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Abraham loves you, let him sacrifice his son to you." In the 25th year of Isaac, Abraham offered him as a sacrifice on Mount Zion; for in that place Abraham built the altar where David later established the temple. Isaac is a type of the divinity, but the ram of the humanity. And the time itself is of equal number; for there are three days and three nights here and there. That before the prophets, the word of God, appearing to Abraham in human form, foretold the calling of the nations, which in our time the word of God brought to completion through the evangelical teaching to all the nations. And as Josephus says, Abraham was the first to proclaim God as creator, and the first to go down to Egypt and teach the Egyptians arithmetic and astronomy; and from there, becoming beloved and highly honored, the king deemed it worthy to be instructed by him in matters of astrology and magic, 1.54 as he was a very experienced man and a Chaldean. For astrology and magic began from the Magusaeans, that is, the Persians; for the Persians are called Magog by the natives. And so, when the astrologers and magi had gathered, the king sat down with Abraham and his companions, and when silence fell, Abraham said, "I wish to learn from you wise men, if nativity and magic can harm or benefit someone according to your opinion." To which an astrologer, responding, said that it is impossible for a man to die contrary to his nativity. But as the astrologers were being powerfully refuted by Abraham, the king, at Abraham's suggestion, ordered a certain prisoner to be brought, one who had been previously condemned to be burned to death. And when he was brought, the king commanded them, having carefully investigated his nativity, to seek out the manner of his death. And after they had considered it at length, they said that he would certainly die by being burned, since his nativity very clearly proclaimed this, but not now, for he still had years of life, and the hour of his death had not yet come. And the king, saying, "Today I will deliver this man from death by fire by killing him with water," and having done so immediately, he demonstrated in deed that something can happen contrary to nativity. And when all were quiet, Abraham said, "Not only men but also irrational animals are subject to nativity. But men have freedom in themselves, not being subject to nativity, inasmuch as that which is older than 1.55 nativity is reason and free will, which is a gift from God. Therefore, being superior to the irrational animals, we are naturally able to destroy them by our authority. And just as we are superior to the irrational animals, you in turn, as king, are superior to us, excelling in authority. Therefore, as we, by reason, are over the irrational animals, so you, O king, by reason of your rule, have authority over us, just as, in turn, no one is superior to you among men, but God is, the invisible one and master and maker of all, from whom one must ask for what is beneficial and pray." And they say that Abraham also spoke these words, that there is a great difference between truth and custom. For truth, being genuine and sought after, is found with difficulty; but custom, whatever it may be, whether true or false, is established uncritically by itself. And he who has received it from his fathers neither delights in it if it is true, nor is he vexed by it if it is false, because he believes not by the private judgment of his soul but by prejudice and the opinion of those before him. And having committed his own hope to an uncertain fate, he does not easily manage to cast off the ancestral cloak, even if it is clearly shown to him to be very foolish and ridiculous. Those, therefore, who introduce many and all-suffering gods, and who practice things similar to them, are not even ashamed, relying on the example of their wickedness. And those who invent fate and nativity, telling marvelous tales that it is not possible to do or suffer anything contrary 1.56 to these, sin without fear, not being cautious, as though they are compelled to do these things by their nativity;

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ἀγαπᾷ σε Ἀβραάμ, θυσάτω σοι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ." τῷ κεʹ ἔτει τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ προσήνεγκεν αὐτὸν Ἀβραὰμ εἰς θυσίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιών· εἰς ἐκεῖνον γὰρ τὸν τόπον τὸ θυσιαστήριον ᾠκοδόμησεν Ἀβραάμ, ἔνθα ὕστερον ὁ ∆αβὶδ τὸ ἱερὸν ἱδρύσατο. τύπος δὲ τῆς μὲν θεότητος ὁ Ἰσαάκ, τῆς δὲ ἀνθρωπότητος ὁ κριός. καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ χρόνος ἰσάριθμος· τρεῖς γὰρ ἡμέραι καὶ τρεῖς νύκτες ἐνταῦθα κἀκεῖ. Ὅτι πρὸ τῶν προφητῶν τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος φα νεὶς ἐν ἀνθρώπου σχήματι τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν κλῆσιν θεσπίζει, ἣν καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος εἰς πέρας ἤγαγεν διὰ τῆς εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας. καθὼς δέ φησιν ὁ Ἰώσηπος, πρῶτος Ἀβραὰμ δημιουργὸν τὸν θεὸν ἐκήρυξε, καὶ πρῶτος κατελ θὼν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀριθμητικὴν καὶ ἀστρονομίαν Αἰγυπτίους ἐδί δαξε· κἀντεῦθεν ἐπέραστος καὶ παγγέραστος γενόμενος, ἠξίωσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γυμνασθῆναι τὰ περὶ ἀστρολογίαν καὶ μα 1.54 γείαν ἅτε πολυπείρου καὶ Χαλδαίου τυγχάνοντος. ἀστρολογία γὰρ καὶ μαγεία ἀπὸ Μαγουσαίων ἤτοι Περσῶν ἤρξατο· οἱ γάρ τοι Πέρσαι Μαγὼγ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ὀνομάζονται. καὶ δὴ τῶν ἀστρολόγων καὶ μάγων συναθροισθέντων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἅμα τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τοῖς συνήθεσιν ἐκαθέσθη, καὶ ἡσυχίας γενομένης ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἔφη "μαθεῖν βούλομαι παρ' ὑμῶν τῶν σοφῶν, εἰ δύ ναται γένεσις καὶ μαγεία βλάψαι τινὰ ἢ ὠφελῆσαι κατὰ τὴν ὑμε τέραν δόξαν." ἀφ' ὧν ἀποκριθεὶς ἀστρολόγος εἶπεν ἀδύνατον εἶναι ἄνθρωπον παρὰ γένεσιν τελευτῆσαι. ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ κραταιῶς ἐξελεγχομένων τῶν ἀστρολόγων κελεύει ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀχθῆ ναί τινα δέσμιον, ὑποβαλόντος Ἀβραάμ, προκαταδικασθέντα πυ ρόκαυστον γενέσθαι. ἀχθέντος δὲ προσέταξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν αὐτοῦ γένεσιν ἀκριβῶς ἐξερευνησαμένους τὸν τρόπον ζητῆσαι τοῦ θανάτου. τῶν δὲ συνεχῶς διασκεψαμένων, καὶ εἰπόντων ὅτι πυρποληθεὶς πάντως ἀποθανεῖται, τῆς γενέσεως μάλα σαφῶς τοῦτο διαγορευούσης, ἀλλ' οὐ νῦν, ἔχει γὰρ ἔτι χρόνους ζωῆς, καὶ οὔπω ἐληλύθει ἡ ὥρα τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς "ἐγὼ σήμερον τοῦτον" φήσας "ἀπαλλάξω τοῦ διὰ πυρὸς θανάτου, τῷ ὕδατι ἀνελών," καὶ οὕτω παραυτὰ ποιήσας, ἔργῳ παρέστη σεν ὅτι δύναταί τι παρὰ γένεσιν γενέσθαι. ἡσυχασάντων δὲ πάν των φησὶν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ "οὐ μόνον οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα ὑπόκεινται γενέσει. ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι μὲν ἔχουσι τὸ ἐλευθέριον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, μὴ ὑποκείμενοι γενέσει, καθότι τῆς γενέ 1.55 σεως ἐκεῖνο πρεσβύτερον, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἔννοια καὶ αὐτεξουσιότης, ἐκ θεοῦ δηλαδὴ δεδωρημένη. ὅθεν τῶν ἀλόγων κρείττους ὄντες ἡμεῖς μὲν κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἀναιρεῖν αὐτὰ πεφύκαμεν. ἡμῶν δὲ ὡς κρειττόνων τῶν ἀλόγων σὺ πάλιν ὡς βασιλεὺς κρείττων ἡμῶν ὑπάρχεις, κατ' ἐξουσίαν ὑπερέχων. ὡς οὖν ἡμεῖς κατὰ τὸ λογι κὸν τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων, οὕτω σὺ ὦ βασιλεῦ κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς λόγον ἐξουσιάζεις ἡμῶν, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ σοῦ πάλιν κρείττων ἀν θρώπων μὲν οὐδείς, θεὸς δὲ ἀόρατος καὶ πάντων δεσπότης καὶ ποιητής, παρ' οὗ καὶ τὸ συμφέρον αἰτεῖσθαι καὶ προσεύχεσθαι δεῖ." φασὶ δὲ καὶ τούσδε τοὺς λόγους τὸν Ἀβραὰμ εἰπεῖν, πολ λὴν εἶναι μεταξὺ ἀληθείας καὶ συνηθείας τὴν διαφοράν. καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἀλήθεια μὲν γνησίως καὶ ζητουμένη μόλις εὑρίσκεται· τὸ ἔθος δέ, ὁποῖον ἂν ᾖ, εἴτε ἀληθὲς εἴτε ψευδές, ἀκρίτως ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ κρατύνεται. καὶ οὔτε ἀληθεῖ ὄντι ἥδεται ὁ πατρόθεν αὐτὸ παρα δεξάμενος, οὔτε ψευδεῖ ἄχθεται, ὅτι οὐ κρίσει ψυχῆς ἰδίᾳ ἀλλὰ προλήψει πιστεύει καὶ γνώμῃ τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ. ἐπ' ἀδήλῳ δὲ τύχῃ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπιδεδωκὼς ἐλπίδα, οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἔχει τὴν πάτριον ἀποδύ σασθαι περιβολήν, κἂν πάνυ μωρὰ τούτῳ καὶ καταγέλαστος οὖσα σαφῶς ἀποδείκνυται. οἱ μὲν οὖν πολλοὺς καὶ παντοπαθεῖς εἰση γούμενοι θεούς, τὰ ὅμοια δὲ αὐτοῖς καταπραττόμενοι, οὐδὲ αἰ δοῦνται τῷ τῆς κακίας παραδείγματι ἐπερειδόμενοι. οἱ εἱμαρμέ νην δὲ ἀναπλάττοντες καὶ γένεσιν, μηδὲν οὔτε ποιεῖν οὔτε πάσχειν 1.56 δύνασθαι παρὰ ταύτας τερατολογοῦντες, ἀδεῶς ἁμαρτάνουσιν, οὐκ εὐλαβούμενοι, ὡς ὑπὸ γενέσεως ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἀναγκαζόμενοι·