177

he associated with men.” And that he will be tempted by the devil and will conquer him, Zechariah the prophet says, “I saw Jesus the high priest standing, and the devil stood at his right hand to oppose him. And he said to him, may the Lord rebuke you, devil.” And that he will be seized, Wisdom says through Solomon, “The ungodly said among themselves, let us bind the just one, because he is unprofitable to us.” And that he will be betrayed by a disciple, the psalmist says, “He who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me.” And that he will be given up and his garments will be given by 1.482 lot, the same prophet foretold, saying, “They divided my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And that he will be accused by false witnesses, the same prophet said, “Unjust witnesses rose up against me.” And that he will be crowned with thorns, Jeremiah foretold, saying, “This people has surrounded me with the thorns of their own stumblings.” And that he will be fed with gall and given vinegar to drink, the prophet David says, “They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” And that he will be mocked, Jeremiah says, “I became a mockery to this people.” And that he will be bound with their bonds and crucified on a tree by the Jews, Esdras says, “You bound me, not as a father who delivered you from the land of Egypt. Crying out at the judgment seat of the judge you humbled me, you handed me over to be hung on the tree.” And that he will be buried, Jeremiah says, “In his burial the dead will be made alive.” For at that time, when our Lord Jesus in his precious passion gave up the spirit, the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the sleeping saints were raised, the sun was darkened, the veil of the temple was torn, and a great earthquake occurred throughout the whole world. If you can, O Jew, show that all these things were not proclaimed by your prophets, you have conquered me as a liar. But if they were truly prophesied by them, you ought to be persuaded by your 1.483 prophets and worship our Christ, unwilling and not wanting to." Constantine Augustus said, “If these things are contained in your books, you argue excessively, O Jews, on account of the sufferings of Christ, which, having been foretold in order, were fulfilled in Christ.” Aunan a Jew says, “You must show us that he was born and seized and insulted and mocked and crucified and died and given for burial.” Saint Sylvester said, “Therefore it is necessary for me to set out for you all the scriptures, wherefore first confess that the scriptures are yours and are true.” Aunan said, “All confess that the things spoken by the prophets are true. But you say that others have suffered things spoken to others.” Saint Sylvester said, “So you give another who was ever fed with gall and given vinegar to drink and crowned with thorns and crucified and buried and raised.” And while he was silent for a long time, Constantine Augustus said, “If Aunan is not able to point out another, let him know that he is plainly defeated.” Doeg a Jew says, “Most excellent king, Sylvester promised to speak just reasons concerning his being born and being tempted by the devil and suffering.” Saint Sylvester said, “Since, therefore, you have said that the things prophesied are true, confess that the virgin conceived and bore Emmanuel, which is God with us.” And when the Jews were silent, the saint said, “Surely you know in the divine scriptures that God made 1.484 the first man from clay, who by the counsel of the serpent was cast out of paradise and fell into death. Therefore tell me, O Jew, the earth from which Adam was formed, was it incorruptible or corruptible?” Kusekh said, “Incorruptible.” Sylvester said, “You have said well; for it was incorruptible and a virgin because of

177

τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ πειρασθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ νικήσει αὐτόν, Ζαχαρίας ὁ προφήτης λέγει «εἶδον Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν ἑστῶτα, καὶ ὁ διάβολος εἱστήκει ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀντικεῖσθαι αὐτῷ. καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐπιτιμήσαι σοι κύριος διάβολε.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ κρατηθήσεται, ἡ σοφία διὰ Σολο μῶντος λέγει «εἶπον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, δήσωμεν τὸν δίκαιον, ὅτι δύσχρηστος ἡμῖν ἐστίν.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ παρὰ μαθητοῦ προδοθή σεται, λέγει ὁ ψαλμῳδός «ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐκδοθήσεται καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐν 1.482 κλήρῳ δοθήσεται, προείρηκεν ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης λέγων «διεμερί σαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβα λον κλῆρον.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ παρὰ ψευδομαρτύρων κατηγορηθήσεται, ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης εἶπεν «ἐπανέστησάν μοι μάρτυρες ἄδικοι.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἀκάνθαις στεφανωθήσεται, προείρηκεν Ἱερεμίας λέγων «ἀκάνθαις τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πταισμάτων ὁ λαὸς οὗτος περιεστοίχισέ με.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ χολὴν τραφήσεται καὶ ὄξος ποτισθήσεται, ὁ προφήτης ∆αβὶδ λέγει «ἔδωκαν εἰς τὸ βρῶμά μου χολήν, καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος.» ὅτι δὲ ἐμπαιχθήσεται, Ἱερεμίας λέγει «εἰς ἐμπαιγμὸν ἐγενόμην τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς αὐτῶν δεθήσεται καὶ σταυρωθήσεται ἐπὶ ξύλου παρὰ τῶν Ἰου δαίων, λέγει ὁ Ἔσδρας «ἐδήσατέ με οὐχ ὡς πατέρα τὸν ῥυσάμε νον ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. κράζοντες ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ κρι τοῦ ἐταπεινώσατέ με, κρεμασθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου παρεδώκατέ με.» ὅτι δὲ καὶ ταφήσεται, Ἱερεμίας λέγει «ἐν τῇ ταφῇ αὐτοῦ ζῳοποιηθήσονται οἱ νεκροί.» ἐν γὰρ τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ὅτε ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ τιμίῳ αὐτοῦ πάθει παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα, οἱ τάφοι ἠνεῴχθησαν, καὶ πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμη μένων ἁγίων ἠγέρθη, ὁ ἥλιος ἐσκοτίσθη, τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ ἐσχίσθη, καὶ σεισμὸς μέγας κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐγένετο. ταῦτα πάντα εἰ δυνηθῇς, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε, μὴ εἶναι παρὰ τῶν ὑμετέρων προφητῶν προκηρυχθέντα, ὡς ψεύστην ἐνίκησάς με. εἰ δ' ἀληθῶς παρ' ἐκείνων προφητευθέντα εἰσί, τοῖς σοῖς 1.483 ὀφείλεις πεισθῆναι προφήταις καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον Χριστὸν ἄκων καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος προσκυνῆσαι." Κωνσταντῖνος Αὔγουστος εἶπεν "εἰ ταῦτα ταῖς ὑμετέραις περιέχεται βίβλοις, περισσῶς ἀν τιλέγετε, ὦ Ἰουδαῖοι, τῶν παθημάτων ἕνεκεν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἅπερ κατὰ τάξιν προλεχθέντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐπληρώθη." Αὐνᾶν Ἰου δαῖος λέγει "ὀφείλεις δεῖξαι ἡμῖν τὸ τεχθῆναι αὐτὸν καὶ κρατη θῆναι καὶ ὑβρισθῆναι καὶ ἐμπαιχθῆναι καὶ σταυρωθῆναι καὶ τεθνάναι καὶ ταφῇ παραδεδόσθαι." ὁ ἅγιος Σίλβεστρος ἔφη "οὐκοῦν ἀνάγκη ἐστὶ πάσας σοι τὰς γραφὰς ἐκθέσθαι, ὅθεν πρῶ τον ὁμολόγησον σᾶς εἶναι τὰς γραφὰς καὶ ἀληθεῖς ὑπάρχειν." Αὐνᾶν εἶπε "τὰ παρὰ τῶν προφητῶν λεχθέντα ἀληθῆ εἶναι πάν τες ὁμολογοῦσιν. ἀλλὰ σὺ τὰ πρὸς ἄλλους εἰρημένα ἄλλους πε πονθέναι φῄς." ὁ ἅγιος Σίλβεστρος εἶπεν "οὐκοῦν δίδως ἄλλον τινά ποτε χολὴν τραφέντα καὶ ὄξος ποτισθέντα καὶ ἀκάνθαις στε φανωθέντα καὶ σταυρωθέντα καὶ ταφέντα καὶ ἀναστάντα." καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ σιωπῶντος αὐτοῦ Κωνσταντῖνος Αὔγουστος ἔφη "εἰ ἄλ λον ἐπιδεῖξαι Αὐνᾶν οὐ δύναται, γινωσκέτω ἑαυτὸν φανερῶς ἡτ τημένον." ∆ωὴκ Ἰουδαῖος λέγει "βασιλεῦ κράτιστε, Σίλβεστρος ἐπηγγείλατο δικαίας ἐρεῖν αἰτίας περὶ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι αὐτὸν καὶ πειρασθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ παθεῖν." ὁ ἅγιος Σίλβεστρος ἔφη "ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἀληθῆ τὰ προφητευθέντα εἰρήκατε, ὁμολογή σατε ὅτι ἡ παρθένος συνέλαβε καὶ ἔτεκε τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ, ὅ ἐστι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ θεός." σιωπώντων δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὁ ἅγιος εἶπε "πάντως γινώσκετε ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς ὅτιπερ ἐκ πηλοῦ ἐποίη 1.484 σεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον, ὃς τῇ συμβουλίᾳ τοῦ ὄφεως ἐξεβλήθη τοῦ παραδείσου καὶ θανάτῳ περιπέπτωκεν. οὐκοῦν εἰπέ μοι, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε, ἡ γῆ ἀφ' ἧς ἐπλάσθη ὁ Ἀδάμ, ἄφθαρτος ἦν ἢ φθαρτή;" Κουσὴχ εἶπεν "ἄφθαρτος." Σίλβεστρος εἶπε "καλῶς εἶπας· ἄφθαρτος γὰρ ἦν καὶ παρθένος διὰ τὸ