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if he will not hear his words, whatsoever the prophet shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” 3.2.3 And Moses himself, interpreting the oracle of God to the people, says similar things: “A prophet from your brethren like me shall the Lord God raise up; you shall hear him according to all that I asked from the Lord God in Horeb on the day of the assembly.” 3.2.4 Were then the prophets after Moses—say, Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, or Daniel, or any other of the twelve—appointed a lawgiver similar to Moses? By no means. But has any one of them accomplished things similar to Moses? It cannot be said. At any rate, each of them from the first to the last referred their hearers to Moses, and they made their reproof against the people for their transgressions of the law of Moses, and they urged nothing else than to adhere to what had been legislated by Moses. 3.2.5 none... of these was similar; but Moses cries out specifically concerning one. Whom then does the oracle declare will be a prophet similar to Moses, if not only our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ? But it is necessary to consider how this was said. 3.2.6 Moses was the first to lead the nation of the Jews, and finding them adhering to the polytheistic error of the Egyptians, he was the first to turn them from this, forbidding them to worship idols with inexorable punishments; and he was the first to announce to them the theology concerning monarchy, commanding them to worship only the creator and maker of all things; and having ordained for them a certain rule of pious living, he was appointed the first and only lawgiver for them of a pious commonwealth. But also Jesus Christ, in a manner similar to Moses and much better, was the first to lead the other nations in the teaching of piety, and was the first to effect the overthrow of idolatry throughout the whole world; and he was the first to set before all men the knowledge and piety of the one all-sovereign God, and has been shown to be the first introducer and lawgiver of a new life and a commonwealth befitting the pious. 3.2.7 And the rest of the things concerning the creation of the world, and concerning the immortality of the soul, and whatever other philosophical doctrines Moses was the first to deliver to the nation of the Jews, these things Jesus Christ was the first to announce in a more godlike manner to the other nations through his disciples. So that Moses was reasonably proclaimed the first and only lawgiver of piety for the Jews, but Jesus Christ for all the nations, according to the prophecy that said concerning him: “Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them, that the nations may know that they are but men.” 3.2.8 Again, Moses confirmed the piety announced by him with wondrous works and miracles. And likewise Christ, using the recorded wonder-workings for the faith of those who saw, established the new lessons of his evangelical teaching. 3.2.9 Again, Moses transferred the nation of the Jews from the bitter slavery under the Egyptians to freedom. And Jesus Christ called the race of all men from the impious and Egyptian idolatry under the wicked demons to freedom. 3.2.10 Again, Moses promised a holy land and a life in it dear to God and blessed to those who kept the law; and likewise Jesus Christ, “Blessed,” he says, “are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” promising a much better land, truly holy and dear to God, not that in Judea, because it in no way differed from the rest, but the heavenly one fitting for God-loving souls to those who achieve the life announced by him; which indeed, making it clearer, he announced the kingdom of heaven to those blessed by him. 3.2.11 And you would find other deeds performed by our Savior with a power greater than that of Moses, yet similar to those which Moses also performed. 3.2.12 For example, as an example, Moses fasted for forty consecutive days,

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ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ, ὅσα ἂν λαλήσῃ ὁ προφήτης ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐγὼ ἐκδικήσω ἐξ αὐτοῦ». 3.2.3 τὰ ὅμοια δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Μωσῆς, πρὸς τὸν λαὸν διερμηνεύων τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγιον, φησίν· «προφήτην ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμὲ ἀναστήσει κύριος ὁ θεός, αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ᾐτήσω παρὰ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χωρὴβ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας». 3.2.4 Ἆρ' οὖν οἱ μετὰ Μωσέα προφῆται, Ἡσαΐας, φέρε, ἢ Ἱερεμίας ἢἸεζεκιὴλ ἢ ∆ανιὴλ ἤ τις ἕτερος τῶν δώδεκα Μωσεῖ κατέστη παραπλήσιος νομοθέτης; οὐδαμῶς. ἀλλὰ τὰ ὅμοιά τις ἐκείνων Μωσεῖ διαπέπρακται; οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. ἕκαστος γοῦν αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ εἰς τὸν τελευταῖον ἐπὶ Μωσέα τοὺς ἀκροωμένους ἀνέπεμπον, καὶ τόν γε κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ ἔλεγχον διὰ τὰς παραβάσεις τοῦ Μωσέως ἐποιοῦντο νόμου, προύτρεπόν τε οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τῶν παρὰ Μωσεῖ νενομοθετημένων ἐξέχεσθαι. 3.2.5 οὐδένα γοῦν ... τούτων ὅμοιον· Μωσῆς δὲ περὶ ἑνὸς ὡρισμένως ἀναφωνεῖ. τίνα τοίνυν ὁ χρησμὸς θεσπίζει Μωσεῖ παραπλήσιον ἔσεσθαι προφήτην ἢ μόνον τὸν σωτῆρα καὶ κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν; ὅπως δὲ τοῦτ' εἴρηται διασκέψασθαι ἀναγκαῖον. 3.2.6 Μωσῆς πρῶτος ἡγήσατο τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, εὑρών τε αὐτοὺς τῇ κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους πολυθέῳ πλάνῃ προσέχοντας, πρῶτος μὲν ταύτης ἀπέστρεψεν, ἀπαραιτήτοις τιμωρίαις ἀπαγορεύσας εἰδωλολατρεῖν· πρῶτος δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν περὶ μοναρχίας θεολογίαν κατήγγειλεν, τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων δημιουργὸν καὶ ποιητὴν μόνον παραγγείλας σέβειν· πρῶτος δὲ καὶ ἀγωγήν τινα θεοσεβοῦς βίου τοῖς αὐτοῖς διαταξάμενος νομοθέτης αὐτοῖς εὐσεβοῦς πολιτείας πρῶτος καὶ μόνος ἀποδέδεικται. ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς Μωσεῖ παραπλησίως καὶ πολὺ κρειττόνως πρῶτος τῆς κατ' εὐσέβειαν διδασκαλίας τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι καθηγήσατο, καὶ πρῶτος ἀνατροπὴν τῆς καθ' ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰδωλολατρείας εἰργάσατο· πρῶτός τε τὴν ἑνὸς τοῦ παμβασιλέως θεοῦ γνῶσίν τε καὶ εὐσέβειαν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις προυβάλετο, καινοῦ τε βίου καὶ πολιτείας θεοσεβέσι προσηκούσης πρῶτος εἰσαγωγεὺς καὶ νομοθέτης ἀποδέδεικται. 3.2.7 καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ τὰ περὶ κόσμου γενέσεως, καὶ τὰ περὶ ψυχῆς ἀθανασίας, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα φιλόσοφα δόγματα πρῶτος Μωσῆς τῷ Ἰουδαίων παρέδωκεν ἔθνει, ταῦτα θεοπρεπέστερον πρῶτος τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν κατήγγειλεν. ὥστε Μωσέα μὲν εἰκότως πρῶτον καὶ μόνον εὐσεβείας νομοθέτην ἀνηγορεῦσθαι Ἰουδαίων, Ἰησοῦν δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων, κατὰ τὴν φήσασαν περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητείαν· «κατάστησον, κύριε, νομοθέτην ἐπ' αὐτούς, γνώτωσαν ἔθνη ὅτι ἄνθρωποί εἰσιν». 3.2.8 Πάλιν Μωσῆς θαυμασίοις ἔργοις καὶ παραδοξοποιίαις τὴν πρὸς αὐτοῦ καταγγελθεῖσαν εὐσέβειαν ἐπιστώσατο. ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ταῖς ἀναγράπτοις θαυματουργίαις πρὸς πίστιν τῶν ὁρώντων κεχρημένος τὰ καινὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ μαθήματα συνεστήσατο. 3.2.9 Πάλιν Μωσῆς ἐκ πικρᾶς τῆς ὑπ' Αἰγυπτίοις δουλείας τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος εἰς ἐλευθερίαν μετεστήσατο. καὶ Ἰησοῦς δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκ τῆς ὑπὸ τοῖς πονηροῖς δαίμοσι δυσσεβοῦς καὶ Αἰγυπτιακῆς εἰδωλολατρείας εἰς ἐλευθερίαν τὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων γένος ἀνεκαλέσατο. 3.2.10 Πάλιν Μωσῆς γῆν ἁγίαν καὶ θεοφιλῆ βίον ἐν ταύτῃ καὶ μακαριστὸν τοῖς τὸν νόμον φυλάξασιν ἐπηγγείλατο ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, «μακάριοι», φησίν, «οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν», πολὺ κρείττονα γῆν, ἀληθῶς ἁγίαν καὶ θεοφιλῆ, οὐχὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ὅτι μηδὲν τῆς λοιπῆς αὕτη διενήνοχεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κατ' οὐρανὸν ψυχαῖς φιλοθέοις προσήκουσαν τοῖς κατορθοῦσι τὸν πρὸς αὐτοῦ κατηγγελμένον βίον ὑποσχόμενος· ὃ δὴ καὶ παριστὰς λευκότερον, τοῖς πρὸς αὐτοῦ μακαριζομένοις βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν κατήγγειλε. 3.2.11 Καὶ ἄλλας δὲ πράξεις εὕροις ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κρείττονι ἢ κατὰ Μωσέα δυνάμει γεγονυίας, παραπλησίας γε μὴν αἷς καὶ ὁ Μωσῆς διεπράξατο. 3.2.12 οἷον, ὡς ἐπὶ παραδείγματος, Μωσῆς ἐφεξῆς τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας ἐνήστευσεν,