Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">But I do not understand how he can imagine the overturning\r\nof the tower [of Babel] to have happened with a similar object\r\nto that of the deluge, which effected a purification of the earth,\r\naccording to the accounts both of Jews and Christians. For,\r\nin order that the narrative contained in Genesis respecting the\r\ntower may be held to convey no secret meaning, but, as Celsus\r\nsupposes, may be taken as true to the letter,<a id=\"r544\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f544\"><sup>[544]</sup></a> the event does not\r\non such a view appear to have taken place for the purpose of\r\npurifying the earth; unless, indeed, he imagines that the so-called\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_181\">181</span>confusion of tongues is such a purificatory process. But\r\non this point, he who has the opportunity will treat more seasonably\r\nwhen his object is to show not only what is the meaning\r\nof the narrative in its historical connection, but what metaphorical\r\nmeaning may be deduced from it.<a id=\"r545\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f545\"><sup>[545]</sup></a> Seeing that he\r\nimagines, however, that Moses, who wrote the account of the\r\ntower, and the confusion of tongues, has perverted the story of\r\nthe sons of Aloeus,<a id=\"r546\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f546\"><sup>[546]</sup></a> and referred it to the tower, we must remark\r\nthat I do not think any one prior to the time of Homer<a id=\"r547\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f547\"><sup>[547]</sup></a> has\r\nmentioned the sons of Aloeus, while I am persuaded that what\r\nis related about the tower has been recorded by Moses as being\r\nmuch older not only than Homer, but even than the invention\r\nof letters among the Greeks. Who, then, are the perverters\r\nof each other’s narratives? Whether do they who relate the\r\nstory of the Aloadæ pervert the history of the time, or he who\r\nwrote the account of the tower and the confusion of tongues the\r\nstory of the Aloadæ? Now to impartial hearers Moses appears\r\nto be more ancient than Homer. The destruction by fire,\r\nmoreover, of Sodom and Gomorrha on account of their sins,\r\nrelated by Moses in Genesis, is compared by Celsus to the story\r\nof Phaethon,—all these statements of his resulting from one\r\nblunder, viz. his not attending to the [greater] antiquity of\r\nMoses. For they who relate the story of Phaethon seem to be\r\nyounger even than Homer, who, again, is much younger than\r\nMoses. We do not deny, then, that the purificatory fire and\r\nthe destruction of the world took place in order that evil might\r\nbe swept away, and all things be renewed; for we assert that\r\nwe have learned these things from the sacred books of the\r\nprophets. But since, as we have said in the preceding pages,\r\nthe prophets, in uttering many predictions regarding future\r\nevents, show that they have spoken the truth concerning many\r\nthings that are past, and thus give evidence of the indwelling\r\nof the Divine Spirit, it is manifest that, with respect to things\r\nstill future, we should repose faith in them, or rather in the\r\nDivine Spirit that is in them.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter XXI."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-240"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"e026914868a3f0f653a2a17d29c3a80fe6a719f37e9f88bacdf3073d6d3ab721","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f546","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f546","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f546\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r546\">546</a>.  </span>Otus and Ephialtes. <abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> Smith’s <i><abbr title=\"Dictionary\">Dict.</abbr> of Myth. and Biog.</i> <abbr class=\"spell\"><i>s.v.</i></abbr></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f546","text_sha256":"d663762277a65de6ce9c9f6d5a65e6d49fe5a8d662b3affc07e5fde0f515f327","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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