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| Chapter XXXI.—Of the Hebrew prophets.
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Chapter XXXI.—Of the Hebrew prophets.
There were, then,
among the Jews certain men who were prophets of God, through whom the
prophetic Spirit published beforehand things that were to come to pass,
ere ever they happened. And their prophecies, as they were spoken and
when they were uttered, the kings who happened to be reigning among the
Jews at the several times carefully preserved in their possession, when
they had been arranged in books by the prophets themselves in their own
Hebrew language. And when Ptolemy king of Egypt formed a library, and
endeavoured to collect the writings of all men, he heard also of these
prophets, and sent to Herod, who was at that time king of the Jews,1826
| 1826 Some attribute this blunder in
chronology to Justin, others to his transcribers: it was Eleazer the high
priest to whom Ptolemy applied. | requesting that the books of
the prophets be sent to him. And Herod the king did indeed send them,
written, as they were, in the foresaid Hebrew language. And when their
contents were found to be unintelligible to the Egyptians, he again sent
and requested that men be commissioned to translate them into the Greek
language. And when this was done, the books remained with the Egyptians,
where they are until now. They are also in the possession of all Jews
throughout the world; but they, though they read, do not understand what
is said, but count us foes and enemies; and, like yourselves, they kill
and punish us whenever they have the power, as you can well believe. For
in the Jewish war which lately raged, Barchochebas, the leader of the
revolt of the Jews, gave orders that Christians alone should be led to
cruel punishments, unless they would deny Jesus Christ and utter
blasphemy. In these books, then, of the prophets we found
Jesus our Christ foretold as coming, born of a virgin, growing up to
man’s estate, and healing every disease and every sickness, and
raising the dead, and being hated, and unrecognised, and crucified, and
dying, and rising again, and ascending into heaven, and being, and being
called, the Son of God. We find it also predicted that certain persons
should be sent by Him into every nation to publish these things, and that
rather among the Gentiles [than among the Jews] men should believe on
Him. And He was predicted before He appeared, first 5000 years before,
and again 3000, then 2000, then 1000, and yet again 800; for in the
succession of generations prophets after prophets arose.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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