souls of all creatures are the same."

 [3] "Then," he continued, "will horses and asses see God, or have they ever seen God at any time?"

 "No," I replied, "for not even most men see Him; only those who are honest in their life, and who have been purified through their justice and every other virtue."

 "Then you would say," he persisted, "that man does not see God because of his affinity with Him, nor because he possesses an intellect, but because he is temperate and just?"

 "Certainly," I answered, "and also because he has the faculty of thinking of God."

 "Would you say," he asked, "that goats or sheep do an injustice to anyone?"

 "They do not in any way do an injustice to anyone," I replied.

 [4] "So, according to your reasoning," he said, "these animals will see God?"

 "No, they won't," I answered, "because they are hindered from doing so by the form of their bodies."

 "If these animals had the power of speech," he retorted, "you can be sure that they would have more right to revile our bodies. But, for the present let us ignore this topic and I'll concede that what you say is true. Tell me this: Does the soul see God while it is in the body, or after it has been released from it?"

 [5] "Even while it is in the human body," I replied, "it can see God by means of the intellect, but especially after it has been released from the body, and exists of itself, does it perceive God whom it always loved."

"Does it remember ," he asked, "this vision of God when it is again united to a human body?"

"I don't think so," I answered.

"What, then," he continued, "is the advantage of having seen God? What advantage has he who has seen God over him who has not, unless he at least remembers the fact that he has seen Him?"

[6] "That I cannot answer," I admitted.

"And what," asked he, "will be the punishment for those deemed unworthy to see God?"

"As a punishment," I answered, "they will be imprisoned in the bodies of certain wild beasts."

"Will they be conscious that for this reason they are imprisoned in such bodies and that they have committed some sin?"

"I don't think so."

[7] "Then, it would seem that they benefit in no way from such punishment; in fact, I would say that they suffer no punishment at all, unless they are conscious that it is a punishment."

"No, indeed," I conceded.

"Therefore," he concluded, "souls do not see God, nor do they transmigrate into other bodies, for they would know that they were being thus punished, and they would be afraid thereafter to commit even the slightest sin. But I do concede that souls can perceive that there is a God, and that justice and piety are admirable."

"You speak the truth," I agreed.

Chapter 5

"Those philosophers, then, know nothing," he went on, "about such matters, for they can't even explain the nature of the soul."

"It seems not," I consented.

"Nor should we call the soul immortal, for, if it were, we would certainly have to call it unbegotten."

"Some Platonists," I answered, "consider the soul both unbegotten and immortal."

"Do you affirm," he asked, "that the universe also is unbegotten?"

"There are some who hold that opinion," I replied, "but I don't agree with them."

[2] "Right you are," he continued. "Why would one think that a body that is so solid, firm, composite, and mutable, a body that deteriorates and is renewed each day, has not originated from some first cause? Now, if the universe has been begotten, souls, too, of necessity, are begotten. Perhaps there is a time when they do not exist, for they were created for the sake of men and other living creatures, even if you claim that they have been begotten separately by themselves, and not together with their own bodies."

"I think you are right. The souls, then, are not immortal?"

"No," he said, "since it appears that the world itself was generated."

[3] "On the other hand," he continued, "I do not claim that any soul ever perishes, for this would certainly be a benefit to sinners. What happens to them? The souls of the devout dwell in a better place, whereas the souls of the unjust and the evil abide in a worse place, and there they await the judgment day. Those, therefore, who are deemed worthy to see God will never perish, but the others will be subjected to punishment as long as God allows them to exist and as long as He wants them to be punished."

[4] "Does not your assertion agree with what Plato taught in his Timaeus concerning the world, namely, that it can be destroyed since it is a created thing, but that it will not be destroyed or be destined for destruction since such is the will of God? Don't you think that the same thing could be said of the soul and, in short, of all other creatures? For, whatever exists or will exist after God has a nature subject to corruption, and therefore capable of complete annihilation, for only God is unbegotten and incorruptible. For this reason He is God, and all other things after Him are created and corruptible. [5] This is also the reason why souls die and are punished, for, if they were unbegotten, they would not have sinned, nor have become so foolish; they would not have been so timid at one time, and so daring at another; nor would they, of their own account, ever have entered into swine, serpents, and dogs. Furthermore, if they were unbegotten, it would not be right to coerce them, for one who is unbegotten is similar and equal to another unbegotten, nor can he be preferred to the other either in power or in honor. [6] We must conclude, therefore, that there are not many beings that are unbegotten, for, if there were some difference between them, you could not, no matter how you searched, find the cause of such difference; but, after sending your thought always to infinity, you would finally become tired and have to stop before the one Unbegotten and declare that He is the cause of all things. Do you think that these things escaped the notice of Plato and Pythagoras, those wise men who became, so to say, a wall and bulwark of our philosophy?"

Chapter 6

"I don't care," he answered, "if Plato or Pythagoras or anyone else held such views. What I say is the truth, and here is how you may learn it. The soul itself either is life or it possesses life. If it is life, it would cause something else to exist, not itself, just as motion causes something other than itself to move. Now, no one would deny that the soul lives; and if it lives, it does not live as life itself, but as a partaker of life. But, that which partakes of anything is different from that of which it partakes. Now, the soul partakes of life because God wishes it to live; [2] it will no longer partake of life whenever God doesn't wish it to live. For the power to live is not an attribute of the soul as it is of God. As man does not live forever, and his body is not forever united to his soul, since, whenever this union must be discontinued, the soul leaves the body and man no longer exists, so also, whenever the soul must cease to live, the spirit of life is taken from it and it is no more, but it likewise returns to the place of its origin."

Chapter 7

"If these philosophers," I asked, "do not know the truth, what teacher or method will one follow ?"

"A long time ago," he replied, "long before the time of those reputed philosophers, there lived blessed men who were just and loved by God, men who spoke through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and predicted events that would take place in the future, which events are now taking place. We call these men the Prophets. They alone knew the truth and communicated it to men, whom they neither deferred to nor feared. With no desire for personal glory, they reiterated only what they heard and saw when inspired by the Holy Spirit. [2] Their writings are still extant, and whoever reads them with the proper faith will profit greatly in his knowledge of the origin and end of things, and of any other matter that a philosopher should know. In their writings they gave no proof at that time of their statements, for, as reliable witnesses of the truth, they were beyond proof; but the happenings that have taken place and are now taking place force you to believe their words. [3] They also are worthy of belief because of the miracles which they performed, for they exalted God, the Father and Creator of all things, and made known Christ, His Son, who was sent by Him. This the false prophets, who are filled with an erring and unclean spirit, have never done nor even do now, but they undertake to perform certain wonders to astound men and they glorify the demons and spirits of error. Above all, beseech God to open to you the gates of light, for no one can perceive or understand these truths unless he has been enlightened by God and His Christ."

Chapter 8

When he had said these and many other things which it is not now the fitting time to tell, he went his way, after admonishing me to meditate on what he had told me, and I never saw him again. But my spirit was immediately set on fire, and an affection for the prophets, and for those who are friends of Christ, took hold of me; while pondering on his words, I discovered that his was the only sure and useful philosophy. [2] Thus it is that I am now a philosopher. Furthermore, it is my wish that everyone would be of the same sentiments as I, and never spurn the Savior's words; for they have in themselves such tremendous majesty that they can instill fear into those who have wandered from the path of righteousness, whereas they ever remain a great solace to those who heed them. Thus, if you have any regard for your own welfare and for the salvation of your soul, and if you believe in God, you may have the chance, since I know you are no stranger to this matter, of attaining a knowledge of the Christ of God, and, after becoming a Christian, of enjoying a happy life.

[3] At these words, my dearest [Pompey], Trypho's friends began to laugh, and he himself replied, smiling, "I commend all your other statements, and I admire your burning desire to know divine things, but it would be better for you to concentrate on the philosophy of Plato or some other philosopher, and in this way attain constancy, continence, and moderation, rather than be ensnared by false teachings, and become a partisan of worthless men. For, while you adhered to your former school of philosophy and lived a blameless life, there was hope of a better destiny for you, but, when you have turned away from God and have placed your hope in man, what chance of salvation do you have? [4] If you will listen to me (indeed I already think of you as a friend), first be circumcised, then observe the precepts concerning the Sabbath, the feasts, and God's new moons; in brief, fulfill the whole written law, and then, probably, you will experience the mercy of God. But if the Messiah has been born and exists anywhere, He is not known, nor is He conscious of His own existence, nor has He any power until Elias comes to anoint Him and to make Him manifest to all. But you [Christians] have believed this foolish rumor, and you have invented for yourselves a Christ for whom you blindly give up your lives."

Chapter 9

"My friend," I replied, "I pardon you, and may the Lord forgive you, for you don't know what you say; you have been instructed by teachers who are ignorant of the meaning of the Scriptures, and, like a fortune-teller, you blurt out whatever comes into your mind. If you will consent to hear our account of Him, how we have not been deceived by false teachings, and how we will not cease to profess our faith in Him (even though men thereby persecute us, and the most cruel tyrant tries to force us to deny Him), I will prove to you, here and now, that we do not believe in groundless myths nor in teachings not based on reason, but in doctrines that are inspired by the Divine Spirit, abundant with power, and teeming with grace."

[2] Trypho's companions once again broke out in such loud, rude, and raucous laughter that I got up and was ready to walk away. But Trypho seized me by my cloak and said he wouldn't let me go until I had kept my promise [to defend the Christians].

"Then, don't let your friends," I insisted, "cause such a commotion, or act so insultingly. If they wish, let them listen in silence, or, if they have something more important to do, let them depart; then we can go somewhere to rest and finish our conversation.

[3] Trypho consented, and we then agreed to retire to the middle of the stadium of the Xystus. Two of his friends, joking and making fun of our earnestness, went their way. When we came to that part of the stadium where there were stone seats on both sides, Trypho's other companions went to sit on the one side and after one of them had made a remark about the war waged in Judaea, they spoke of it.

Chapter 10

When they had finished their conversation, I once again addressed them in this fashion: "My friends, is there any other accusation you have against us than this, that we do not observe the Law, nor circumcise the flesh as your forefathers did, nor keep the sabbaths as you do? Or do you also condemn our customs and morals? This is what I say, lest you, too, believe that we eat human flesh and that after our banquets we extinguish the lights and indulge in unbridled sensuality. Or do you only condemn us for believing in such doctrines and holding opinions which you consider false?"

[2] "This last charge is what surprises us," replied Trypho. "Those other charges which the rabble lodge against you are not worthy of belief, for they are too repulsive to human nature. But the precepts in what you call your Gospel are so marvelous and great that I don't think that anyone could possibly keep them. For I took the trouble to read them. [3] But this is what surprises us most, that you who claim to be pious and believe yourselves to be different from the others do not segregate yourselves from them, nor do you observe a manner of life different from that of the Gentiles, for you do not keep the feasts or sabbaths, nor do you practice the rite of circumcision. You place your hope in a crucified man, and still expect to receive favors from God when you disregard His commandments. Have you not read that the male who is not circumcised on the eighth day will be cut off from his people? [Gen 17.14] This precept was for stranger and purchased slave alike. [4] But you, forthwith, scorn this covenant, spurn the commands that come afterwards, and then you try to convince us that you know God, when you fail to do those things that every God-fearing person would do. If, therefore, you can give a satisfactory reply to these charges and can show us on what you place your hopes, even though you refuse to observe the Law, we will listen to you most willingly, and then we can go on and examine in the same manner our other differences."

Chapter 11

"Trypho," I began, "there never will be, nor has there ever been from eternity, any other God except Him who created and formed this universe. Furthermore, we do not claim that our God is different from yours, for He is the God who, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, led your forefathers out of the land of Egypt. Nor have we placed our trust in any other (for, indeed, there is no other), but only in Him whom you also have trusted, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. But, our hope is not through Moses or through the Law, otherwise our customs would be the same as yours. [2] Now, indeed, for I have read, Trypho, that there should be a definitive law and a covenant, more binding than all others, which now must be respected by all those who aspire to the heritage of God. The law promulgated at Horeb is already obsolete, and was intended for you Jews only, whereas the law of which I speak is simply for all men. Now, a later law in opposition to an older law abrogates the older; so, too, does a later covenant void an earlier one. An everlasting and final law, Christ Himself, and a trustworthy covenant has been given to us, after which there will be no law, or commandment, or precept. [3] Have you not read these words of Isaiah: 'Give ear to me, and listen to me, my people; and you kings, give ear unto me: for a law will go forth from me, and my judgment will be a light to the nations. My Just One approaches swiftly, and my Savior will go forth, and nations will trust in my arm' [Isa 51.4-5]?  Concerning this New Covenant, God thus spoke through Jeremiah: 'Behold the days will come, says the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt' [Jer 31.31-32]. [4] If, therefore, God predicted that He would make a new covenant, and this for a light to the nations, and we see and are convinced that, through the name of the crucified Jesus Christ, men have turned to God, leaving behind them idolatry and other sinful practices, and have kept the faith and have practiced piety even unto death, then everyone can clearly see from these deeds and the accompanying powerful miracles that He is indeed the New Law, the new covenant, and the expectation of those who, from every nation, have awaited the blessings of God. [5] We have been led to God through this crucified Christ, and we are the true spiritual Israel, and the descendants of Judah, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, who, though uncircumcised, was approved and blessed by God because of his faith and was called the father of many nations. All this will be proved as we proceed with our discussion."

Chapter 12

I also cited this quotation from Isaiah: 'Hear my words, and your soul will live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given Him for a witness to the people; behold, nations that know you not will call upon you, and peoples that knew you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you' [Isa 55.3-5].

[2] "You have scorned this very law, and have made light of His new holy covenant, and even now you don't accept it, nor are you repentant of your evil actions. Jeremiah has indeed exclaimed: 'For your ears are closed, your eyes are blinded, and your heart is hardened,' [Isa 6.10], but still you won't listen. The Lawgiver has come, and you do not see Him; 'the poor have the Gospel preached to them, the blind see' [Mt 11.5; Lk 7.22], yet you do not understand. [3] What you really need is another circumcision, though you boast of that of the flesh. The New Law demands that you observe a perpetual Sabbath, whereas you consider yourselves pious when you refrain from work on one day out of the week, and in doing so you don't understand the real meaning of that precept. You also claim to have done the will of God when you eat unleavened bread, but such practices afford no pleasure to the Lord our God. If there be a perjurer or thief among you, let him mend his ways; if there be an adulterer, let him repent; in this way he will have kept a true and peaceful sabbath of God. If anyone has unclean hands, let him wash them and be pure.

Chapter 13

"Indeed, Isaiah did not send you to the bath to wash away murder and other sins which all the water of the ocean could not cleanse, but, as expected, it was of old that bath of salvation which he mentioned and which was for the repentant, who are no longer made pure by the blood of goats and sheep, or by the ashes of a heifer, or by the offerings of fine flour, but by faith through the blood and the death of Christ who suffered death for this precise purpose. So Isaiah himself shows in these words: [2] 'The Lord will bare His holy arm in the sight of all the Gentiles, and all the nations and the ends of the earth will see the salvation that is from God. Depart, depart, depart, go ye out from hence, and touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be sanctified, you who carry the vessels of the Lord, for you will not go out in a tumult. For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will gather you together. Behold my servant will understand, and will be exalted, and will be glorified greatly. [3] As many will be astonished at You, so Your form and Your comeliness will be despised by men; so will many nations be astonished at Him and kings will shut their mouths; for they to whom it was not told of Him, will see: and they that heard not, will understand. Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have announced Him as a child before Him, as a root in dry ground. [4] There is no beauty in Him or comeliness; and we have seen Him and He has no form or beauty; but His form is dishonored, and more despicable than any of the sons of men. He is a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity; because His face was turned away, He was despised and not esteemed. He has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows; and we esteemed Him to be in pain, and under the stroke, and in affliction. [5] But He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned aside into his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all; and He, because of his afflictions, does not open His mouth. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. [6] In His humiliation His judgment was taken away. But who will declare His generation? For He is cut off  out of the land of living; for the wickedness of my people He came unto death. And I will give the ungodly for His burial, and the rich for His death, because He has done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth. And the Lord wills to purify Him from affliction. If He will lay down His life for sin, your soul will see a long-lived seed. [7] And the Lord will take His soul away from trouble, to show Him light, and to form Him in understanding, to justify the just one who serves many well. And He will bear our sins; therefore He will inherit many, and will divide the spoils of the strong, because His soul was delivered unto death; and He was reputed with the wicked, and He has borne the sins of many, and was delivered for their transgressions. [8] Give praise, O you barren, that bears not; sing forth praise, and make a joyful noise, you who did not travail with child; for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her who has a husband. For the Lord said: Enlarge the place of your tent, and of your curtains; fix them, spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes; stretch forth to your right and your left; and your seed will inherit the Gentiles, and you will inhabit the desolate cities. Fear not because you have been ashamed; neither be confounded because you have been reproached; for you will forget your everlasting shame, and you will not remember the reproach of your widowhood, because the Lord has made a name for Himself, and He who has redeemed you will be called through the whole earth the God of Israel. For the Lord has called you as a woman forsaken and faint in spirit; as a woman hated from her youth' [Isa 52.10-15; 53.1-12; 54.1-6].

Chapter 14

"Thus it is that we have believed through the baptism of repentance and knowledge of God, which was instituted for the sins of the people of God, as Isaiah testifies, and we know that that same baptism which he announced, and which alone can purify penitents, is the water of life. The wells which you have dug for yourselves are broken and useless. For, of what value is that baptism which cleanses only the flesh and body? [2] Wash your souls free of anger, of avarice, of jealousy, and of hatred; then the whole body will be pure. This is the symbolic meaning of unleavened bread, that you do not commit the old deeds of the bad leaven. You, however, understand everything in a carnal way, and you deem yourselves pious if you perform such deeds, even when your souls are filled with deceit and every other kind of sin. [3] Therefore, after eating unleavened bread for seven days, you were ordered by God to prepare new leaven for yourselves, that is, to practice other deeds, not to repeat your old sinful ones. To prove to you that this is what the new Lawgiver orders you to do, I will again cite the above-quoted passages, together with others which I omitted. Here is what Isaiah says: [4] 'Hear and your soul will live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given him for a witness to the people, for a leader and a master to the Gentiles. Nations which know You not will call upon You, and the people who know You not will run unto You, because of Your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified You. [5] Seek God, and when you find Him, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will obtain mercy, for He will abundantly pardon your sins. For My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor are My ways as your ways; but as far removed as the heavens are from the earth, so far is My way removed from your way, and your thoughts from My thoughts. [6] For as the snow or the rain comes down from heaven, and does not return until it waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so will My word be, which will go forth from My mouth; it will not return until it will have accomplished all that I wished, and I will make all My precepts turn out well. [7] For you will go out with joy, and be taught with gladness. The mountains and the hills will leap with joy as they look for you, and all the trees of the fields will applaud you with their branches. Instead of the thorny bush will come up the cypress tree, and instead of the thorn, will come up the myrtle tree. And the Lord will be for a name and for an everlasting sign, and He will not fail' [Isa 55.3-13].

[8] "Trypho," I exclaimed, "some of these and similar passages from, the Prophets refer to the first coming of Christ, in which He is described as coming in disgrace, obscurity, and mortality; other passages allude to His second coming when He will appear from the clouds in glory; and your people will see and recognize Him whom they have crucified, as Hosea [see Zech 12.10], one of the twelve Prophets, and Daniel [Dan 9.26 or 7.13] have predicted."

Chapter 15

"In order to please God you must, therefore, learn to observe God's true fast. Listen to what Isaiah has to say in this regard: [2] 'Cry, cease not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their wicked doings, and the house of Jacob their sins. For they seek Me from day to day, and desire to know My ways, as a nation that has done justice, and has not forsaken the judgment of their God. [3] They ask of Me the judgments of justice, and desire to draw near to God, saying, Why have we fasted, and You have not regarded? and humbled our souls, and You have not taken notice? Because in the days of your fasting you find your own pleasure, and oppress all those who are subject to you. Behold you fast for debates and arguments, and strike the humble with your fists. Why do you fast, as you do today, to make your voice be heard on high? [4] This is not the fast which I have chosen, for a man to afflict his soul for a day. Nor, if you bend your neck in a circle, and spread sackcloth and ashes beneath you, will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord. This is not the fast which I have chosen, saith the Lord. But loose every band of wickedness, undo the bonds of agreements made by violence, let the oppressed go free, and break asunder every unjust bond. [5] Give your bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and shelterless into your house; when you see one naked, cover him; and do not despise those of your own flesh. Then will your light break forth as the morning, and your garments rise up quickly; and your justice will go before you, and the glory of God will surround you. Then will you call and the Lord will hear you; and while you are still speaking, He will say, Behold, here I am. [6] And if you will take away from your midst the yoke, the stretching forth of your hand, and the words of murmuring; and will give heartily your bread to the hungry, and will satisfy the afflicted soul; then will your light rise up in darkness, and your darkness will be as the noonday; and your God will be with you continually, and you will be satisfied as your soul desireth, and your bones will be made fat, and will be as a watered garden, and like a fountain of water, or like a land whose water fails not' [Isa 58.1-12]. [7] Therefore, be circumcised rather in your heart, as the above-quoted words of God demand."

Chapter 16

"God Himself, through Moses, exclaimed: 'Circumcise therefore the hardness of your hearts, and stiffen your neck no more. For the Lord is your God, and the Lord of lords, a great God and mighty and terrible, who does not regard persons nor take bribes' [Dt 10.16-17].  And in Leviticus it is written:  'Because they have transgressed against Me and despised Me, and because they have walked contrary to Me, I also will walk contrary to them, and I will destroy them in the land of their enemies. Then their uncircumcised heart will be ashamed' [Lev 26.40-41]. [2] Indeed the custom of circumcising the flesh, handed down from Abraham, was given to you as a distinguishing mark, to set you off from other nations and from us Christians. The purpose of this was that you and only you might suffer the afflictions that are now justly yours; that only your land be desolate, and your cities ruined by fire; that the fruits of your land be eaten by strangers before your very eyes; that not one of you be permitted to enter your city of Jerusalem. [3] Your circumcision of the flesh is the only mark by which you can certainly be distinguished from other men. Nor do I believe that any of you will attempt to deny that God either had or has foreknowledge of future events, and that He does not prepare beforehand what everyone deserves. Therefore, the above-mentioned tribulations were justly imposed upon you, [4] for you have murdered the Just One [cf. Isa 57.1; 1Th 2.15], and His prophets before Him; now you spurn those who hope in Him, and in Him who sent Him, namely, Almighty God, the Creator of all things; to the utmost of your power you dishonor and curse in your synagogues all those who believe, in Christ. Now, indeed, you cannot use violence against us Christians, because of those who are in power, but as often as you could, you did employ force against us. [5] For this reason, God cries out to you through Isaiah, saying: 'Behold how the just one perishes, and no man lays it to heart. For the just man is taken away from before the face of evil. His burial will be in peace; he is taken away from among us. But draw near, you wicked sons, seed of the adulterers and children of the harlot. Upon whom have you jested, and upon whom have you opened your mouth wide, and stuck out your tongue?' [Isa 57.1-4]

Chapter 17

"The other nations have not treated Christ and us, His followers, as unjustly as have you Jews, who, indeed, are the very instigators of that evil opinion they have of the Just One and of us, His disciples. After you had crucified the only sinless and just Man (through whose sufferings are healed all those who approach the Father through Him), and after you realized that He had risen from the dead and had ascended into Heaven (as had been predicted by the Prophets), you not only failed to feel remorse for your evil deed, but you even dispatched certain picked men from Jerusalem to every land, to report the outbreak of the godless heresy of the Christians and to spread those ugly rumors against us which are repeated by those who do not know us. As a result, you are to blame not only for your own wickedness, but for that of all others. [2] With good reason, therefore, does Isaiah cry out: 'Because of you My name is blasphemed among the Gentiles' [Isa 52.5]. And: 'Woe unto their soul, for they have taken evil counsel against themselves, saying, Let us bind the Just One, for he is useless to us. Therefore they eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe unto the wicked one: evil will be rendered to him, in accordance with the works of his hands' [Isa 3.9-11]. And again, in another passage: 'Woe unto them that draw iniquity as with a long cord, and their injustices as it were with the rope of a cart; that say: Let his speed come near, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put light for darkness, and darkness for light; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter' [Isa 5.18-20]. [3] Thus have you spared no effort in disseminating in every land bitter, dark, and unjust accusations against the only guiltless and just Light sent to men by God. For He seemed to be inconvenient to you, when He cried out, 'It is written. My house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves' [Mt 21.13]. Then He even overturned the money-changers' tables in the temple, [4] and exclaimed, 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you pay tithes on mint and rue, and never think of the love of God and justice. You are whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones' [Mt 23.23, 27; Lk 11.43]. And to the Scribes He said, 'Woe unto you, Scribes, for you have the keys, and you do not enter in yourselves, and you hinder them that are entering, you blind guides'  [Lk 11.52].

Chapter 18

"Since you, Trypho, admit that you have read the teachings of Him who is our Savior, I do not consider it out of place to have added those few short sayings of His to the quotations from the Prophets: [2] 'Wash yourselves, be clean, and take away evil from your souls' [Isa 1.16].  Thus does God order you to be washed in this laver, and to be circumcised with the true circumcision. We, too, would observe your circumcision of the flesh, your sabbath days, and, in a word, all your festivals, if we were not aware of the reason why they were imposed upon you, namely, because of your sins and your hardness of heart. [3] If we patiently bear all the evils thrust upon us by vicious men and demons, and still, amid indescribable tortures and death, ask mercy even for our persecutors and do not wish that anybody be requited with even a little of them, as our new Lawgiver decreed, why is it, Trypho, that we should not observe those rites which cannot harm us, such as the circumcision of the flesh, the, sabbaths, and the festivals?

Chapter 19

"That," interposed Trypho, "is precisely what we are puzzled about -- why you endure all sorts of tortures, yet refuse to follow the [Jewish] customs now under discussion."

[2] "As I already explained," I answered, "it is because circumcision is not essential for all men, but only for you Jews, to mark you off for the suffering you now so deservedly endure. Nor do we approve of your useless baptism of the wells, which has no connection at all with our baptism of life. [3] Thus has God protested that you have forsaken Him, 'the fountain of living water, and have digged for yourselves broken cisterns which can hold no water' [Jer 2.13]. You Jews, who have the circumcision of the flesh, are in great need of our circumcision, whereas we, since we have our circumcision, do not need yours. For if, as you claim, circumcision had been necessary for salvation, God would not have created Adam uncircumcised; nor would He have looked with favor upon the sacrifice of the uncircumcised Abel, nor would He have been pleased with the uncircumcised Enoch, who 'was seen no more, because God took him' [Gen 5.24]. [4] The Lord and His angels led Lot out of Sodom; thus was he saved without circumcision. Noah, the uncircumcised father of our race, was safe with his children in the ark. Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High, was not circumcised, yet Abraham, the first to accept circumcision of the flesh, paid tithes to him and was blessed by him; indeed, God, through David, announced that He would make him a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek [Ps 109.4]. [5] Circumcision, therefore, is necessary only for you Jews, in order that, as Hosea, one of the Twelve Prophets, says, 'your people should not be a people, and your nation not a nation' [Hos 1.9]. Furthermore, all these men were just and pleasing in the sight of God, yet they kept no sabbaths. The same can be said of Abraham and his descendants down to the time of Moses, when your people showed itself wicked and ungrateful to God by molding a golden calf as an idol in the desert. [6] Wherefore, God, adapting His laws to that weak people, ordered you to offer sacrifices to His name, in order to save you from idolatry, but you did not obey even then, for you did not hesitate to sacrifice your children to the demons. Moreover, the observance of the sabbaths was imposed upon you by God so that you would be forced to remember Him, as He Himself said, 'That you may know that I am God your Savior' [Ezk 20.20].

Chapter 20

"You were likewise forbidden to eat certain kinds of meat, so that when you ate and drank you would keep God before your eyes, for you have always been disposed to forget Him, as Moses himself testifies: 'The people ate and drank, and rose up to play' [Ex 32.6]. And in another passage: 'Jacob ate and was filled, and grew fat; my beloved kicked, he grew fat and thick and broad, and forsook God who made him' [Dt 32.15]. Indeed, Moses makes known to you in the book of Genesis how God allowed the righteous Noah to eat every kind of meat, except the meat with the blood of strangled animals."

[2] As Trypho was just ready to add, ''as the green herbs," I forestalled him by asking, "Why do you not interpret those words 'as the green herbs' [Gn 9.3] in the sense in which God spoke them, namely, that as God gave herbs to man for his sustenance, so did He give him animals for his food? But you object that Noah was ordered to make a distinction between the herbs, because we do not now eat every kind of herb. [3] Such a conclusion is inadmissible. I could easily prove, but we will not spend the time now in doing so, that every vegetable is a herb and may be eaten. Now, if we make a distinction between them and refuse to eat some of them, we do so not because they are common and unclean, but because they are bitter, or poisonous, or thorny; but the sweet, nourishing, and good herbs we eat and enjoy, whether they come from the soil or the sea. [4] Then, God, through Moses, ordered you to abstain from all unclean, harmful, and violent animals, for, after you had eaten the manna in the desert and had seen all the miracles God wrought for your sake, you did not hesitate to make and adore the golden calf. With good reason, therefore, does God repeatedly say of you, 'Foolish children, in whom there is no faith' [Dt 32.20].

Chapter 21

"As I stated before, it was by reason of your sins and the sins of your fathers that, among other precepts, God imposed upon you the observance of the Sabbath as a mark. He also states that the only reason He allows any of you to remain alive today is for the sake of the Gentiles, that His name might not be profaned among them. If you wish clear proof of this, [2] listen to what He says through Ezekiel: 'I am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and take no part in the customs of Egypt, and sanctify My sabbaths; and they will be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God. And you provoked Me, and your children walked not in My statutes, nor observed My judgments, to do them, which if a man do, he will live in them. But they violated My sabbaths. [3] And I threatened to pour out My indignation upon them, and to accomplish My wrath in them in the desert. But I did it not, so that My name might not be entirely violated in the sight of the Gentiles. I led them out before their eyes, and I lifted up My hand upon them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the Gentiles, and scatter them through the countries, because they had not done My judgments, and had cast off my statutes, and had violated My sabbaths, and their eyes were after the inventions of their fathers. [4] Therefore I gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they will not live. And I will pollute them in their own gifts, when I pass over to destroy all that openeth the womb' [Ezk 20.19-26].

Chapter 22

"Not because He needed such sacrifices did God command you to sacrifice to Him, but because of the sins of your people, especially their sins of idolatry. You will admit the truth of my statement if you listen to Amos, one of the twelve Prophets, who said: [2] 'Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord: to what end is this day of the Lord to you? It is darkness, and not light. As if a man should flee from the face of a lion, and a bear should meet him: and if he should enter into his house, and lean his hand upon the wall, and a serpent should bite him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light, and obscurity, and no brightness in it? I hate, and have rejected your festivities, and I will not accept the odor of your assemblies. [3] And if you offer me holocausts and sacrifices, I will not accept them; nor will I regard the presentation of your peace-offerings. Take away from Me the multitude of your songs and psalms, for I will not hear your instruments. And judgment will run down as water, and justice as a mighty torrent. Did you offer victims and sacrifices to Me in the desert, O house of Israel, saith the Lord? And have you not carried the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Raphan, figures which you made for yourselves? [4] And I will carry you away beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is God Almighty. Woe to those who are wealthy in Zion, and who have confidence in the mountain of Samaria. Those who are named among the chiefs have made harvest of the firstfruits of the nations; the house of Israel came in to themselves. Pass over to Calneh, and see, and go from there unto Hamath the great; and then go down to Gath of the strangers, the best of all these kingdoms, if their borders be greater than your borders. [5] They that come to the evil day, they that come near, and hold to false sabbaths; that sleep upon beds of ivory, and fare sumptuously upon their couches; that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the sucking calves out of the midst of the herd; who applaud at the sound of the musical instruments. They thought these things were permanent, and would not pass away, who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments, and they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Therefore they will now go captive among the first of the nobles who are carried away, and the dwelling place of the wicked will be removed, and the neighing of horses will be taken away from Ephraim' [Amos 5.18-27; 6.1-8].  [6] And in Jeremiah we read: 'Gather together your flesh and your sacrifices, and eat. For I did not command your fathers, in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning the matter of burnt offerings and sacrifices' [Jer 7.21-22]. [7] And David says in his forty-ninth Psalm: 'The God of gods, the Lord has spoken, and has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion is the perfection of His beauty. God will come manifestly; our God will come, and will not keep silence. A fire will burn before Him, and a mighty tempest will be round about Him. He will call heaven from above, and the earth, to judge His people. Gather together His saints to Him, who set His covenant before sacrifices. And the heavens will declare His justice, for God is judge. [8] Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify to you: I am God, your God. I will not reprove you for your sacrifices; but your burnt offerings are always in My sight. I will not take calves out of your house, nor the goats out of your flocks. For all the beasts of the field are Mine, the cattle on the hills, and oxen. I know all the fowls of the air, and with Me is the beauty of the field. [9] If I should be hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and its bounty. Will I eat the flesh of bullocks, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High. And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you  shalt glorify Me. But to the sinner God has said: Why do you declare My statutes, and take My covenant in your mouth? Seeing you have hated discipline, and have cast My words behind you. [10] If you saw a thief you ran with him, and with adulterers you hast been a partaker. Your mouth has abounded with evil, and your tongue framed deceits. Sitting you spoke against your brother, and laid a scandal against your mother's son. These things have you done, and I was silent. You  thought in your wickedness that I would be like to you. I will reprove you, and will set your sins in order before your eyes. Understand these things, you who forget God; lest He snatch you away, and there be none to deliver you. The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me, and there is the way by which I will show him My salvation' [Ps 49.1-23]. [11] Thus, your sacrifices are not acceptable to God, nor were you first commanded to offer them because of God's need of them, but because of your sins. The same can be said of the temple, which you refer to as the Temple in Jerusalem. God called it His house or court, not as if He needed a house or a court, but because, by uniting yourselves to Him in that place, you might abstain from the worship of idols. This can be proved by the words of Isaiah: 'What is this house you built for Me? saith the Lord. Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool' [Isa 66.1].

Chapter 23

"If we do not accept this conclusion, then we will fall into absurd ideas, as the nonsense either that our God is not the same God who existed in the days of Enoch and all the others, who were not circumcised in the flesh, and did not observe the sabbaths and the other rites, since Moses only imposed them later; or that God does not wish each succeeding generation of mankind always to perform the same acts of righteousness. Either supposition is ridiculous and preposterous. [2] Therefore, we must conclude that God, who is immutable, ordered these and similar things to be done only because of sinful men, and at the same time we confess Him to be sympathetic toward all men, prescient, needful of nothing, just, and good. If I am wrong, my friends, let me hear your opinions on this subject."

[3] When I received no reply, I continued, "Permit me, therefore, to repeat to you, Trypho, and to those who wish to become converts, the heavenly doctrine I received from that old man! Is it not evident to you that the elements are not idle, and that they do not observe the sabbaths? Stay as you were at birth. For if circumcision was not required before the time of Abraham, and before Moses there was no need of sabbaths, festivals, and sacrifices, they are not needed now, when in accordance with the will of God, Jesus Christ, His Son, has been born of the Virgin Mary, a descendant of Abraham. [4] Indeed, when Abraham himself was still uncircumcised, he was justified and blessed by God because of his faith in Him, as the Scriptures tell us. Furthermore, the Scriptures and the facts of the case force us to admit that Abraham received circumcision for a sign, not for justification itself. Thus was it justly said of your people: 'That soul which is not circumcised on the eighth day will be destroyed out of his people' [Gen 17.14]. [5] Moreover, the fact that females cannot receive circumcision of the flesh shows that circumcision was given as a sign, not as an act of justification. For God also bestowed upon women the capability of performing every good and virtuous act. We see that the physical formation of male and female is different, but it is equally evident that the bodily form is not what makes either of them good or evil. Their righteousness is determined by their acts of piety and justice."

Chapter 24

"Now, friends," I continued, "I could prove how the eighth day has some mysterious meaning (made known to us by God through these rites), rather than the seventh, but, lest you think I am wandering from the subject, understand what I now state, that the blood of circumcision is now abolished, and we now trust in the blood of salvation. Another covenant, a new Law, has now come out of Zion. [2] As was taught of old, Jesus Christ circumcises with knives of stone all those who want it, that they may become a righteous nation, a faithful, truthful, and peace-loving people. [3] Come with me, all you who are Godfearing and desirous of seeing the prosperity of Jerusalem. 'Come let us walk in the light of the Lord. for He has liberated His people, the house of Jacob' [Isa 2.5-6]. Come all nations, let us assemble at Jerusalem, no longer disturbed by war because of the peoples' sins. As the Lord cries out through the mouth of Isaiah, [4] 'I was made manifest to them who seek Me not; I was found by them who asked not for Me. I said, Behold Me, to a nation who did not call upon My name. I have spread forth My hands all the day to an unbelieving and contradicting people, who walk in a way that is not good, but rather after their own sins. It is a people who provokes Me to My face' [Isa 65.1-3].

Chapter 25

"They who attempt to justify themselves, and claim that they are sons of Abraham, hope to receive along with us even a small part of the divine legacy. This is evident from what the Holy Spirit said when He spoke through Isaiah in their name: [2] 'Look down from Heaven, and behold from Your holy habitation and the place of Your glory. Where is Your zeal and Your strength? Where is the multitude of Your mercy, for You have sustained us, O Lord? For You are our Father, and Abraham has not known us, and Israel has been ignorant of us. But You, O Lord, our Father, deliver us; from the beginning Your name is upon us. O Lord, why have You made us err from Your way, and hardened our heart, that we should not fear You? [3] Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance, so that we may inherit for a little Your holy mountain. We have become as in the beginning, when You did not rule over us, and when Your name was not called upon us. If You will open the heavens, trembling will seize the mountains before You; and they will be melted, as wax melts before the fire; and fire will consume Your enemies, and Your name will be made known to Your adversaries; the nations will tremble at Your presence. [4] When You will do glorious things, trembling will seize the mountains in Your presence. From the beginning of the world we have not heard nor have our eyes seen a God besides You, and Your works, the mercy which You will show to those who repent. He will meet them who work righteousness, and they will remember Your ways. Behold, You are angry, and we have sinned. Wherefore we have erred and are all become as one unclean, and all our justice as the rag of a menstruous woman. And we have all fallen as leaves, because of our iniquities; thus the wind will carry us away. [5] There is none who calls upon Your name, none who remembers to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have delivered us up because of our sins. And now return, O Lord, for we are all Your people. The city of Your sanctuary has become a desert; Zion is as a desert, Jerusalem is a curse. The house, our sanctuary, and the glory which our fathers blessed, is burnt with fire, and all our glorious customs are turned into ruins. And in addition to these things You have refrained Yourself, O Lord, and have held Your peace, and have humbled us very much' [Isa 63.15-19; 64.1-12]."

[6] "Do I understand you to say," interposed Trypho, "that none of us Jews will inherit anything on the holy mountain of God?"

Chapter 26

"I didn't say that," I replied, "but I do say that those who have persecuted Christ in the past and still do, and do not repent, will not inherit anything on the holy mountain, unless they repent. Whereas the Gentiles, who believe in Christ and are sorry for their sins, will receive the inheritance, along with the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and every just descendant of Jacob, even though they neither practice circumcision nor observe the sabbaths and feasts. They will undoubtedly share in the holy inheritance of God, [2] for thus speaks God through Isaiah: 'I, the Lord God, have called you in justice, and I will take you by the hand, and will strengthen you. And I have given you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, that you might open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoner out of prison, and them who sit in darkness out of the prison-house' [Isa 42.6-7]. [3] And again, in another passage: 'Lift up the standard for the Gentiles. For behold, the Lord has made it to be heard in the ends of the earth.  Say to the daughters of Zion, Behold, your Savior comes; behold His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. And He will call this the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. And you will be called a city sought after, and not forsaken. Who is this who comes from Edom, in red garments, from Bosor? This beautiful one in His robe, walking in the greatness of His strength. I speak justice, and the judgment of salvation. [4] Why then is Your apparel red, and Your garments as from the trodden wine-press? Full of the trodden grape, I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the Gentiles there was not a man with Me. I have trampled on them in My indignation, and I have trodden on them as the earth, and have spilled their blood upon the earth. For the day of vengeance is come upon them, and the year of My redemption is come. I looked about, and there was none to help; I sought, and there was none to give aid; and My arm saved for Me, and My fury came upon them, and I have trodden them in My wrath, and I have spilled their blood upon the earth' [Isa 62.10-12; 63.1-7]."

Chapter 27

"Why," objected Trypho, "do you quote only those passages from the Prophets which prove your point, and omit those quotations which clearly command the observance of the Sabbath? Isaiah, for example, speaks thus: 'If you turn away your foot from the sabbath, from doing your own will in My holy day, and will call the sabbaths the holy delights of your God; if you will not lift your foot to work, and will not speak a word from your own mouth, and will trust in the Lord; then He will lift you  up to the good things of the earth, and feed you  with the inheritance of Jacob, your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it' [Isa 58.13-14]."

 [2] "My friends," I replied, "I have not purposely omitted such passages from the Prophets because they do not coincide with my teaching, but because (as you well understand), although God through His Prophets gives you identical commands as He did through Moses, this was done only on account of your hardness of heart and ingratitude toward Him. He repeated those precepts in the hope that even so you might possibly repent some time and thus please Him, and no longer sacrifice your children to the demons, nor remain the 'companions of thieves, nor lovers of gifts, nor seekers of rewards; judging not for the fatherless, nor suffering the cause of the widow to come to you, nor having your hands full of blood. [3] For the daughters of Zion have walked with outstretched necks, flirting with their twinkling eyes, and swishing their dresses as they passed' [Isa 1.23; 3.16]. And He exclaims:  'All have turned out of the way, they are become unprofitable together. There is none that understands, no not one. With their tongues they have dealt deceitfully, their throat is an open sepulcher, the venom of asps is under their lips; destruction and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known' [cf. Rom 3.11-17]. [4] Thus, as your sinfulness was the reason why God first issued those precepts, so now because of your enslavement to sin, or rather your greater inclination to it, by means of the same precepts, He calls you to remember and know Him. But you Jews are a ruthless, stupid, blind, and lame people, children in whom there is no faith. As God Himself says: 'Honoring Him only with your lips, but your hearts are far from Him, teaching your own doctrines and not His' [Isa 29.13]. [5] Now, tell me, was it God's desire that your high priests commit sin when they offer oblations on the sabbaths? Or did He wish that they who received or performed circumcision on that day be guilty of sin, since it is His command that circumcision be given on the eighth day after birth, even though that day may fall on a Sabbath?  If He knew it would be sinful to perform that act on a Sabbath, could He not have decreed that infants be circumcised either a day before or a day after the Sabbath?  And why did He not instruct those persons who lived before the time of Moses and Abraham to observe these same precepts; men, who are called just and were pleasing to God, even though they were not circumcised in the flesh, and did not keep the sabbaths?"

Chapter 28

Trypho then observed, "We listened attentively before when you put this question, and, to tell you the truth, you deserved our attention, but it does not seem good to me, as it does to most, only to say that it was God's will. For that is always the sly stock reply of those who cannot answer the question."

 [2] Then I replied, "Since I base my arguments and suggestions on the Scriptures and facts, you should not hesitate to believe me, notwithstanding the fact that I am uncircumcised, for there is only a short time left for conversion. If Christ should come again before your conversion, you will weep and repent in vain, for then He will not heed you. 'Break up anew your fallow ground, and sow not upon thorns,' cried out Jeremiah to the people. 'Be circumcised to the Lord, and circumcise the foreskin of your heart' [Jer 4.3-4]. [3] Do not sow, therefore, amid thorns and upon unploughed soil, from which you can reap no fruit. Acknowledge Christ, and then fallow ground, rich and fertile, will certainly be in your hearts. 'For behold, the days come, says the Lord, and I will visit upon every one who has the foreskin circumcised; upon Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and upon the children of Moab. For all the Gentiles are uncircumcised in the flesh, but all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart' [Jer 9.25-26]. [4] Do you not see that God does not desire that circumcision which is given as a sign? For such circumcision is of no use to the Egyptians, the Moabites, or the Edomites. Even though a man be a Scythian or a Persian, and yet knows God and His Son, and observes His lasting precepts of justice, he is circumcised with the only good and useful circumcision, and both he and his offerings are pleasing to God. [5] In this regard, permit me, my friends, to quote the words which God spoke to His people through Malachi, one of His twelve Prophets: 'I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord; and I will not receive your sacrifices from your hands; for from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name has been glorified among the Gentiles; and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean oblation; for My name is honored among the Gentiles, says the Lord, but you profane it' [Mal 1.10-11]. And through the mouth of David God said: 'A people who I knew not, has served Me; at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me' [2Sam/Kgs 22.44; Ps 17.45]."

Chapter 29

"Let us come together, O Gentiles, and glorify God, for He has deigned to look down upon us also. Let us glorify Him through the King of glory and the Lord of hosts. For He has shown His benevolence toward us Gentiles, too, and He accepts our sacrifices more willingly than He does yours. If I have been approved by God, what need have I of circumcision? If I have already been baptized with the grace of the Holy Spirit, what use have I of your baptism? [2] I am positive that I can persuade by these words even those of weak intellectual faculties, for the words which I use are not my own, nor are they embellished by human rhetoric, but they are the words as David sang them, as Isaiah announced them as good news, as Zacharias proclaimed them, and as Moses wrote them. Aren't you acquainted with them, Trypho? You should be, for they are contained in your Scriptures, or rather not yours, but ours. For we believe and obey them, whereas you, though you read them, do not grasp their spirit. [3] You should not be angry with us, therefore, nor blame us for the uncircumcision of our body; indeed, God created us that way. Nor should you consider it dreadful if we drink hot water on the Sabbath, for God doesn't stop controlling the movement of the universe on that day, but He continues directing it then as He does on all other days. Besides, your chief priests were commanded by God to offer sacrifices on the Sabbath, as well as on other days. Then, too, there are so many just men who are approved by Gad Himself, yet they never performed any of your legal ceremonies.

Chapter 30

"The fact that God can be falsely accused by the foolish of not having always taught the same truthful doctrines to all, you can blame on your own sinfulness. Indeed, many deemed such doctrines senseless and unworthy of God, for they were not illumined by grace to understand that these same doctrines have called your people, mired in sin and sick of a spiritual disease, to conversion and spiritual repentance; nor did they understand that prophecy, which was given to mankind after the death of Moses, is eternal. [2] This, my friends, is indeed mentioned in the Psalm. That we, who have been enlightened by these doctrines, consider them to be 'sweeter than honey and the honeycomb' [Ps 18.11], is evident from the fact that even under the threat of death we do not deny His name. Furthermore, it is equally clear (as the word of the prophecy, speaking in the name of one of His followers, metaphorically affirms) that we believers beseech Him to safeguard us from strange, that is, evil and deceitful, spirits. [3] We constantly ask God through Jesus Christ to keep us safe from those demons who, while they are strangers to the worship of God, were once adored by us; we pray, too, that, after our conversion to God through Christ, we may be without blame. We call Him our Helper and Redeemer, by the power of whose name even the demons shudder; even to this day they are overcome by us when we exorcise them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judaea. Thus, it is clear to all that His Father bestowed upon Him such a great power that even the demons are subject both to His name and to His pre-ordained manner of suffering. 

Chapter 31

"If such power is shown to have accompanied and still now accompanies His Passion, just think how great will be His power at His glorious Advent! For, as Daniel foretold, He will come on the clouds as the Son of Man, accompanied by His angels. [2] Here are the exact words of Daniel: 'I beheld till the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like clean wool. His throne was like the flames of fire, His wheels like a burning fire.  A swift stream of fire issued forth from before Him. Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The books were opened and the judgment was set. [3] I beheld then the voice of the great words which the horn speaks; and the beast was tortured, and its body was destroyed, and given to the fire to be burnt. And the power of the other beasts was taken away, and times of life were appointed them for a time and a time. I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and He came even to the Ancient of days, and stood before Him. And they who stood by brought Him near, [4] and He gave Him power and a glorious kingdom, and all the peoples of the earth by their families, and glory, serve Him. His power is an everlasting power that will not be taken away; and His kingdom will not be destroyed. And my spirit trembled within me, and the visions of my head troubled me. I went near to one of them that stood by, and asked the truth of him concerning all these things, and he told me the interpretation of the words, and instructed me. These four great beasts are four kingdoms, which will perish from the earth, and will not receive the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. [5] After this I would diligently learn concerning the fourth beast, which destroyed all the others, and was exceedingly terrible; his teeth were of iron, and his claws of brass; he devoured and broke in pieces, and the rest he stamped upon with his feet. And  concerning the ten horns that he had on his head; and concerning the other that came up, before which three horns fell; and that horn had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and its countenance excelled the rest. I beheld that horn waging war against the saints, and prevailing over them, until the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the saints of the Most High, and the time came and the saints of the Most High obtained the kingdom. [6] And it was told me concerning the fourth beast, that it would be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which will be greater than all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down and break it in pieces. And the ten horns are ten kings who will arise; and one will arise after them, and he will surpass the first kings in wickedness, and he will bring down three kings, and he will speak words against the Most High, and will crush the saints of the Most High, and he will think himself able to change times and seasons, and they will be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time. [7] And the judgment sat, and they will take away his power, to break into pieces and destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom, and the power, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, were given to the holy people of the Most High, so that they might reign in an everlasting kingdom; and all powers will serve and obey Him.  Here is the end of the word.  I, Daniel, was very much astonished at the vision, and my speech was changed in me, but I kept the word in my heart' [Dan 7.9-28]." 

Chapter 32

When I paused, Trypho objected, "Your quotations from Scripture prove that we must look forward to that glorious and great Messiah who, as the Son of Man, receives the everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of days. But, the one whom you call Christ was without glory and honor to such an extent that he incurred the last curse of God's law, namely, he was crucified." 

[2] I immediately replied, "My friends, if I had not explained from the above-quoted Scriptural passages that the appearance of Christ should be without glory and His generation beyond description, that for His death the rich should incur death, that through His suffering we should be healed, that He should be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and if I had not made clear that there should be two advents of Christ (the first in which He was pierced by you, the second in which you will look up and recognize Him as the one whom you pierced, and then your tribes will mourn tribe by tribe, the women apart and the men apart [Zech 12.12-13]), then my words must have been ambiguous and obscure. Now, I will derive all my proofs from all the words I adduce from your sacred and prophetic Scriptures, in the hope that some one may be found among you to be of that seed which, by the grace of the Lord of Sabaoth, is reserved for everlasting salvation. [3] To clarify this matter further for you, I will cite other passages from the blessed David, from which you can see that Christ is also called Lord by the Holy Prophetic Spirit, and that God, the Father of all, raised Him up from the earth, and placed Him at His right hand, until He makes His enemies His footstool; which, indeed, actually happened when our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, after His resurrection from the dead. Thus were the times being fulfilled, and he whom Daniel foretold would reign for a time, times, and half a time [Dan 7.25], is now at the doors, ready to utter bold and blasphemous words against the Most High. [4] In ignorance of how long he will reign, you hold a different opinion, based on your misinterpretation of the word 'time' as meaning one hundred years. If this is so, the man of sin must reign at least three hundred and fifty years, computing the holy Daniel's expression of 'times' to mean two times only. [5] I have digressed at length for the sole purpose of convincing you of the truth of what God said against you, namely, that you are foolish children, and 'Therefore behold, I will proceed to take away this people, and I will remove them, and I will take away the wisdom of their wise men, and I will hide the understanding of their prudent me' [Isa 29.14]. Knowing this, why don't you stop deceiving yourselves and those around you? Why don't you learn from us who have been taught wisdom by the grace of Christ? [6] But, to get back to the point in question, here are the convincing words of David: 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I make Your  enemies Your footstool. The Lord will send forth the scepter of Your power out of Zion: and rule You in the midst of Your enemies. With Your is the principality in the day of Your strength, in the brightness of Your saints, from the womb before the day star I begot You. The Lord has sworn, and He will not repent: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at Your right hand has broken kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among nations. He will fill ruins. He will drink of the torrent in the way; therefore will He lift up the head' [Ps 109.1-7]. 

Chapter 33

"Now I know," I continued, "that you dare to refer the words of the above-quoted Psalm to king Hezekiah, but I am going to show you from the very words of the Psalm that you are wrong. Among the words of the Psalm are the following two statements: [2]  'The Lord has sworn, and He will not repent,' and 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek' [Ps 109.4]. Now, you must admit that Hezekiah neither was nor is an everlasting priest of God. If your ears were not so dull, or your hearts so hardened, you would see that the words refer to our Jesus. For, by the words, 'The Lord has sworn, and He will not repent; You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,' God, because of your lack of faith, swore that Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. For, as Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High (as Moses tells us), and as he was the priest of the uncircumcised, and blessed the circumcised Abraham who offered him tithes, so has God announced that His eternal Priest, called Lord by the Holy Spirit, should be the priest of the uncircumcised. Those circumcised persons who approach Him with faith in their hearts and a prayer on their lips for His blessings will be welcomed and blessed by Him. [3] The concluding words of the Psalm, 'He will drink of the torrent in the way,' and, 'Therefore will He lift up the head' [Ps 109.7], prove that Christ was to be first humble man, and later He was to be exalted.

Chapter 34

"As a further proof of your ignorance of the Scriptures, I am going to quote another Psalm, dictated to David by the Holy Spirit, which you erroneously think refers to your king Solomon, but which in reality refers to our Christ. One cause of your error is that you are misled by the false interpretation of equivocal terms. For, when the law of God is called a 'blameless law' [cf. Ps 18.8], you do not understand it as applying to the law that was to come after Moses, but to the Mosaic Law itself, even though God Himself had promised to establish a new law and a new covenant. [2] And when the Psalm says, 'Give to the king Your judgment, O God' [Ps 71.1], you claim that the words were spoken of Solomon because he was a king, whereas the words clearly proclaim that they were spoken of the eternal King, that is, Christ. I prove from all the Scriptures that Christ is spoken of as a King, and a Priest, and God, and Lord, and an Angel, and a Man, and a Leader, and a Stone, and a Begotten Son, and as One who at first endured suffering, then ascended into Heaven, and as returning to earth with glory and having the eternal kingdom. [3] In support of what I have said, I cite the following words of the Psalm: 'Give to the king Your judgment, O God, and to the king's son Your justice, to judge Your people with justice, and Your poor with judgment. Let the mountains receive peace for the people, and the hills justice. He will judge the poor of the people, and will save the children of the poor, and will humble the slanderer. And He will continue with the sun, and before the moon throughout all generations. He will come down like rain upon the fleece, and as showers falling gently upon the earth. [4] In His days will justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away. And He will rule from sea to sea, and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth. Before Him the Ethiopians will fall down, and His enemies will lick the ground. The kings of Tarshish and the islands will offer presents; the kings of the Arabians and of Sheba will bring gifts. And all kings of the earth will adore Him, all nations will serve Him. For He will deliver the poor from the mighty, and the needy who had no helper. [5] He will spare the poor and needy, and He will save the souls of the poor. He will redeem their souls from interests and iniquity, and His name will be honorable in their sight. And He will live, and to Him will be given of the gold of Arabia, and they will pray continually for Him, and they will bless Him all the day. And there will be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains; His fruit will be on Lebanon, and they of the city will flourish like the grass of the earth. [6] His name will be blessed for evermore, His name continued before the sun. And in Him will all the tribes of the earth be blessed, all nations will call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful things. And blessed be the name of His majesty forever, and the whole earth will be filled with His majesty. So be it. So be it' [Ps 71.1-19]. And this Psalm ends with these words: 'The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended' [Ps 71.20]. 

[7] "Now, we all know that Solomon was the great and famous king, who constructed the renowned Temple at Jerusalem. But it is equally evident to all that none of the things foretold in the above-mentioned Psalm happened to him, for not all the kings adored him, nor did his power extend to the ends of the earth, nor did his enemies fall down prostrate before him and lick the ground. [8] Furthermore, I do not hesitate to quote the Book of Kings where it is written that Solomon committed idolatry at Sidon for the sake of a woman. On the contrary, the Gentiles who know God, the Creator of the world, through the crucified Jesus, would rather endure every torture and pain, even death itself, than worship idols, or eat meat sacrificed to idols." 

Chapter 35

At this point, Trypho interrupted me by saying, "I know that there are many who profess their faith in Jesus and are considered to be Christians, yet they claim there is no harm in their eating meats sacrificed to idols." 

[2] "The fact that there are such men," I replied, "who pretend to be Christians and admit the crucified Jesus as their Lord and Christ, yet profess not His doctrines, but those of the spirits of error, only tends to make us adherents of the true and pure Christian doctrine more ardent in our faith and more firm in the hope He announced to us. As we look about us, we see events actually taking place which He predicted would happen in His name. [3] Indeed, He foretold: 'Many will come in My name, clothed outwardly in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves' [Mt 7.15]. And: 'There will be schisms and heresies' [1Cor 11.18]. And: 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves' [Mt 7.15]. And: 'There will arise many false Christs and false Apostles, and they will deceive many of the faithful' [Mt 24.11, 24]. 

[4] "My friends, there were, and still are, many men who, in the name of Jesus, come and teach others atheistic and blasphemous doctrines and actions; we call them by the name of the originator of each false doctrine. [5] (For each has his own peculiar method of teaching how to blaspheme the Creator of the universe, and Christ, whose Advent was foretold by Him, and the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. They are all outside of our communion, for we know them for what they are, impious atheists and wicked sinners, men who profess Jesus with their lips, but do not worship Him in their hearts. [6] These men call themselves Christians in much the same way as some Gentiles engrave the name of God upon their statues, and then indulge in every kind of wicked and atheistic rite.) Some of these heretics are called Marcionites, some Valentinians, some Basilidians, and some Saturnilians, and others by still other names, each designated by the name of the founder of the system, just as each person who deems himself a philosopher, as I stated at the beginning of this discussion, claims that he must bear the name of the philosophy he favors from the founder of that particular school of philosophy. [7] Not only from these events do we conclude, as I said, that Jesus possessed foreknowledge of what would happen to Him, but also from the many other happenings which He predicted would befall those who believe and profess that He is the Messiah. He even foretold all the suffering we would have to bear when those of our own household put us to death. Consequently, we can find no fault with either His words or actions.