viii. 3. The description of the High-priest is from _Ecclesiasticus_, 50.
viii. 3. The description of the miseries of Jerusalem is from 2 Esdras, iii. 28.
viii. 3. “The hand which now had power:” this quotation is from 2 Esdras, v. 3. “The spoils should be carried back to the cities of the East:” this is from the _Fourth Sibylline Book_.
viii. 10. The whole of this narrative is borrowed from the account of the _Martyrdom of St. Perpetua_.
296. For the importance attached to prophecy, see Irenæus (_Against Heresies_, ii. 4): “If, however, they maintain that the Lord performed such works simply in appearance, we shall refer them to the prophetical writings, and prove from these both that all things were thus predicted regarding Him, and did take place undoubtedly.” Justin Martyr also takes the same view, I. _Apol._, 30.
296. “Who shall declare his generation?” This passage is similarly applied by Justin Martyr, _Dialogue_, 63.
298. “_He shall take away_,” etc. So Justin (_Dial._, 77), “But now the prophecy has stated it with this addition: ‘Before the child knows how to call father or mother, he shall take the power of Damascus and spoils of Samaria.’ And you cannot prove that such a thing ever happened to any one among the Jews. But we are able to prove that it happened in the case of Christ.” And he then proceeds to interpret Damascus as referring to the Magi, and Assyria to Herod, as in the text.
299. “Behold a Man, the East is his name,” Zech. vi. 12, according to the Septuagint quoted by Justin, _Dial._, 106.
300. “He shall dwell in a cave,” etc.: quoted by Justin Martyr from the Septuagint version of Isaiah xxxiii. 16 (_Dial._, 70).
302. “The Lord God remembered his dead people of Israel,” etc. This passage is quoted by Justin Martyr (_Dial._, 72), who accuses the Jews of cancelling this and other passages of the Scriptures. It is also quoted by Irenæus (_Against Heresies_, iii. 20) as from Isaiah, and (_ib._ iv. 22) as from Jeremiah. But it is not found in our Scriptures.
_Messrs. Roberts Brothers’ Publications._
“Philochristus” is a very unique book, both in its literary and its theological aspects. It purports to be the memoirs of a disciple of Jesus Christ, written ten years after the destruction of Jerusalem.... Artistically, the book is nearly faultless. In form a romance, it has not the faults which have rendered the Gospel romances such wretched works of art. It is characterized by simplicity in expression and by an air of historic genuineness.... Theologically, it is characteristic of the era. It belongs to no recognized school of theology. The critics do not know what to make of it. In this respect, it reminds one of “Ecce Homo.” It is not Orthodox, ... yet he throughout recognizes Christ as in a true sense the manifestation of God in the flesh.... Those who are inclined to dread any presentation of the life and character of Christ which does not openly and clearly recognize the old philosophy respecting him will look on this book with suspicion, if not with aversion. Those who are ready to welcome fresh studies into this character will find a peculiar charm in this singular volume.