Eusebius Book 1, Section 11

Passages / Book 1 / Section 11

1.11.1

ΧΙ. Οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δὲ τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου ὑπὸ τοῦ νέου ‘Ηρῴδου τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτμηθέντος μνημονεύει μὲν καὶ ἡ θεία τῶν εὐαγγελίων γραφή, συνιστορεῖ γε μὴν καὶ ὁ Ἰώσηπος, ὀνομαστὶ τῆς τε Ἡρῳδιάος μνήμην πεποιημένος καὶ ὡς ἀδελφοῦ γυναῖκα οὖσαν αὐτὴν ἠγάγετο πρὸς γάμον Ἡρῴδης, ἀθετήσας μὲν τὴν προτέραν αὐτῷ κατὰ νόμους γεγαμημένην Ἀρέτα δὲ ἦν αὕτη τοῦ Πετραίων βασιλέως θυγάτηρ), τὴν δὲ Ἡρῳδιάδα ζῶντος διαστήσας τοῦ ἀνδρός· δι’ ἢν καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀνελὼν πόλεμον αἴρεται πρὸς τὸν Ἀρέταν, ὡς ἂν ἠτιμασμένης αὐτῷ τῆς θυγατρός, ἐν ᾧ πολέμῳ μάχης γενομένης πάντα φησὶν τὸν Ἡρῴδου ατρατὸν διαφθαρῆναι καὶ ταῦτα πεπονθέναι τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς κατὰ τοῦ Ἰωάννου γεγενημένης. ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς Ἰώαηπος ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα δικαιότατον καὶ βαπτιστὴν ὁμολογῶν γεγονέναι τὸν Ἰωάννην, τοῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν τῶν εὐαγγελίων γραφὴν ἀναγεγραμμένοις αυμμαρτυρεῖ, ἱστορεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἡρῴδην τῆς βασιλείας ἄπο· πεπτωκέναι διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν Ἡρῳδιάδα, μεθ’ ἦς αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ὑπερορίαν ἀπεληλάσθαι, Βίενναν τῆς Γαλλίας πόλιν οἰκεῖν καταδικασθέντα. καὶ ταῦτά γε αὐτῷ ἐν ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς Ἀρχσιολογίας δεδήλωται, ἔνθα συλλαβαῖς αὐταῖς περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ταῦτα γράφει

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XI. The divine scripture of the gospels relates that not long afterwards John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod the younger, and Josephus confirms the narrative, mentioning Herodias by name, and telling how, though she was his brother's wife, Herod took her in marriage, by putting aside her who had formerly been legally married to him (and she was the daughter of Aretas, the king of the Petraeans) and separating Herodias from her husband who was alive. For her sake, too, after killing John, he waged war with Aretas for the dishonour done his daughter; and Josephus says that in a battle in this war the whole army of Herod was destroyed, and that he suffered this because of the plot against John. The same Josephus admits that John was peculiarly righteous, and a Baptist, confirming the testimony recorded in the text of the gospels concerning him. He also relates that Herod was deprived of his kingdom for the sake of the same Herodias, and was exiled with her, being condemned to live in Vienne, a city of Gaul. The account of these things is given in the eighteenth book of the Antiquities, where he writes concerning John exactly as follows:

1.11.2

“Τισὶ δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐδόκει ὀλωλέναι τὸν Joseph. A.I. Ἡρῴδου στρατὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ του θεοῦ, καὶ μάλα δικαίως τιννυμένου κατὰ ποινὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ καλουμένου βαπτιστοῦ. κτείνει γὰρ τοῦτον Ἡρῴδης, ἀγαθὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις κελεύοντα ἀρετὴν ἐπασκοῦσιν καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους δικαιοσύνη καὶ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εὐσεβείᾳ χρωμένους βαπτισμῷ συνιέναι· οὕτω γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὴν βάπτισιν ἀποδέκτην αὐτῷ φανεῖσθαι, μὴ ἐπί τινων ἁμαρτάδων παραιτήσει χρωμένων, ἀλλ’ ἐφ’ ἁγνείᾳ τοῦ σώματος, ἅτε δὴ καὶ τῆς φυχῆς δικαιοσύνῃ προεκκεκαθαρμένης. καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συστρεφομένων (καὶ γὰρ ἤρθησαν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῆ ἀκροάσει τῶν λόγων), δείσας Ἡρῴδης τὸ ἐπὶ τοσόνδε πιθανὸν αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, μὴ ἐπὶ ἀποστάσει τινὶ φέροι (πάντα γὰρ ἐοίκεσαν συμβουλῇ τῆ ἐκείνου πράξοντες), πολὺ κρεῖττον ἡγεῖται, πρίν τι νεώτερον ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι, προλαβὼν ἀναιρεῖν, ἢ μεταβολῆς γενομένης εἰς πράγματα ἐμπεσὼν μετανοεῖν. καὶ ὁ μὲν ὑποφίᾳ τῆ Ἡρῴδου δέσμιος εἰς τὸν Μαχαιροῦντα πεμφθείς, τὸ προειρημένον φρούριον, ταύτῃ κτίννυται.”

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Now to some of the Jews it seemed that the army of Herod had been destroyed by God and that he was paying a very just penalty for John who was called the Baptist. For Herod killed him, a good man and one who commanded the Jews, training themselves in virtue, to practise righteousness towards one another and piety towards God, and to come together for baptism. For he said that baptism would prove acceptable to him only in those who used it not to escape from any sins but for bodily purity, on condition that the soul also had been previously cleansed thoroughly by righteousness. And when the rest collected, for they were greatly excited at hearing his words, Herod feared his great persuasiveness with men lest it should lead to some rising, for they appeared ready to do everything under his advice. He therefore considered it much better, before a revolt should spring from John, to put him to death in anticipation, rather than be involved in difficulties through the actual revolution and then regret it. And John, through Herod's suspicion, was sent a prisoner to Macherus, the prison mentioned already, and was there put to death.

1.11.3

Ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου διελθών, καὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κάτα τὴν ἀυτὴν του συγγραμματος ἱστορίαν ὧδέ πως μέμνηται

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After narrating these things about John, in the same historical work he speaks as follows concerning our Saviour:

1.11.4

Γίνεται δὲ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Ἰησοῦς σοφὸν ἀνὴρ, εἰ γε ἄνδρα αὐτὸν λέγειν χρὴ. ἦν γὰρ παραδόξων ἔργων ποιητής, διδάσκαλος ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἡδονῇ τἀληθῆ δεχομένων, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ ἐπηγάγετο. ὁ Χριστὸς οὗτος ἦν, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐνδείξει τῶν πρώτων ἀνδρῶν παρ᾿ ἡμῖν σταυτῷ ἐπιτετιμηκότος Πιλάτου, οὐκ ἐπαύσαντο οἱ τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαπήσαντες· ἐφάνη γὰρ αὐτοῖς τρίτην ἔχων ἡμέραν πάλιν ξῶν, τῶν θείων προφητῶν ταῦτά τε καὶ ἄλλα μυρία περὶ αὐτοῦ θαυμάσια εἰρηκότων. εἰς ἔτι τε νῦν τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀπὸ τοῦδε ὠνομασμένων οὐκ ἐπέλιπε τὸ φῦλον.”

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At this time arose Jesus, a wise man, if indeed he must be called a man, for he was a doer of marvellous deeds, a teacher of men who received the truth with pleasure, and he led after him many of the Jews and many also of the Gentile population. This was the Christ; and when Pilate had condemned him to the cross at the instigation of the leading men among us, those who had first loved him did not cease to do so, for he appeared to them when three days dead restored to life, and the divine prophets had told these and ten thousand other wonders concerning him. And up till now the tribe of Christians which was named after him has not died out.

1.11.5

Ταῦτα τοῦ ἐξ αὐτῶν Ἑβραίων συγγραφέως ἀνέκαθεν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ γραφῆ περί τε τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου καὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παραδεδωκότος, τίς ἂν ἔτι λείποιτο ἀποφυγὴ τοῦ μὴ ἀνσισχύντους ἀπελέγχεσθαι τοὺς τὰ κατ᾿ αὐτῶν πλασαμένους ὑπομνήματα; ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐχέτω ταύτῃ.

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When a writer sprung from the Hebrews themselves handed on in his own writing these details concerning John the Baptist and our Saviour, what alternative is there but to convict of shamelessness those who have concocted the reports about them? But let this suffice.