45. The heretic he has in mind is Cerinthus. See Daniélou, 68, and R. McL.

st. justin martyr numbering at least two. I do not consider true that teaching which is asserted by what you call a heretical sect of your religion, nor can the proponents of that heresy prove that he spoke those words to angels,45 or that the human body was the result of the angel's work.

4. "But this offspring, who was really begotten of the Father, was with the Father and the Father talked with him before all creation as the Word through Solomon clearly showed us, saying that this Son, who is called Wisdom by Solomon, was begotten both as a beginning before all his works, and as his offspring. God has testiﬁed to this same truth in the revelation to Joshua, the son of Nun. To be fully convinced, listen to these words of the Book of Joshua:

5. "And it came to pass, when Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted up his eyes, and saw a man standing opposite him. And Joshua went to him and said: Are you one of our side, or of our opponents? And he answered: I am the prince of the host of the Lord, and now I am come.

Joshua fell on his face to the ground, and said to him: Lord, what do you command your servant? And the Lord's prince said to Joshua: Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy. Now Jericho was shut down and fortiﬁed, and no one went out from it. And the Lord said to Joshua: Behold, I have given Jericho into your hands, and its king, and all its valiant men." 46

45. The heretic he has in mind is Cerinthus. See Daniélou, 68, and R. McL.

Wilson (cited above, n 43).

46. Jos 5.13–6.2. See Skarsaune, 421; Trakatellis, 80–84; G. Otranto, "La tipologia di Giosué nel Dialogo con Trifone ebreo di Giustino," AugR 15 (1975):

29–48.

Justin, Martyr, Saint. Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church, Volume 3), edited by Michael Slusser, Catholic University of America Press, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nottingham/de

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T H E V I R G I N A L B I R T H

c h a p t e r 63 "My friend," said Trypho, "you have proved your point forcibly and with many arguments. Now prove to us that he condescended to become man by a virgin, in accordance with his Father's will, and to be cruciﬁed, and to die; show us, too, that after rising from the dead he ascended into heaven."

2. "Gentlemen," I replied, "I have already demonstrated this from the prophecies previously quoted, but, in order to convince you on this point also, I will repeat and explain those passages for you. Do not these words of Isaiah, Who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from earth,1 seem to indicate that he, who is said to have been consigned to death by God because of the sins of the people, did not have mere human origin? Moses, too, in speaking of his blood in a previously quoted parable, said, He shall wash his robe in the blood of the grape,2 since his blood did not originate from human seed but from the will of God.3

3. "And then, there are the words of David: 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 Melchisedek.4 Do not these words signify that from the outset God, the Father of all things, intended him to be begotten again and of a human womb?

1. Is 53.8.

2. Gn 49.11.

3. See Jn 1.13.

4. Ps 109 (110).3–4. See Daniélou, 257–58 and J. L. Marshall (cited above, Dial. 19.4 n 3).

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st. justin martyr 4. "In another passage, previously cited, he says: Your throne,

O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness. You have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings. Myrrh and aloes and cassia perfume your garments from the ivory houses, whereby they have made you glad. King's daughters are in your honor. The queen stood at your right hand, in gilded clothing, surrounded with variety. Hearken, O daughter and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house. And the king shall greatly desire your beauty, for he is your Lord and him you shall adore.5

5. "These words also show clearly that the one who made all these things testiﬁed that he is to be worshipped as both God and Christ. They further show that the Word of God speaks to those who believe in him (who are of one soul and one synagogue and one church) as to a daughter, namely, to the church, which was established by and partakes in his name (for we all are called Christians). That this is so, and that we are instructed to forget the ancient customs of our ancestors, the following words imply: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house. And the king shall greatly desire your beauty, for he is your Lord, and him you shall adore.6 c h a p t e r 64 "Let you who are of Gentile origin," said Trypho, "who are all named Christians after Christ, profess him to be Lord and Christ and God, as the Scriptures signify. But we Jews, who adore the God who made him, are not obliged to confess or worship him."

2. "Trypho," I replied, "if I were as contentious and emptyheaded as you, I would have discontinued this discussion long ago, for you make no effort to understand my arguments, but only rack your brain to make any kind of reply. But now, in fear of God's judgment, I shall not be bold enough to state whether or not any one of your race, by the grace7 of the Lord of Sabaoth, may be saved. Even though you continue to quibble, I shall continue to answer whatever difﬁculty or objection you advance as I 5. Ps 44 (45).7–13. See Dial. 38.

6. Ps 44 (45).11–12.

7. For a detailed analysis of all instances of cavri" in the Dialogue, see N.

Pycke, "Connaissance rationelle et Connaissance de Grâce chez St. Justin,"

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The virginal birth

do for persons of any nationality who seek my opinion or advice.

3. "Had you given your full attention to the passages of Scripture which I have quoted, you would have already understood that those Jews who attain salvation are saved through him and are his partisans. Had you understood this, you certainly would not have questioned me in this regard. For your beneﬁt I am going to repeat those quotations from David, and I ask you to be attentive in order to understand them, instead of making a point only of maliciously contradicting them.

4. "Here are David's words: The Lord has reigned, let the peoples be angry; He who sits above the cherubim; let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion, and high above all peoples. Let them give praise to your great name, for it is terrible and holy; and the king's honor loves judgment. You have prepared directions; you have done judgment and justice in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God, and adore his footstool of his feet, for he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests; and Samuel among those who call upon his name. They called upon the Lord, and he heard them. In a pillar of cloud he spoke to them. They kept his testimonies, and the commandment which he gave them.8

5. "And from the other previously quoted passages from David, which, because they were inscribed to Solomon, you ignorantly claim to have been referred to him, it can be proved that they were not spoken of Solomon, that Christ existed before the sun, and that they who are saved from among your people shall be saved by him.

6. "These are the words: O God, give to the king your judgment, 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 shall judge the poor of the people, and shall save the children of the poor, and shall humble the slanderer. And he

Ephemerides theologicae Lovanienses 37 (1961): 52–85, esp. 66–79. R. Joly, Christianisme et philosophie: études sur Justin et les apologistes grecs du deuxième siècle, Université libre de Bruxelles, Faculté de philosophie et lettres 52 (Brussels: Editions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 1973), 106–13, submits his study to a rigorous cross-examination in the belief that the distinction made between "connaissance rationelle" and "connaissance de Grâce" is too radical and returns a negative verdict: "somme toute, les conclusions de N. Pycke modernisent assez considérablement la pensée de Justin" (106).

8. Ps 98 (99).1–7. See Skarsaune, 193; Otranto (cited above, Dial. 69 n 39), 100–2.

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