Celsus, being of opinion that there is to be found among many nations a
general relationship of doctrine, enumerates all the nations which gave
rise to such and such opinions; but for some reason, unknown to me, he
casts a slight upon the Jews, not including them amongst the others, as
having either laboured along with them, and arrived at the same
conclusions, or as having entertained similar opinions on many subjects.
It is proper, therefore, to ask him why he gives credence to the
histories of barbarians and Greeks respecting the antiquity of those
nations of whom he speaks, but stamps the histories of this nation alone
as false. For if the respective writers related the events which are
found in these works in the spirit of truth, why should we distrust the
prophets of the Jews alone? And if Moses and the prophets have recorded
many things in their history from a desire to favour their own system,
why should we not say the same of the historians of other countries? Or,
when the Egyptians or their histories speak evil of the Jews, are they
to be believed on that point; but the Jews, when saying the same things
of the Egyptians, and declaring that they had suffered great injustice
at their hands, and that on this account they had been persecuted by
God, are to be charged with falsehood? And this applies not to the
Egyptians alone, but to others; for we shall find that there was a
connection between the Assyrians and the Jews, and that this is recorded
in the ancient histories of the Assyrians. And so also the Jewish
historians (I avoid using the word “prophets,” that I may not appear to
prejudge the case) have related that the Assyrians were enemies of the
Jews. Observe at once, then, the arbitrary procedure of this individual,
who believes the histories of these nations on the ground of their being
learned, and condemns others as being wholly ignorant. For listen to the
statement of Celsus: “There is,” he says, “an authoritative account from
the very beginning, respecting which there is a constant agreement among
all the most learned nations, and cities, and men.” And yet will not
call the Jews a learned nation in the same way in which he does the
Egyptians, and Assyrians, and Indians, and Persians, and Odrysians, and
Samothracians, and Eleusinians.