Chapter XLIV.

But as Celsus would compare the venerable customs of the Jews with the laws of certain nations, let us proceed to look at them.  He is of opinion, accordingly, that there is no difference between the doctrine regarding “heaven” and that regarding “God;” and he says that “the Persians, like the Jews, offer sacrifices to Jupiter upon the tops of the mountains,”—not observing that, as the Jews were acquainted with one God, so they had only one holy house of prayer, and one altar of whole burnt-offerings, and one censer for incense, and one high priest of God.  The Jews, then, had nothing in common with the Persians, who ascend the summits of their mountains, which are many in number, and offer up sacrifices which have nothing in common with those which are regulated by the Mosaic code,—in conformity to which the Jewish priests “served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,” explaining enigmatically the object of the law regarding the sacrifices, and the things of which these sacrifices were the symbols.  The Persians therefore may call the “whole circle of heaven” Jupiter; but we maintain that “the heaven” is neither Jupiter nor God, as we indeed know that certain beings of a class inferior to God have ascended above the heavens and all visible nature:  and in this sense we understand the words, “Praise God, ye heaven of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens:  let them praise the name of the Lord.”1148    Cf. Ps. cxlviii. 4, 5.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ βούλεται Κέλσος κοινοποιεῖν τὰ σεμνὰ Ἰουδαίων ἐθνῶν τινων νόμοις, φέρε καὶ ταῦτα θεωρήσωμεν. Νομίζει τοίνυν τὸ περὶ οὐρανοῦ δόγμα μηδὲν διαφέρειν τοῦ περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καί φησι παραπλησίως τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τοὺς Πέρσας τῷ ∆ιῒ θυσίας ἐπιτελεῖν, ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλότατα τῶν ὀρέων [ἀναβαίνοντας]· οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι Ἰουδαῖοι ὡς ἕνα θεὸν ἠπίσταντο, οὕτως ἕνα τὸν τῆς προσευχῆς ἅγιον οἶκον καὶ ἓν τὸ τῶν ὁλοκαρπωμάτων θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἓν τὸ τῶν θυμιαμάτων θυμιατήριον καὶ ἕνα τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀρχιερέα. Οὐδὲν οὖν κοινὸν πρὸς Πέρσας ἦν Ἰουδαίοις, ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλότατα τῶν ὀρέων, πλειόνων ὄντων, ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ θυσίας ἐπιτελοῦντας, οὐδὲν παραπλήσιον ἐχούσας ταῖς κατὰ τὸν Μωϋσέως νόμον· καθ' ὃν "ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ" ἐλά τρευον "τῶν ἐπουρανίων" οἱ Ἰουδαίων ἱερεῖς, ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ διηγούμενοι τὸ τοῦ νόμου περὶ τῶν θυσιῶν βούλημα καὶ ὧν σύμβολα ἦσαν αὗται. Πέρσαι τοίνυν πάντα τὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κύκλον ∆ία καλείτωσαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔτε ∆ία οὔτε τὸν θεόν φαμεν εἶναι τὸν οὐρανόν, οἵ γε ἐπιστάμεθα καί τινα τῶν ἡττόνων τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπεραναβεβηκέναι τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ πᾶσαν αἰσθητὴν φύσιν. Καὶ οὕτω γε συνίεμεν τοῦ· "Αἰνεῖτε τὸν θεὸν οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν· αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου."