Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Romans, Egyptians, Judeans, and others: Justin of Flavia Neapolis combats charges of eating human flesh and incest against Jesus adherents (mid-second century CE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified September 15, 2026, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=23414.
Ancient author: Justin of Flavia Neapolis in Palestine, aka Justin Martyr (ca. 153 CE), First Apology 1-7, 23-27, 29-30; Second Apology 12 (link; link to Greek); Dialogue with Trypho 10, 17, and 108 (link; link to Greek).
Comments: Justin of Flavia Neapolis (in Palestine) supplies us with the earliest (ca. 153 CE) complete legal petition addressed to emperors in which the author attempts to offer a judicial defence or apology for the movement devoted to Jesus. (Hence those who wrote such petitions or related literature are often labelled “Christian apologists.”) This petition may or may not have actually been delivered to emperor Antoninus Pius, but what matters for us is what it reveals about Roman and Greek outsiders’ perceptions of Jesus adherents, on the one hand, and the response of one particular highly educated adherent, on the other. It is also intriguing in that it pictures a member of a mistreated association potentially having some success within the Roman imperial legal system in a context where segments of the populace are accusing that sub-group of the most horrendous crimes imaginable. Justin at some point in another passage (Dialogue with Trypho 2-8) claims he tried virtually every Greek sect devoted to the pursuit of wisdom before finding true wisdom, and he flashes his Greek educational credentials frequently, so we are definitely getting a Greek elite perspective, with all of its limits.
There are several points of ethnographic interest in Justin’s writings. First of all, with respect to ethnographic discourses directed at internal threats within Roman society, Justin refers to the fact that Jesus adherents were derogatorily labelled “Christians”, and that several other assumptions or rumours were entailed in the label (“the name”). These include the idea that Jesus adherents were “atheists” who denied the Roman and Greek gods and that, like other foreign populations elsewhere and internal threats nearby, such deviants engaged in other criminal and twisted activities. In this case, these activities were human sacrifice (twisted forms of honouring the god[s]), consuming the flesh of the human sacrifice (twisted meals), and sexual perversion in the form of incest (twisted families).
It happens to be that Justin’s outline of these rumours (which reflect ethnographic commonplaces) are the earliest of many other mentions of these rumours by other authors devoted to both Jesus and the Israelite god (authors whose passages you will find in other posts in this series or in the “Guide to Christian apologists” category). Justin himself likes to picture these rumours and any persecution of Jesus adherents as having been caused by evil lower spirits, or “demons,” namely the offspring of the fallen angels mentioned in Genesis 6 as expounded by the likes of 1 Enoch and the book of Jubilees.
All three accusations dealt with by Justin, as we have seen repeatedly (see those categories under “criminalization” in the right sidebar), are an option for casting foreign peoples as uncivilized or dangerous barbarians worthy of mistreatment, dislocation, or worse. So we are fully in the realm of ethnographic discourses about foreign peoples here. But there is the added element that, in this case, Romans or Greeks were characterizing sub-groups within Roman or Greek societies (rather than a people located elsewhere in the empire) as criminals in the process. In other words, much like the rumours that circulated among Romans about the Roman senator Catiline during his life or shortly after his death (in 62 BCE), these rumours drawn from ethnographic discourses involve Romans or Greeks targeting groups (albeit groups devoted to a foreign god) internal to their own societies. At a second layer, Justin himself redirects (internally again) the very same accusations against other groups or sects devoted to Jesus by criminalizing followers of Marcion and Simon “the Magian”! Justin implies that they may in fact do those very criminal acts. Add a potential third layer of internal criminalization, however. Because Justin claims (and thinks this claim will at least sometimes resonate) that Judeans were the ones who developed these criminalizing rumours in order to castigate a group internal to Judean culture, namely Jesus adherents (see the passages from the Dialogue with Trypho).
Justin’s rhetorical techniques in countering all three accusations against Jesus adherents, which are a preview for things to come in other authors, amount to retorsion (the “I’m rubber and you’re glue, whatever you call me bounces off me and sticks to you” method). In other words, Justin turns the accusations back on the accusers, with Romans (or Greeks) presented as engaging in child sacrifice (exposure) and with their gods engaging in sexual perversion, for instance.
A second key ethnographic element in Justin’s writing pertains to his deployment of “information” about specific peoples or subgroups of foreign peoples in order to make his arguments about other points. For instance, Justin, like many other ethnographers, is fascinated with the Egyptians due to their representation of their own gods as animals, and he puts them down for it. Justin alludes to Persians when he critiques other Jesus groups (those who follow Simon the Samaritan) for following someone who has expertise in Magian techniques (“magic,” to state it in old fashioned and misguided terms). But Justin also worries about Jesus being perceived as an expert in Magian methods.
Thirdly, Justin’s argument in the work overall (though not fully covered by the passages cited below) presumes Judeans as a source of foreign wisdom (via the prophets and other Israelite literature in the Bible). So the wise barbarian trope often lurks in the background, but is essential. Justin is expressly a Greek who is trained in Greek modes of pursuing wisdom (Platonic, Stoic and otherwise), and yet other passages in his supposed debate with Trypho show that he pictures himself as having discovered the true source of wisdom in a foreign – namely, Judean – setting. So Judeans come out of this as wise barbarians of a sort, though only in some respects. Once again, though, it is the Greek who imagines himself as having the discernment to decide what aspects of some foreign (here Judean) wisdom is on track and what aspects were not. There is also a fair bit of cultural appropriation going on in the process.
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First Apology
[Introduction to the petition for proper legal judgement]
(1) To the Emperor Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Caesar, and to his son Verissimus the philosopher, and to Lucius the philosopher, the natural son of Caesar, and the adopted son of Pius, a lover of learning, and to the sacred senate, with the whole People of the Romans, I, Justin, the son of Priskos and grandson of Bacchios, natives of Flavia Neapolis in Palestine, present this address and petition on behalf of those from all peoples who are unjustly hated and violently abused, myself being one of them.
(2) Reason (logos) directs those who are truly pious and who are pursuers of wisdom (philosophoi) to honour and love only what is true, declining to follow traditional opinions, if they are worthless. For not only does sound reason direct us to refuse the guidance of those who did or taught anything wrong, but it is incumbent on the lover of truth, by any means and even if his own life is threatened by death, to choose to do and say what is right. You are called pious, pursuers of wisdom, guardians of justice, and lovers of learning, so do you, then, pay careful attention and listen to my address. If you are actually such things, it will be demonstrated. For we have come, not to flatter you by this writing, nor please you by our address, but to demand that you pass judgment after an accurate and searching investigation. We demand that you not be flattered by prejudice or by a desire of pleasing men who fear the lower spirits (deisidaimonia), nor to be induced by irrational impulse or evil rumours which have long been prevalent, giving a decision which will prove to be against yourselves. For as for us, we reckon that no evil (kakos) can be done us, unless we are convicted as evil-doers or proven to be wicked men (ponēroi). You yourself can kill us, but you cannot hurt us.
[Conviction based on validity of charges rather than rumours]
(3) But in case anyone thinks that this is an unreasonable and reckless discourse, we demand that the charges against the Christians be investigated, and that, if they are substantiated, they be punished as they deserve. But if no one can convict us of anything, true reason forbids you, for the sake of a wicked rumour, to harm innocent men and in fact yourselves. True reason forbids you to think it is appropriate to direct affairs by passion rather than good judgement. Every sober-minded person will declare the following to be the only fair and equitable adjustment: that, on the one hand, subjects render an unexceptional account of their own life and thought and that, on the other hand, rulers should give their decision in obedience to piety and the pursuit of wisdom, not to violence and tyranny. For by following this both rulers and ruled would reap benefits. For even one of the ancients somewhere said, “Unless both rulers and ruled engage in the pursuit of wisdom, it is impossible to make cities prosper” [Plato, Republic 5.473c-d]. It is our task, therefore, to allow anyone an opportunity to inspecting our life and teachings, in order to prevent us, on account of those who are accustomed to be ignorant of our affairs, to incur the penalty due to them for mental blindness. When you hear us, it is your responsibility to be found to be good judges, as reason demands. For if, after you have learned the truth, you do not do what is just, you will have no excuse before God.
[Label “Christians” vs actions as basis of judgement]
(4) Nothing is decided to be good or evil based on the mere application of a name [i.e. “Christians” as a label] apart from the actions implied in the name. Actually, if we can judge by the sound of the name we are charged with, we are the kindest people (chrēstotatoi). On the one hand, we do not think it is right to beg to be acquitted because of this name if we are indeed convicted as wicked people (kakoi). On the other hand, if we are found to have committed no unjust action, either in the matter of naming ourselves or in our conduct as citizens, it is your role to guard very carefully against incurring just punishment for yourself by unjustly punishing those who are not proven guilty. For neither praise nor punishment could reasonably emerge from a name, unless something excellent or base in action is proven. You do not punish those who are accused among you before they are proven guilty, but in our case you accept the name itself as proof against us, and you do this even though, so far as the name goes [i.e. the sound of the name: “kindest people”], you should punish our accusers instead. For we are accused of being “Christians,” and it is unjust to hate what is kind (chrēstos).
Furthermore, if any among the accused denies the name and says that he is not a Christian, you acquit him, as though you have no evidence to convict him of wrong. But if anyone acknowledges that he is a Christian, you punish him on account of this acknowledgment. Justice requires that you inquire into the life of both the one who confesses and the one denies, so that it may become apparent what kind of person each is based on actions. For just as some who have been taught by Christ the teacher not to deny Christ give encouragement to others when they are questioned, so also in all probability do those who lead wicked lives give occasion to those who, without consideration, take upon them to accuse all the Christians of impiety and wickedness. And this also is not right.
[Comparison to the name “philosophy”]
Regarding the name “philosophia” (“pursuit of wisdom”), too, some assume the name and the appearance who do nothing worthy of their what they profess. You are also well aware that those among the ancients whose opinions and teachings were quite diverse are all nonetheless called by the one name of “philosophoi” (“pursuers of wisdom”). Some of these taught atheism. The poets who have flourished among you cause laughter about Zeus’ sexual violation of his own children. And those who now adopt such instructions are not arrested by you; on the contrary, you grant prizes and honours to those who insult the gods through music.
[Countering the charge of atheism with reference to the work of evil lower spirits]
(5) Why, then, is this the way it is? Even though we pledge ourselves to do no injustice and we have no atheistic opinions, in our case you do not examine the charges made against us. Instead, giving way to unreasoning emotion at the instigation of evil (phauloi) lower spirits (daimones), you punish us without consideration or judgment.
The truth will be spoken. Since ancient times, these evil lower spirits used apparitions of themselves to both defile women and corrupt boys. The lower spirits showed such fearful visions to people with the result that those who did not use their reason in judging the actions that took place were struck with terror. Because they were carried away by fear and because they did not know that these were lower spirits, they called them “gods.” They also gave to each the name which each of the lower spirits chose for himself. Sokrates attempted to use true reason and examination in order to bring these things to light and to deliver humans from the lower spirits. Then the lower spirits themselves, by means of people who rejoiced in iniquity, arranged his death as an atheist and a profane person on the charge that “he was introducing new divinities.”
In our case, they display a similar approach. For not only among the Greeks did reason (logos) prevail to condemn these things through Sokrates, but among the barbarians also these things were condemned by Reason personified himself, who took shape, became man, and was called Jesus Christ. In obedience to Jesus Christ, we not only deny that those who did these things are gods, but assert that they are wicked and impious lower spirits, and that their actions cannot even be compared to actions of human beings who pursue virtue.
(6) So we are called “atheists.” And we confess that we are atheists with respect to gods of this sort [i.e. lower spirits who disguise themselves as gods]. However, we are not atheists with respect to the most true God, the Father of righteousness, moderation, and the other virtues, who is free from all impurity. But we worship and adore both God and the Son (who came forth from God and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow and are made similiar to him), as well as the prophetic Spirit, knowing them in reason and truth and declaring without hesitation to every one who wishes to learn, as we have been taught.
[Group criminalization explained]
(7) But some one will say, “Some of those who have been arrested so far were shown to be criminals (kakourgoi).” For often you condemn after inquiring into the life of each of the accused individually, but this is not the case with those about whom we have been speaking. We acknowledge that, just as among the Greeks those who teach theories that please themselves are all called by the one name, “pursuer of wisdom” (philosophos) even though their doctrines are diverse. So also among the barbarians this name on which accusations are accumulated is the common property of those who are wise and those who only seem to be wise. They are all called “Christians.” Therefore, we demand that the actions of everyone who is charged be properly judged, in order that each one who is convicted may be punished with respect to being an unjust person (adikos) and not as a “Christian.” Furthermore, if it is clear that any one is innocent, we demand that the person be acquitted, since by the mere fact of his being a Christian he does no wrong. For we will not require that you punish our accusers, as they are being sufficiently punished by their present wickedness (ponēria) and ignorance of what is right. . . [omitted many sections].
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[Lower spirits as the cause of the rumours and charges]
(23) In order that this [i.e. the superiority of Christ’s way to Greek understandings] may now become clear to you, firstly we only assert to be true what has been taught us by Christ and by the prophets who preceded him, things that are older than all the [Greek] writers who have existed. We claim to be acknowledged not because we say the same things as these writers said, but because we say true things. Secondly, Jesus Christ is the only proper Son who has been begotten by God, being God’s Reason personified (logos), God’s first-begotten, and God’s power. Becoming man according to God’s will, the Son taught us these things for the conversion and restoration of humanity. Thirdly, before he became a man among humans, some people [i.e. the Hebrew prophets] proclaimed these things in advance. But the things that were predicted by the evil lower spirits (daimones) were narrated by poets as though they had happened. In the same way, the lower spirits have caused to be fabricated against us the scandalous reports of infamous and impious actions. There is no witness nor proof for any of this. We shall bring forward the following proof.
[Countering the charge of impiety with reference to animal worship, alluding to Egyptians]
(24) In the first place, we offer proof because, though we say things similar to what the Greeks say, only we are hated on account of the name of Christ. Even though we do nothing unjust, we are put to death as sinners (hamartōloi). Other people in other places worship trees, rivers, mice, cats, crocodiles, and many irrational animals. Nor are the same animals respected by everyone. Rather, in one place one animal is worshipped and in another place some other animal is worshipped. So everyone is impious from the perspective everyone else because they do not worship the same objects. This is the only charge you bring against us: we do not revere the same gods as you do nor offer to dead human beings libations, burnt offerings, crowns for statues, and sacrifices. For you know very well that the same animals are with some people considered gods, with other people considered wild beasts, and with still others considered sacrificial victims.
[Jesus adherents rejected worshipping sexually perverted gods]
(25) Secondly, originating from every descent group (genos) of humankind, we used to worship Dionysos the son of Semele and Apollo the son of Leto, who in their love of men did things that are shameful to even mention. We also used to worship Persephone and Aphrodite, who were driven crazy with love for Adonis, and whose mysteries you also celebrate. Yet now we have, through Jesus Christ, learned to despise them even if we are threatened with death for it and we have dedicated ourselves to the unbegotten and passionless God. We are persuaded that God never was goaded by lust for Antiope or other women like that, or for Ganymede. Nor was God rescued by that hundred-handed giant whose aid was obtained through Thetis. Nor was God anxious on this account that Thetis’ son Achilles would destroy many of the Greeks because of his concubine Briseis. We pity those who believe these things, and we know that those who invented them are the lower spirits.
[People inspired by lower spirits falsely claim to be “Christians”: Simon the Magian expert and Marcion]
(26) Thirdly, after Christ’s ascension into heaven the lower spirits put forward certain people who said that they themselves were gods. For this reason, not only did you refrain from persecuting these people, but you even considered them worthy of honours. There was Simon, a certain Samaritan from the village called Gitthon. In the reign of Claudius Caesar and in your royal city of Rome, Simon performed Magian deeds using a technique inspired by the activity of lower spirits (daimones). He was considered a god, and as a god was honoured by you with a statue. The statue was erected on the island known as Between-the-two-bridges and the statue bore this inscription, in the Roman language: “To Simon, the holy god.” Almost all the Samaritans and a few from other peoples (ethnē) worship him and confess him as the first god, and they say that a woman named Helena, who went around with him at that time and had formerly been a prostitute, is the first idea generated by Simon. And a man named Menander, another Samaritan from the village of Kapparetaia, who was a disciple of Simon and inspired by lower spirits, deceived many people through Magian skill while he was in Antioch. Menander persuaded those who followed him that they would never die. Still today there are some people living who hold this opinion of his. There is also Marcion, a man of Pontus, who is still alive today and teaching his disciples to believe in some other god greater than the creator. With the help of the lower spirits, Marcion has caused many from every people to speak blasphemies, to deny that God is the maker of this universe, and to assert that some other being, greater than God, has done greater works. Everyone who derives their opinions from these men are, as we said before, called “Christians” in the same way that those who do not agree with the pursuers of wisdom (philosophoi) in their teachings still have in common with them the name “pursuers of wisdom.”
[Redirecting the criminal charges against other groups devoted to Jesus]
Furthermore, we do now know whether those such as the followers of Simon and Marcion perpetrate those fabulous and shameful deeds, namely knocking over the lamp, unrestrained sex, and consuming human flesh for a meal. But we do know that they are neither persecuted nor put to death by you, at least on account of their opinions. But I have already composed a work against all the sects (haireseis; or: heresies) and I will give you a copy if you want to read it.
[Retorsion]
[Child murder and incest]
(27) But as for us, we have been taught that to expose newborn children is wicked (ponēros). We have been taught this so that we do not do unjust actions towards anyone and we do not act impiously. Firstly, we see that almost all that are exposed – not only the girls, but also the boys – are brought up to be prostitutes. Just as people in ancient times are said to have reared herds of oxen, goats, sheep, or grazing horses, so now we see you rear children only for this shameful use. Because of this pollution, a multitude of effeminate and hermaphroditic persons who do unspeakable sexual acts are found among every people (ethnos). And you receive taxes and levies from their wages; you should eliminate them [taxes, or performers of unspeakable sexual acts (?)] from the inhabited world.
Furthermore, anyone who has godless, impious, and unrestrained sex with these persons may possibly be having intercourse with his own child, or relative, or brother. And there are some who prostitute even their own children and wives, and some openly castrate themselves for the purpose of being the passive male partner in homosexual sex. These castrated men present the mysteries to the mother of the gods, and the viewing of these things you consider divine is proclaimed in front of everyone as a great symbol and mystery. In fact, it is the things which you do openly and with applause, as if the divine light were overturned and extinguished, that you charge us with. It does not really harm us who refrain from doing any such things, but it only harms those who actually do them and yet falsely bear witness against us. . . [omitted section 38, a digression or interpolation explaining that Satan is the prince of the lower spirits].
(29) Furthermore, if some exposed children are not picked up but die, then we become murderers. But either we would not marry in the first place, except to raise children, or we would refrain from marriage and practice self-control. In order that you may understand that unrestrained sex is not one of our mysteries, recently one of our members presented to Felix the governor in Alexandria a petition, pleading for him to give permission so that a physician could remove his testicles. For the physicians there said that they were forbidden to do this without the permission of the governor. And when Felix absolutely refused to sign such a permission, the youth remained single and was satisfied with both his own approving conscience and the approval of those who thought the same way he did. . . [omitted out of place reference to Antinous, Hadrian’s favourite].
[Jesus not an expert in Magian skills]
(30) But what would prevent it also being the case with the one we call Christ [as it was with Simon and Menander], that, being a human being among human beings, performed what we call mighty deeds by Magian skill (magikē technē) and through this only appears to be the Son of God? We will now offer proof, not trusting mere assertions, but being of necessity persuaded by those who prophesied about Christ before these things came to pass. For with our own eyes we see things that have happened and are happening just as they were predicted, and we think that this will appear the strongest and truest evidence even for you. . . [omitted extensive discussion of the prophets’ predictions about Christ and other things; a discussion of the lower spirits’ attempts to imitate and contort those predictions; and, a final outline of the actual practices of Christians].
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Second Apology
[Charges of eating human flesh, drinking human blood, and sexual perversion, with retorsion]
(12) For when I was enjoying the teachings of Plato and heard the Christians slandered and when I witnessed that they were fearless of death and fearless of all other things which are considered frightening, even I myself perceived that it was impossible that they could lead a life of wickedness and pleasure. For what pleasure-loving or uncontrolled person or what person who considers it a good thing to feast on human flesh could welcome death with the result that he would be deprived of his pleasures? What such person would not rather always continue the present life and attempt to escape the notice of rulers, much less betray himself when the consequence would be death? This is what the wicked lower spirits (daimones) have now caused to be done by evil men. For having put some to death on account of the accusations falsely brought against us, they also tortured our household slaves, either children or weak women, and by dreadful torments forced them to admit those fabulous actions which the accusers themselves openly perpetrate. We are the less concerned about this because none of these actions are really ours, and we have the unbegotten and ineffable God as witness both of our thoughts and actions. For why didn’t we even publicly profess that these were the things which we considered good and prove that these are godly wisdom, saying that the mysteries of Kronos are performed when we slaughter a man? Why didn’t we profess that when we drink our fill of blood, as they say we do, we are doing what you do before that phantom (or: idol) you honour? You sprinkle the blood not only of irrational animals, but also of men on that phantom, making a libation of the blood of the slain by the hand of the most illustrious and noble man among you. Imitating Zeus and the other gods in mounting men for sex and in shameless sex with women, might we not bring to our own defence the writings of Epicurus and the poets? But because we persuade men to avoid such instruction and to avoid all people who practise such things and who imitate such examples, as we have attempted to persuade you here in this discourse, we are assailed in every kind of way. But we are not concerned, since we know that God is a just observer of everyone. But I wish that someone would now go up on a high platform and shout with a tragic voice, “Be ashamed, be ashamed, you who charge innocent people with those deeds which yourselves openly commit and who ascribe things which apply to yourselves and to your gods to those who have not even the slightest involvement in them! Change your position! Come to your senses!”
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Dialogue with Trypho
[Charges of eating human flesh and sexual perversion]
(10) But when Trypho’s Judean companions stopped discussing the war in Judea, I began to address them again as follows: Is there any other fault you find with us, my friends, except that we do not live in accordance with the law, and do not circumcise the flesh as your ancestors did and do not keep the sabbath as you do? Or do any of you likewise make false charges against our way of life and customs? I say this in case you have also believed that we eat human beings and that, after the meal, we put out the lights and roll around in unlawful sexual mixing. Or do you only condemn us because we follow teachings like those I have stated and hold an opinion which you think is not true?
Yes, it is the latter that amazes us, said Trypho, for what the populace (hoi polloi) says is not believable. The charges go against human nature! I also know that the commands provided in the so-called “good message” (or: “gospel”) are so admirable and great that I suspect that no one can keep them. For I took some trouble to read them. But we are especially confused about this: Even though you claim that you are pious and think you are different from other people, you do not separate from other peoples in any way and you do not change your way of life from that of the peoples (ethnē). You do not keep either the feasts or the sabbaths, nor do you have circumcision. Moreover, even though you set your hopes on a man that was crucified [i.e. as a criminal], you still hope to obtain some good from God despite the fact that you do not do his commandments.
Now have you not read “that the soul” who is not be circumcised on the eighth day “shall be cut off from his descent group (genos)” [Genesis 17:14]? This refers to those of other descent groups (allogenai) and purchased slaves alike. Therefore, when you have directly despised this covenant, you neglect the commands that follow from it. As persons who know God you attempt to persuade us, even though you practise none of the things which those who fear God do. If therefore you have any defence to make with reference to these points and can show us how you have any hope at all, even though you do not keep the law, we would very gladly hear from you. Afterwards let us examine the other points in the same way. . . [omitted many sections].
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[Blaming Judeans for spreading the rumours and the charges]
(17) For the other peoples (ethnē) are not guilty of this injustice against us and against Christ in the same way as you [Judeans] are. For you are the instigators of their prejudiced opinion against the Righteous One and against us who are his. For after you crucified Christ, the only spotless and righteous man (by means of whose wounds there is healing for those who come to the Father by him), when you knew him as risen from the dead and ascended into heaven (as the prophets previously stated would happen), you not only did not repent for evil actions (kakoi) you committed, but chose selected men from Jerusalem and then sent them out into all the earth. They were saying that a godless sect (hairesis) of Christians had appeared, and those men were recounting what everyone who is ignorant about us say against us [i.e. charges]. So that you are not only the cause of injustice for yourselves, but in fact for everyone.
Isaiah is right when he cries out: “Because of you, my name is blasphemed among the peoples (ethnē)” [Isaiah 52:5], and, “Woe to their soul, because they have counselled evil counsel against themselves, saying: ‘Let’s bind the righteous one because he is inconvenient to us.’ Therefore, they will eat the fruit of their own actions. Woe to the lawless person (anomos). Evil will happen to the lawless person according to the works of his hands” [Isaiah 3:9-11 LXX]. And again elsewhere: “Woe to those who draw their sins towards themselves as though with a long rope, and their transgressions towards themselves as if with a heifer’s yoke-thong, who say: ‘Let God’s speed draw near, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it.’ Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; who set light as darkness, and darkness as light; who consider the bitter as sweet, and the sweet as bitter.”
Therefore, you were zealous so that these bitter, dark and unjust tales should be spread throughout all the earth against the only spotless and righteous light sent to men from God. For he [Christ] seemed inconvenient to you, when he cried out among you: “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a cave of bandits'” [Matthew 21:13]. And he overthrew the tables of those that changed money in the temple. And he cried out: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. Because you tithe the mint and the rue, but the love of God and judgment you do not consider. You are whitened tombs, appearing fair on the outside but full of dead bones on the inside!” [Matthew 23:23, 27 // Luke 11:42]. And to the scribes he said: “Woe to you, scribes, because you have the keys. You yourselves do not enter in and you hinder those that are entering in. Blind guides!” [Luke 11:52]. . . [omitted many sections].
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[Example of Jonah taken as a warning against Judean interlocutors]
(107) [omitted introduction of material about the story of Jonah and the people of Nineveh in Assyria, and Jesus’ use of it, as in Matthew 12.38–39] . . . But by all this God convinced Jonah that Jonah was wrongly sad about the city of the Ninevites being spared. And God said: “You spared the gourd plant, for which you did not toil, nor did you grow it. The gourd plant came in its night and perished in its night. Should I not spare Nineveh, the great city, which is inhabited by more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons – persons who don’t know the difference between their right hand and their left – and much cattle” [Jonah 4:10-11].
(108) Now everyone from your descent group (genos) knew these actions of Jonah. Furthermore, Christ cried out among you that he would give you the sign of Jonah, urging that – even after Christ’s resurrection from the dead – you should repent of your evil deeds and lament before God like the Ninevites did. He did this so that both your people (ethnos) and your city [Jerusalem] should not be destroyed and conquered, as it has been destroyed. Yet not only did you not repent after learning that he had risen from the dead, but – as I said previously [17 above] – you appointed chosen men and sent them into the inhabited world, proclaiming:
“A certain godless (atheos) and lawless (anomos) sect has been raised by one Jesus, a Galilean and a deceiver whom we crucified. But Jesus’ disciples stole him at night from the tomb, where he had been laid after the nails were removed from the cross. They deceive men, saying that Jesus is risen from the dead and has ascended into heaven.”
And you accuse Christ of having taught those godless, lawless (anoma), and unholy (anosia) things which, as you tell every descent group (genos) among human beings, you charge against those who acknowledge Jesus as Christ, teacher and son of God.
In addition to all this, although your city has been taken and your land has been destroyed, you do not repent but even dare to curse him and all those who believe in him. As for us, we do not hate you. Nor do we hate those who, because of you, adopt such suspicions [i.e. the charges again] about us. Rather, we pray that even now you may repent and find mercy from God the Father of the universe, who is tender-hearted and full of compassion.
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Source of translation: G. Reith and B. P. Pratten, The Writings of Justin Martyr and Athenagoras, Ante-Nicene Christian Library 2 (T&T Clark, 1868), and A.L. Williams, Justin Martyr: The Dialogue with Trypho (SPCK, 1930), public domain, adapted by Harland.