Chapter XCIII.

For which reason, whatever else there may be in the writings of Moses which excites my wonder, I would say that the following is worthy of admiration, viz., that Moses, having observed the varying natures of animals, and having either learned from God what was peculiar to them, and to the demons which are kindred to each of the animals, or having himself ascertained these things by his own wisdom, has, in arranging the different kinds of animals, pronounced all those which are supposed by the Egyptians and the rest of mankind to possess the power of divination to be unclean, and, as a general rule, all that are not of that class to be clean.  And amongst the unclean animals mentioned by Moses are the wolf, and fox, and serpent, and eagle, and hawk, and such like.  And, generally speaking, you will find that not only in the law, but also in the prophets, these animals are employed as examples of all that is most wicked; and that a wolf or a fox is never mentioned for a good purpose.  Each species of demon, consequently, would seem to possess a certain affinity with a certain species of animal.  And as among men there are some who are stronger than others, and this not at all owing to their moral character, so, in the same way, some demons will be more powerful in things indifferent than others;978    ἐν μέσοις. and one class of them employs one kind of animal for the purpose of deluding men, in accordance with the will of him who is called in our Scriptures the “prince of this world,” while others predict future events by means of another kind of animal.  Observe, moreover, to what a pitch of wickedness the demons proceed, so that they even assume the bodies of weasels in order to reveal the future!  And now, consider with yourself whether it is better to accept the belief that it is the Supreme God and His Son who stir up the birds and the other living creatures to divination, or that those who stir up these creatures, and not human beings (although they are present before them), are wicked, and, as they are called by our Scriptures, unclean demons.

Ὅθεν εἴπερ ἄλλο τι Μωϋσέως τεθαύμακα, καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον θαύματος ἀποφανοῦμαι ἄξιον εἶναι, ὅτι φύσεις κατανοήσας ζῴων διαφόρους καὶ εἴτ' ἀπὸ τοῦ θείου μαθὼν τὰ περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἑκάστῳ ζῴῳ συγγενῶν δαιμόνων εἴτε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναβαίνων τῇ σοφίᾳ εὑρών, ἐν τῇ περὶ ζῴων διατάξει πάντα μὲν ἀκάθαρτα ἔφησεν εἶναι τὰ νομιζόμενα παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἶναι μαντικά, ὡς ἐπίπαν δὲ εἶναι καθαρὰ τὰ μὴ τοιαῦτα. Καὶ ἐν ἀκαθάρτοις παρὰ Μωϋσεῖ ἐστι λύκος καὶ ἀλώπηξ καὶ δράκων ἀετός τε καὶ ἱέραξ καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις. Καὶ ὡς ἐπίπαν οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις εὕροις ἂν ταῦτα τὰ ζῷα εἰς παράδειγμα τῶν κακίστων παραλαμβανόμενα, οὐδέ ποτε δὲ εἰς χρηστὸν πρᾶγμα ὀνομαζόμενον λύκον ἢ ἀλώπεκα. Ἔοικεν οὖν τις εἶναι ἑκάστῳ δαιμόνων εἴδει κοινωνία πρὸς ἕκαστον εἶδος ζῴων. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἄνθρωποι ἀνθρώπων ἰσχυρότεροί τινες εἰσὶν οὐ πάντως διὰ τὸ ἦθος, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον δαίμονες δαιμόνων εἶεν ἂν ἐν μέσοις δυνατώτεροι· καὶ οἵδε μὲν τοῖσδε τοῖς ζῴοις χρώμενοι εἰς ἀπάτην τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ καλουμένου ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἡμῶν ἄρχοντος "τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου", ἕτεροι δὲ δι' ἄλλου εἴδους προδη λοῦντες. Καὶ ὅρα ἐφ' ὅσον εἰσὶν οἱ δαίμονες μιαροί, ὡς καὶ γαλᾶς ὑπό τινων παραλαμβάνεσθαι πρὸς τὸ δηλοῦν τὰ μέλλοντα. Καὶ σὺ δὲ παρὰ σαυτῷ κρῖνον ὁπότερόν ἐστι βέλτιον παραδέξασθαι, ὅτι ὁ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεὸς καὶ ὁ τούτου υἱὸς κινοῦσι τοὺς ὄρνιθας καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ζῷα εἰς μαντικήν, ἢ οἱ κινοῦντες τὰ τοιαδὶ τῶν ζῴων καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπους παρόντων ἀνθρώπων δαίμονές εἰσι φαῦλοι καί, ὡς ὠνόμασε τὰ ἱερὰ ἡμῶν γράμματα, "ἀκάθαρτοι".