Chapter CVIII.—The resurrection of Christ did not convert the Jews. But through the whole world they have sent men to accuse Christ.

“And though all the men of your nation knew the incidents in the life of Jonah, and though Christ said amongst you that He would give the sign of Jonah, exhorting you to repent of your wicked deeds at least after He rose again from the dead, and to mourn before God as did the Ninevites, in order that your nation and city might not be taken and destroyed, as they have been destroyed; yet you not only have not repented, after you learned that He rose from the dead, but, as I said before416    Chap. xvii. you have sent chosen and ordained men throughout all the world to proclaim that a godless and lawless heresy had sprung from one Jesus, a Galilæan deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him by night from the tomb, where he was laid when unfastened from the cross, and now deceive men by asserting that he has risen from the dead and ascended to heaven. Moreover, you accuse Him of having taught those godless, lawless, and unholy doctrines which you mention to the condemnation of those who confess Him to be Christ, and a Teacher from and Son of God. Besides this, even when your city is captured, and your land ravaged, you do not repent, but dare to utter imprecations on Him and all who believe in Him. Yet we do not hate you or those who, by your means, have conceived such prejudices against us; but we pray that even now all of you may repent and obtain mercy from God, the compassionate and long-suffering Father of all.

[108] Καὶ ταῦτα οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους ὑμῶν ἐπιστάμενοι ἅπαντες γεγενημένα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρ' ὑμῖν βοῶντος ὅτι τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ δώσει ὑμῖν, προτρεπόμενος ἵνα κἂν μετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν μετανοήσητε ἐφ' οἷς ἐπράξατε κακοῖς καὶ ὁμοίως Νινευΐταις προσκλαύσητε τῷ θεῷ, ὅπως καὶ τὸ ἔθνος καὶ ἡ πόλις ὑμῶν μὴ ἁλῷ καταστραφεῖσα, ὡς κατεστράφη, καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐ μετενοήσατε, μαθόντες αὐτὸν ἀναστάντα ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀλλ', ὡς προεῖπον, ἄνδρας χειροτονήσαντες ἐκλεκτοὺς εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπέμψατε, κηρύσσοντας ὅτι αἵρεσίς τις ἄθεος καὶ ἄνομος ἐγήγερται ἀπὸ Ἰησοῦ τινος Γαλιλαίου πλάνου ὃν σταυρωσάντων ἡμῶν, οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ κλέψαντες αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ μνήματος νυκτός, ὁπόθεν κατετέθη ἀφηλωθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, πλανῶσι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους λέγοντες ἐγηγέρθαι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνεληλυθέναι κατειπόντες δεδιδαχέναι καὶ ταῦτα ἅπερ κατὰ τῶν ὁμολογούντων Χριστὸν καὶ διδάσκαλον καὶ υἱὸν θεοῦ εἶναι παντὶ γένει ἀνθρώπων ἄθεα καὶ ἄνομα καὶ ἀνόσια λέγετε. πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ἁλούσης ὑμῶν τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῆς γῆς ἐρημωθείσης οὐ μετανοεῖτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταρᾶσθαι αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς αὐτὸν πάντων τολμᾶτε. καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς καὶ τοὺς δι' ὑμᾶς τοιαῦτα καθ' ἡμῶν ὑπειληφότας οὐ μισοῦμεν, ἀλλ' εὐχόμεθα κἂν νῦν μετανοήσαντας πάντας ἐλέους τυχεῖν παρὰ τοῦ εὐσπλάγχνου καὶ πολυελέου πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ.