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Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 11

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XI.—The Absurd Cavil of the Ass’s Head Disposed of.

In this matter we are (said to be) guilty not

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 10 Book 1 · Chapter 12 ›

merely

of

forsaking

the

religion

of

the

community

,

but

of

introducing

a

monstrous

superstition

;

for

some

among

you

have

dreamed

that

our

god

is

an

ass’s

head

,

—

an

absurdity

which

Cornelius

Tacitus

first

suggested

.

In

the

fourth

book

of

his

histories

,

where

he

is

treating

of

the

Jewish

war

,

he

begins

his

description

with

the

origin

of

that

nation

,

and

gives

his

own

views

respecting

both

the

origin

and

the

name

of

their

religion

.

He

relates

that

the

Jews

,

in

their

migration

in

the

desert

,

when

suffering

for

want

of

water

,

escaped

by

following

for

guides

some

wild

asses

,

which

they

supposed

to

be

going

in

quest

of

water

after

pasture

,

and

that

on

this

account

the

image

of

one

of

these

animals

was

worshipped

by

the

Jews

.

From

this

,

I

suppose

,

it

was

presumed

that

we

,

too

,

from

our

close

connection

with

the

Jewish

religion

,

have

ours

consecrated

under

the

same

emblematic

form

.

The

same

Cornelius

Tacitus

,

however

,

—

who

,

to

say

the

truth

,

is

most

loquacious

in

falsehood

—

forgetting

his

later

statement

,

relates

how

Pompey

the

Great

,

after

conquering

the

Jews

and

capturing

Jerusalem

,

entered

the

temple

,

but

found

nothing

in

the

shape

of

an

image

,

though

he

examined

the

place

carefully

.

Where

,

then

,

should

their

God

have

been

found

?

Nowhere

else

,

of

course

,

than

in

so

memorable

a

temple

which

was

carefully

shut

to

all

but

the

priests

,

and

into

which

there

could

be

no

fear

of

a

stranger

entering

.

But

what

apology

must

I

here

offer

for

what

I

am

going

to

say

,

when

I

have

no

other

object

at

the

moment

than

to

make

a

passing

remark

or

two

in

a

general

way

which

shall

be

equally

applicable

to

yourselves

?

Suppose

that

our

God

,

then

,

be

an

asinine

person

,

will

you

at

all

events

deny

that

you

possess

the

same

characteristics

with

ourselves

in

that

matter

?

(

Not

their

heads

only

,

but

)

entire

asses

,

are

,

to

be

sure

,

objects

of

adoration

to

you

,

along

with

their

tutelar

Epona

;

and

all

herds

,

and

cattle

,

and

beasts

you

consecrate

,

and

their

stables

into

the

bargain

!

This

,

perhaps

,

is

your

grievance

against

us

,

that

,

when

surrounded

by

cattle

-

worshippers

of

every

kind

we

are

simply

devoted

to

asses

!

Notes

2
In The Apology (c. xvi.) the reference is to “the fifth book.” This is correct. Book v. c. 3, is meant.
3
In vobis, for “in vos” ex pari transferendorum.