Chapter III.

In the next place, miracles were performed in all countries, or at least in many of them, as Celsus himself admits, instancing the case of Æsculapius, who conferred benefits on many, and who foretold future events to entire cities, which were dedicated to him, such as Tricca, and Epidaurus, and Cos, and Pergamus; and along with Æsculapius he mentions Aristeas of Proconnesus, and a certain Clazomenian, and Cleomedes of Astypalæa.  But among the Jews alone, who say they are dedicated to the God of all things, there was wrought no miracle or sign which might help to confirm their faith in the Creator of all things, and strengthen their hope of another and better life!  But how can they imagine such a state of things?  For they would immediately have gone over to the worship of those demons which gave oracles and performed cures, and deserted the God who was believed, as far as words went,379    μέχρι λόγου. to assist them, but who never manifested to them His visible presence.  But if this result has not taken place, and if, on the contrary, they have suffered countless calamities rather than renounce Judaism and their law, and have been cruelly treated, at one time in Assyria, at another in Persia, and at another under Antiochus, is it not in keeping with the probabilities of the case380    πῶς οὐχὶ ἐξ εἰκότων κατασκευάζεται. for those to suppose who do not yield their belief to their miraculous histories and prophecies, that the events in question could not be inventions, but that a certain divine Spirit being in the holy souls of the prophets, as of men who underwent any labour for the cause of virtue, did move them to prophesy some things relating to their contemporaries, and others to their posterity, but chiefly regarding a certain personage who was to come as a Saviour to the human race?

Εἶτα πανταχοῦ μὲν ἢ πολλαχοῦ δυνάμεις ἐγίνοντο, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς παρατίθεται Ἀσκληπιὸν εὐεργε τοῦντα καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα προλέγοντα ὅλαις πόλεσιν ἀνακει μέναις αὐτῷ, οἷον τῇ Τρίκκῃ καὶ τῇ Ἐπιδαύρῳ καὶ τῇ Κῷ καὶ τῇ Περγάμῳ, καὶ Ἀριστέαν τὸν Προκοννήσιον καὶ Κλαζομένιόν τινα καὶ Ἀστυπαλαιέα Κλεομήδην· παρὰ δὲ μόνοις Ἰουδαίοις, φάσκουσιν ἀνακεῖσθαι τῷ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ, οὐδὲν ἦν σημεῖον ἢ τεράστιον, τὸ συνεργοῦν καὶ βεβαιοῦν αὐτῶν τὴν εἰς τὸν κτίσαντα τὰ ὅλα πίστιν μετὰ καὶ ἐλπίδος τῆς περὶ ἄλλου ζῆν μείζονος; Ἀλλὰ πῶς οἷόν τε τὸ τοιοῦτον; Εὐθέως γὰρ ἂν μετέστησαν ἐπὶ τὸ σέβειν τοὺς μαντευομένους καὶ θεραπεύοντας δαίμονας, καταλιπόντες τὸν μέχρι λόγου πεπιστευμένον αὐτοῖς βοηθεῖν θεὸν οὐδαμῶς δὲ παριστάντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιφάνειαν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ γέγονε τοῦτο ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρία ὅσα ὑπέμενον, ἵνα μὴ ἐξομόσωνται τὸν ἰουδαϊσμὸν καὶ τὸν κατ' αὐτὸν νόμον, καὶ ὁτὲ μὲν πεπόνθασιν ἐν τῇ Ἀσσυρίᾳ ὁτὲ δὲ ἐν τῇ Περσίδι ὁτὲ δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀντιόχου, πῶς οὐχὶ ἐξ εἰκότων κατασκευάζεται τοῖς ἀπιστοῦσι ταῖς παραδόξοις ἱστορίαις καὶ προφητείαις ὅτι οὐ πλάσματα ἦν τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλά τι θεῖον πνεῦμα ὡς ἐν καθαραῖς ψυχαῖς τυγχάνον ταῖς τῶν προφητῶν, πάντα πόνον ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἀνειληφότων, ἐκίνει αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸ προφητεύειν τινὰ μὲν τοῖς καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἄλλα δὲ τοῖς ὕστερον ἐξαιρέτως δὲ περί τινος ἐπιδημήσοντος σωτῆρος τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων;