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Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

Cyprian of Carthage

Book 3 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

In the Wisdom of Solomon: “All the idols

‹ Book 3 · Section 58 Book 3 · Section 59 ›

of

the

nations

they

counted

gods

,

which

neither

have

the

use

of

their

eyes

for

seeing

,

nor

their

nostrils

to

receive

breath

,

nor

their

ears

for

hearing

,

nor

the

fingers

on

their

hands

for

handling

;

but

their

feet

also

are

slow

to

walk

.

For

man

made

them

;

and

he

who

has

borrowed

his

breath

,

he

fashioned

them

.

But

no

man

will

be

able

to

fashion

a

god

like

to

himself

.

For

since

he

is

mortal

,

he

fashioneth

a

dead

thing

with

wicked

hands

.

But

he

himself

is

better

than

they

whom

he

worships

,

since

he

indeed

lived

,

but

they

never

.

”

On

this

same

matter

:

“

Neither

have

they

who

have

regarded

the

works

known

who

was

the

artificer

,

but

have

thought

that

either

fire

,

or

wind

,

or

the

rapid

air

,

or

the

circle

of

the

stars

,

or

the

abundant

water

,

or

the

sun

and

moon

,

were

the

gods

that

rule

over

the

world

;

and

if

,

on

account

of

the

beauty

of

these

,

they

have

thought

thus

,

let

them

know

how

much

more

beautiful

than

these

is

the

Lord

;

or

if

they

have

admired

their

powers

and

operations

,

let

them

perceive

from

these

very

things

that

He

who

has

established

these

mighty

things

is

stronger

than

they

.

”

Also

in

the

cxxxivth

Psalm

:

“

The

idols

of

the

nations

are

silver

and

gold

,

the

work

of

men’s

hands

.

They

have

a

mouth

,

and

speak

not

;

they

have

eyes

,

and

see

not

;

they

have

ears

,

and

hear

not

;

and

neither

is

there

any

breath

in

their

mouth

.

Let

them

who

make

them

become

like

unto

them

,

and

all

those

who

trust

in

them

.

”

Also

in

the

ninety

-

fifth

Psalm

:

“

All

the

gods

of

the

nations

are

demons

,

but

the

Lord

made

the

heavens

.

”

Also

in

Exodus

:

“

Ye

shall

not

make

unto

yourselves

gods

of

silver

nor

of

gold

.

”

And

again

:

“

Thou

shalt

not

make

to

thyself

an

idol

,

nor

the

likeness

of

any

thing

.

”

Also

in

Jeremiah

:

“

Thus

saith

the

Lord

,

Walk

not

according

to

the

ways

of

the

heathen

;

for

they

fear

those

things

in

their

own

persons

,

because

the

lawful

things

of

the

heathen

are

vain

.

Wood

cut

out

from

the

forest

is

made

the

work

of

the

carpenter

,

and

melted

silver

and

gold

are

beautifully

arranged

:

they

strengthen

them

with

hammers

and

nails

,

and

they

shall

not

be

moved

,

for

they

are

fixed

.

The

silver

is

brought

from

Tharsis

,

the

gold

comes

from

Moab

.

All

things

are

the

works

of

the

artificers

;

they

will

clothe

it

with

blue

and

purple

;

lifting

them

,

they

will

carry

them

,

because

they

will

not

go

forward

.

Be

not

afraid

of

them

,

because

they

do

no

evil

,

neither

is

there

good

in

them

.

Say

thus

,

The

gods

that

have

not

made

the

heaven

and

the

earth

perish

from

the

earth

,

and

from

under

this

heaven

.

The

heaven

hath

trembled

at

this

,

and

hath

shuddered

much

more

vehemently

,

saith

the

Lord

.

These

evil

things

hath

my

people

done

.

They

have

forsaken

the

fountain

of

living

water

,

and

have

dug

out

for

themselves

worn

-

out

wells

,

which

could

not

hold

water

.

Thy

love

hath

smitten

thee

,

and

thy

wickedness

shall

accuse

thee

.

And

know

and

see

that

it

shall

be

a

bitter

thing

for

thee

that

thou

hast

forsaken

me

,

saith

the

Lord

thy

God

,

and

thou

hast

not

hoped

in

me

,

saith

thy

Lord

.

Because

of

old

time

thou

hast

resented

my

yoke

,

and

hast

broken

thy

bonds

,

and

hast

said

,

I

will

not

serve

,

but

I

will

go

upon

every

lofty

mountain

,

and

upon

every

high

hill

,

and

upon

every

shady

tree

:

there

I

will

be

confounded

with

fornication

.

To

the

wood

and

to

the

stone

they

have

said

,

Thou

art

my

father

;

and

to

the

stone

,

Thou

hast

begotten

me

:

and

they

turned

to

me

their

back

,

and

not

their

face

.

”

In

Isaiah

:

“

The

dragon

hath

fallen

or

is

dissolved

;

their

carved

works

have

become

as

beasts

and

cattle

.

Labouring

and

hungry

,

and

without

strength

,

ye

shall

bear

them

bound

upon

your

neck

as

a

heavy

burden

.

”

And

again

:

“

Gathered

together

,

they

shall

not

be

able

to

be

saved

from

war

;

but

they

themselves

have

been

led

captive

with

thee

.

”

And

again

:

“

To

whom

have

ye

likened

me

?

See

and

understand

that

ye

err

in

your

heart

,

who

lavish

gold

out

of

the

bag

,

and

weigh

silver

in

the

balance

,

bringing

it

up

to

the

weight

.

The

workmen

have

made

with

their

hand

the

things

made

;

and

,

bowing

themselves

,

they

have

adored

it

,

and

have

raised

it

on

their

shoulders

:

and

thus

they

walked

.

But

if

they

should

place

them

down

,

they

will

abide

in

their

place

,

and

will

not

be

moved

;

and

they

will

not

hear

those

who

cry

unto

them

:

they

will

not

save

them

from

evils

.

”

Also

in

Jeremiah

:

“

The

Lord

,

who

made

heaven

and

earth

,

in

strength

hath

ordered

the

world

,

in

His

wisdom

hath

stretched

forth

the

heaven

,

and

the

multitude

of

the

waters

in

the

heaven

.

He

hath

brought

out

the

clouds

from

the

end

of

the

earth

,

the

lightnings

in

the

clouds

;

and

He

hath

brought

forth

the

winds

from

His

treasures

.

Every

man

is

made

foolish

by

his

knowledge

,

every

artificer

is

confounded

by

his

graven

images

;

because

he

hath

molten

a

falsehood

:

there

is

no

breath

in

them

.

The

works

shut

up

in

them

are

made

vain

;

in

the

time

of

their

consideration

they

shall

perish

.

”

And

in

the

Apocalypse

:

“

And

the

sixth

angel

sounded

with

his

trumpet

.

And

I

heard

one

of

the

four

corners

of

the

golden

ark

,

which

is

in

the

presence

of

God

,

saying

to

the

sixth

angel

who

had

the

trumpet

,

Loose

the

four

angels

which

are

bound

upon

the

great

river

Euphrates

.

And

the

four

angels

were

loosed

,

which

were

prepared

for

an

hour

,

and

a

day

,

and

a

month

,

and

a

year

,

to

slay

the

third

part

of

men

;

and

the

number

of

the

army

of

the

horsemen

was

two

hundred

thousand

of

thousand

:

I

heard

the

number

of

them

.

And

then

I

saw

the

horses

in

the

vision

,

and

those

that

sate

upon

them

,

having

breastplates

of

fire

,

and

of

hyacinth

,

and

of

sulphur

:

and

the

heads

of

the

horses

(

as

the

heads

of

lions

)

;

and

out

of

their

mouth

went

fire

,

and

smoke

,

and

sulphur

.

By

these

three

plagues

the

third

part

of

men

was

slain

,

by

the

fire

,

and

the

smoke

,

and

the

sulphur

which

went

forth

from

their

mouth

,

and

is

in

their

tails

:

for

their

tails

were

like

unto

eels

;

for

they

had

heads

,

and

with

them

they

do

mischief

.

And

the

rest

of

the

men

who

were

not

slain

by

these

plagues

,

nor

repented

of

the

works

of

the

deeds

of

their

hands

,

that

they

should

not

worship

demons

and

idols

,

that

is

,

images

of

gold

,

and

of

silver

,

and

of

brass

,

and

of

stone

,

and

of

wood

,

which

can

neither

see

nor

walk

,

repented

not

also

of

their

murders

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

And

the

third

angel

followed

them

,

saying

with

a

loud

voice

,

If

any

man

worship

the

beast

and

his

image

,

and

hath

received

his

mark

in

his

forehead

or

upon

his

hand

,

the

same

shall

drink

of

the

wine

of

His

wrath

,

and

shall

be

punished

with

fire

and

sulphur

,

under

the

eyes

of

the

holy

angels

,

and

under

the

eyes

of

the

Lamb

;

and

the

smoke

of

their

torments

shall

ascend

up

for

ever

and

ever

.

”

Notes

1
Wisd. xv. 15–17.
2
Wisd. xiii. 1–4.
3
Ps. cxxxv. 16–18.
4
Ps. xcvi. 5.
5
Ex. xx. 23.
6
Ex. xx. 4. This section closes here, according to the Oxford text. The Leipzic edition continues as in the above reading.
7
Jer. x. 2–5, 9, 11; ii. 12, 13, 19, 20, 27.
8
Isa. xlvi. 1, 2, 5.
9
Migne refers this to Jer. li. 15–18, but there is nothing corresponding to it in the passage.
10
Isa. xlvi. 6, 7.
11
Jer. li. 16–19.
12
Rev. ix. 1, 13–21.
13
Rev. xiv. 9–11.