# Letter to Aristides on the Genealogies of Christ

- Author: [Julius Africanus](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/julius-africanus/)
- Latin title: *Epistula ad Aristidem*
- Date: ca. 220–240 (approximate)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 10 (Paris: Migne, 1857), cols. 51–64

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Walter Reichardt, ed., Die Briefe des Sextus Julius Africanus an Aristides und Origenes, TU 34.3 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1909)
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/
- Passages: 6

## Letter to Aristides 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-1
- Source: PG 10:52c–53d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Africanus rejects the view that the two Gospel genealogies mix priestly and royal lines to show Christ as priest and king, since a pious falsehood dishonours God.

### Greek text

Οὐκ ἀκριβῶς μέν τοι τινὲς λέγουσιν, ὅτι δικαίως γέγονεν ἡ διάφορος αὕτη τῶν ὀνομάτων καταρίθμησίς τε καὶ ἐπιμιξία, τῶν τε ἱερατικῶν, ὡς οἴονται, καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν, ἵνα δειχθῇ δικαίως ὁ Χριστὸς ἱερεύς τε καὶ βασιλεὺς γενόμενος· ὥσπερ τινὸς ἀπειθοῦντος ἢ ἑτέραν ἐσχηκότος ἐλπίδα, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς ἀρχιερεύς ἐστι Πατρὸς, τὰς ἡμετέρας πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐχὰς ἀναφέρων, καὶ βασιλεὺς ὑπερκόσμιος, οὗς ἠλευθέρωσε νέμων τῷ Πνεύματι, συνεργὸς εἰς τὴν διακόσμησιν τῶν ὅλων γενόμενος· καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν προσήγγειλεν οὐχ ὁ κατάλογος τῶν φυλῶν, οὐχ ἡ μίξις τῶν ἀναγράπτων γενῶν, ἀλλὰ πατριάρχαι καὶ προφήται· μὴ οὐν κατίωμεν εἰς τοσαύτην θεοσεβείας σμικρολογίαν, ἵνα τῇ ἐναλλαγῇ τῶν ὀνομάτων, τὴν Χριστοῦ βασιλείαν καὶ ἱερωσύνην συνιστῶμεν· ἐπεὶ τῇ Ἰούδα φυλῇ τῇ βασιλικῇ, ἡ τοῦ Λευὶ φυλὴ ἱερατικὴ συνεζύγη, τοῦ Ναασσὼν ἀδελφὴν τὴν Ἐλισάβετ Ἀαρὼν ἀγαγομένου, καὶ πάλιν Ἐλεάζαρ τὴν θυγατέρα Φατιὴλ, καὶ ἐνθένδε παιδοποιησαμένων· ἐψεύσαντο οὖν οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ, συνιστάντες οὐκ ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλʼ εἰκαζόμενον ἔπαινον· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μὲν διὰ Σολομῶνος ἀπὸ Δαβὶδ ἐγενεαλόγησεν τὸν Ἰακὼβ τὸν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ πατέρα· ὁ δὲ ἀπὸ Νάθαν τοῦ Δαβὶδ, τὸν Ἡλὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ὀμοίως ἄλλως πατέρα· καί τοι ἀγνοεῖν αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐχρῆν, ὡς ἐκατέρα τῶν κατηριθμημένων τάξις, τὸ τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἐστὶ γένος, ἡ τοῦ Ἰούδα φυλὴ βασιλική· εἰ γὰρ προφήτης ὁ Νάθαν, ἄλλʼ οὖν καὶ Σολομὼν, ὅ τε τούτων πατὴρ ἐκατέρου· ἐκ πολλῶν δὲ φυλῶν ἐγίνοντο προφῆται, ἱερεῖς δὲ ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς τῶν δώδεκα φυλῶν, μόνοι δὲ Λευῖται· μάτην αὐτοῖς ἄρα πέπλαστα τὸ ἐψευσμένον· μηδὲ κρατοίη τοιοῦτος λόγος ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ Χριστοῦ [κατὰ) ἀκριβοῦς ἀληθείας, ὅτι ψεῦδος σύγκειται εἰς αἶνον καὶ δοξολογίαν Χριστοῦ· τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδε κάκεῖνον τὸν ἱερώτατον τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λόγον κηρύσσοντος καὶ διαγγέλλοντος τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, καὶ διισχυριζομένου τὴν ἀλήθειαν, μεγάλῳ φόβῳ· λέγοντος,« ὅτι εἰ Χριστὸν λέγουσί τινες μὴ ἐγηγέρθαι, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦτο καὶ φαμὲν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν, καὶ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐλπίζομεν καὶ κηρύσσομεν, καταψευδομαρτυροῦμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἤγειρε τὸν Χριστὸν ὃν οὐκ ἤγειρεν· » εἰ δὲ οὕτως ὁ δοξολογῶν Θεὸν Πατέρα, δέδοικε μὴ ψευδολόγος δοκοίη, ἔργον παράδοξον διηγούμενος, πῶς οὐκ ἂν δικαίως φοβηθείη, ὅστις διὰ ψευδολογίας ἀληθείας σύστασιν ποριζόμενος, δόξαν οὐκ ἀληθῆ συντιθείς; εἰ γὰρ τὰ γένη διάφορα, καὶ μηδὲν καταφέρει γνήσιον σπέρμα ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, εἴρηται δὲ μόνον εἰς σύστασιν τοῦ γεννηθησομένου, ὅτι βασιλεὺς καὶ ἱερεὺς ἔσται ὁ ἐσόμενος, ἀποδείξεως μὴ προσούσης, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν λόγων σεμνότητος εἰς ὕμνον ἀδρανῆ φερομένης, δῆλον ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ μὲν ὁ ἔπαινος οὐχ ἅπτεται, ψεῦδος ὡν· κρίσις δὲ τῷ εἰρηκότι, τὸ οὐκ ὅν ὡς ὄν κομπάσαντι. Ἰνα οὖν καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τοῦ εἰρηκότος ἐλέγξωμεν τὴν ἀμαθίαν, παύσωμεν δὲ τοῦ μηδένα ὑπʼ ἀγνοίας σκανδαλισθῆναι, τὴν ἀληθῆ τῶν γεγονότων ἱστορίαν ἐκθήσομαι.

### English translation (Claude)

Some say, not accurately, that this differing enumeration and mixing of the names, both of priestly men, as they think, and of royal ones, was made rightly, so that Christ might be shown rightly to have become both priest and king; as though anyone disbelieved this, or had any other hope than that Christ is the High Priest of the Father, bringing our prayers to him, and a King above the world, ruling by the Spirit those whom he has set free, having been a fellow-worker in the ordering of the universe. And this was announced to us not by the list of the tribes, nor by the mixing of the recorded families, but by patriarchs and prophets. Let us not, then, descend to such petty quibbling about piety as to establish the kingship and priesthood of Christ by the interchange of the names; for the priestly tribe of Levi was joined to the royal tribe of Judah, when Aaron married Elisabeth the sister of Nahshon, and Eleazar again the daughter of Phatiel, and they had children from them. Then the evangelists would have lied, establishing not the truth but a conjectural praise; and for this reason the one traced the descent of Jacob, the father of Joseph, from David through Solomon, and the other that of Heli, likewise in another way the father of Joseph, from Nathan the son of David. Yet they ought not to have been ignorant that each of the lines enumerated is the family of David, the royal tribe of Judah. For if Nathan was a prophet, so too was Solomon, and the father of both of them; and prophets came from many tribes, but priests from none of the twelve tribes, only the Levites. In vain, then, was the falsehood fabricated by them. Nor may such an account prevail in the Church of Christ against the exact truth, that a falsehood is composed for the praise and glory of Christ. For who does not know that most holy word of the apostle, who, preaching and proclaiming the resurrection of our Saviour and affirming the truth with great fear, said: "If some say that Christ has not been raised, while we both say and have believed this, and both hope and preach it, we bear false witness against God, that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise"? And if one who glorifies God the Father is so afraid lest he should seem to speak falsely in narrating a marvellous deed, how should he not rightly be afraid who provides support for the truth by falsehood, composing an opinion that is not true? For if the families are different and bring down no legitimate seed to Joseph, and it has been said only to establish the one who was to be born, that he who was to come would be king and priest, with no proof present, but the dignity of the words being carried off into a feeble hymn, it is plain that the praise does not touch God, being a lie, while judgment falls on the one who said it, for boasting of what is not as though it were. So, then, that we may both refute the ignorance of the one who said this and keep anyone from stumbling through ignorance, I shall set out the true history of what happened.

### Scripture references

- Matt 1:6: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 3:31: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 4:14: echo, medium confidence
- Exod 6:23: allusion, high confidence
- Exod 6:25: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:15: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- This chapter survives outside Eusebius (who quotes chs. 2–6 in Church History 1.7.2–16). Aaron's marriage to Elisabeth (Elisheba), sister of Nahshon: Exod 6:23; Eleazar and the daughter of Putiel (Phatiel): Exod 6:25. The apostle: 1 Cor 15:15.
- Words of Eusebius's introduction to the letter (Church History 1.7.1–2) and a reference to it had leaked into the scan of this chapter and are removed; Migne's marginal reading ὅστις ("whoever") for ὅτι is adopted, as the sense requires.

### Citation (SBL)

Julius Africanus, Aristid. 1 (PG 10:52c–53d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-1).

## Letter to Aristides 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-2
- Source: PG 10:53d–56b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Israelite descent was reckoned by nature or by law (levirate marriage), so both Gospel genealogies are true.

### Greek text

Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν γενῶν ἐν Ἰσραὴλ ἠριθμεῖτο ἢ φύσει, ἢ νόμῳ· φύσει μὲν, γνησίου σπέρματος διαδοχῇ· νόμῳ δὲ, ἐτέρου παιδοποιουμένου εἰς ὄνομα τελευτήσαντος ἀδελφοῦ ἀτέκνου· ὅτι γὰρ οὐδέπω δέδοτο ἐλπὶς ἀναστάσεως σαφὴς, τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπαγγελίαν ἀναστάσει ἐμιμοῦντο θνητῇ, ἵνα ἀνέκλειπτον μένῃ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μετηλλαχότος. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οἱ τῇ γενεαλογίᾳ ταύτῃ ἐμφερόμενοι, οἱ μὲν διεδέξαντο, παῖς πατέρα γνησίως· οἱ δὲ ἐτέροις μὲν ἐγεννήθησαν, ἐτέροις δὲ προσετέθησαν κλήσει· ἀμφοτέρων γέγονεν ἡ μνήμη, καὶ τῶν γεγεννηκότων, καὶ τῶν ὡς γεγεννηκότων. Οὕτως οὐδέτερον τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ψεύδεται, καὶ φύσιν ἀριθμοῦν καὶ νόμον· συνεπεπλάκη γὰρ ἀλλήλοις τὰ γένη, τό τε ἀπὸ τοῦ Σολομῶντος, καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ναθὰν, ἀναστάσεσιν ἀτέκνων, καὶ δευτερογαμίαις καὶ ἀναστάσεσι σπερμάτων, ὡς δικαίως τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἄλλοτε ἄλλων νομίζεσθαι, τῶν μὲν δοκούντων πατέρων, τῶν δὲ ὑπαρχόντων· ὡς ἀμφοτέρας τὰς διηγήσεις ἀληθεῖς οὕσας, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ πολυπλόκως μὲν, ἀλλʼ ἀκριβῶς κατελθεῖν.

### English translation (Claude)

For the names of the families in Israel were reckoned either by nature or by law: by nature, through the succession of legitimate offspring; by law, when another raised up children in the name of a brother who had died childless. For since no clear hope of resurrection had yet been given, they imitated the promise to come by a mortal resurrection, so that the name of the one who had departed might remain unfailing. Since, then, of those included in this genealogy some succeeded their fathers legitimately as sons, while others were begotten by some but assigned by name to others, mention has been made of both, both of those who begot and of those who were reckoned as having begotten. So neither of the Gospels is false, for they reckon both nature and law. For the families descended from Solomon and from Nathan were intertwined with one another by raisings-up of offspring for the childless, by second marriages, and by raisings-up of seed, so that the same persons are rightly reckoned as belonging now to one, now to another, some to their reputed fathers and some to their actual fathers. Thus both accounts are true, and come down to Joseph in a complicated but accurate way.

### Scripture references

- Deut 25:5: allusion, high confidence
- Deut 25:6: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 1:16: allusion, medium confidence
- Luke 3:23: allusion, medium confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 1.7.2-4 (Church History): echo, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Levirate marriage: Deut 25:5–6. This chapter is quoted by Eusebius, Church History 1.7.2–4; the translation follows the site's rendering there. A garbled marginal note ("the families were intertwined") and a stray footnote number are removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Julius Africanus, Aristid. 2 (PG 10:53d–56b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-2).

## Letter to Aristides 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-3
- Source: PG 10:56b–60a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Matthan and Melchi married the same woman in turn; their sons Jacob and Heli were half-brothers, and Jacob raised up Joseph as Heli's legal son.

### Greek text

Ἵνα δὲ σαφὲς ᾖ τὸ λεγόμενον, τὴν ἐπαλλαγὴν τῶν γενῶν διηγήσομαι. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Δαβὶδ διὰ Σολομῶνος γενεὰς καταριθμουμένοις, τρίτος ἀπὸ τέλους εὐρίσκεται Ματθὰν, ὅς ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰακὼβ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τὸν πατέρα· ἀπὸ δὲ Νάθαν τοῦ Δαβὶδ κατὰ Λουκᾶν, ὁμοίως τρίτος ἀπὸ τέλους Μελχὶ, οὗ υἱὸς Ἡλὶ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ πατήρ· Ἰωσὴφ γὰρ τοῦ Ἡλὶ, τοῦ Μελχί. Σκοποῦ τοίνυν ἡμῖν κειμένου τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, ἀποδεικτέον πῶς ἐκάτερος αὐτοῦ πατὴρ ἱστορεῖται, ὅ τε Ἰακὼβ ἀπὸ Σολομῶνος, καὶ Ἡλὶ ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ Νάθαν ἐκάτερος κατάγοντες τὸ γένος· ὅπως τε πρότερον οὗτοι δὴ ὅ τε Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἡλὶ δύο ἀδελφοί· καὶ πρός γε, πῶς οἱ τούτων πατέρες Ματθὰν καὶ Μελχὶ διαφόρων ὄντες γενῶν, τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἀναφαίνονται πάπποι. Καὶ δὴ οὖν ὅ τε Ματθὰν καὶ Μελχὶ ἐν μέρει τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγαγόμενοι γυναῖκα, ὀμομητρίους ἀδελφοὺς ἐπαιδοποιήσαντο· τοῦ νόμου μὴ κωλύοντος χηρεύουσαν, ἤτοι ἀπολελυμένην, ἢ καὶ τελευτήσαντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ἄλλῳ γαμεῖσθαι· ἐκ δὴ τῆς Ἐσθᾶ, τοῦτο γὰρ καλεῖσθαι τὴν γυναῖκα παραδέδοται, πρῶτος Ματθὰν, ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ Σολομῶνος κατάγων τὸ γένος, τὸν Ἰακὼβ γεννᾷ· καὶ τελευτήσαντος τοῦ Ματθὰν, Μελχὶ ὁ ἐπὶ τὸν Νάθαν κατὰ γένος ἀναφερόμενος, χηρεύουσαν ἐκ μὲν τῆς αὐτῆς φυλῆς, ἐξ ἄλλου δὲ γένους ὡν, ὡς προείπομεν, ἀγαγόμενος αὐτὴν, ἔσχεν υἱὸν τὸν Ἡλί· οὕτω δὴ διαφόρων δύο γενῶν εὐρήσομεν τόν τε Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν Ἡλὶ ὀμομητρίους ἀδελφούς. Ὡν ὁ ἔτερος Ἰακὼβ ἀτέκνου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τελευτήσαντος Ἡλὶ, τὴν γυναῖκα παραλαβὼν, ἐγέννησεν ἐξ αὐτῆς τρίτον τὸν Ἰωσήφ· κατὰ φύσιν μὲν ἑαυτῷ, καὶ κατὰ λόγον. Διὸ καὶ γέγραπται· Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰωσήφ. Κατὰ νόμον δὲ τοῦ Ἡλὶ υἱὸς ἦν· ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἀδελφὸς ὡν, ἀνέστησε σπέρμα. Διόπερ οὐκ ἀκυρωθήσεται καὶ ἡ κατʼ αὐτὸν γενεαλογία, ἢν Ματθαῖος μὲν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐξαριθμούμενος, Ἰακὼβ δέ, φησὶν, ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰωσήφ. Ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς ἀνάπαλιν· Ὃς ἦν υἱός, ὡς ἐνομίζετο (καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο προστίθησι) τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, τοῦ Ἡλί, τοῦ Μελχί. Τὴν γὰρ κατὰ νόμον γένεσιν, ἐπισημότερον οὐκ ἦν ἐξειπεῖν. Καὶ τὸ ἐγέννησεν ἐπὶ τῆς τοιᾶσδε παιδοποιΐας ἄχρι τέλους ἐσιώπησε, τὴν ἀναφορὰν ποιησάμενος ἕως τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατʼ ἀνάγ,

### English translation (Claude)

To make what is said clear, I will explain the interchange of the families. Counting the generations from David through Solomon, the third from the end is found to be Matthan, who begot Jacob, the father of Joseph. And from Nathan the son of David, according to Luke, the third from the end is likewise Melchi, whose son was Heli, the father of Joseph; for Joseph was the son of Heli, the son of Melchi. Our aim, then, being Joseph, we must show how each is recorded as his father, both Jacob, who traces his descent from Solomon, and Heli, from Nathan; and how first these two, Jacob and Heli, were brothers; and before that, how their fathers, Matthan and Melchi, being of different families, appear as grandfathers of Joseph. Matthan and Melchi, then, having married the same woman in turn, begot sons who were brothers by the same mother, since the law did not prevent a woman who was widowed, whether divorced or after her husband's death, from marrying another. By Estha (for this is the name of the woman according to tradition), Matthan, who traced his descent from Solomon, first begot Jacob; and when Matthan died, Melchi, who traced his descent back to Nathan, being of the same tribe but of another family, as I said before, married her as a widow and had a son, Heli. Thus we shall find Jacob and Heli to be brothers by the same mother, though of two different families. Of these, Jacob, when his brother Heli died childless, took his wife and begot by her a third, Joseph: by nature his own son, and by reckoning; hence it is written, "And Jacob begot Joseph." But by law he was the son of Heli; for Jacob, being his brother, raised up seed to him. Therefore the genealogy through him will not be made void either, which Matthew the evangelist sets out, saying, "And Jacob begot Joseph"; while Luke, on the other hand, says, "who was the son, as was supposed (for he adds this), of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Melchi." For it was not possible to express legal descent more distinctly; and he refrained throughout from using "begot" for such offspring, carrying the reference back to Adam and to God by tracing back.

### Scripture references

- Matt 1:15: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 1:16: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 3:23: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 3:24: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 3:38: allusion, high confidence
- Deut 25:5: allusion, medium confidence
- Deut 24:2: allusion, low confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 1.7.5-10 (Church History): echo, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Matt 1:15–16; Luke 3:23–24, 38. Quoted by Eusebius, Church History 1.7.5–10; the translation follows the site's rendering there. On remarriage, Africanus says the law allowed a woman "widowed, whether divorced or after her husband's death" to marry another; this is his statement of Jewish law, translated as written. The last words are cut off in the scan (κατʼ ἀνάγ[ουσαν]).

### Citation (SBL)

Julius Africanus, Aristid. 3 (PG 10:56b–60a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-3).

## Letter to Aristides 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-4
- Source: PG 10:60a–60b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: The Lord's relatives report the low origins of Herod's family, which agree with Greek histories.

### Greek text

Οὐδὲ μὴν ὰναπόδεικτον ἢ ἐσχεδιασμένον ἐστὶ τοῦτο· τοῦ γοῦν Σωτῆρος οἱ κατὰ σάρκα συγγενεῖς, εἴτʼ οὗν φανητιῶντες, εἴθʼ ἁπλῶς ἐκδιδάσκοντες, πάντως δὲ ἀληθεύοντες, παρέδοσαν καὶ ταῦτα· ὡς Ἰδουμαῖοι λῃσταὶ Ἀσκάλωνι πόλει τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐπελθόντες, ἐξ εἰδωλείου Ἀπόλλωνος, ὄ πρὸς τοῖς τείχεσιν ἵδρυτο, Ἀντίπατρον Ἡρώδου τινὸς ἱεροδούλου παῖδα, πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις σκύλοις αἰχμάλωτον ἀπῆγον· τῷ δὲ λύτρῳ ὑπὲρ τοῦ υἰοῦ καταθέσθαι μὴ δύνασθαι τὸν ἱερέα, ὁ Ἀντίπατρος τοῖς τῶν Ἰδουμαίων ἔθεσιν ἐντραφεὶς, ὕστερον Ὑρκανῷ φιλιοῦται τῷ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἀρχιερεῖ. Πρεσβεύσας δὲ πρὸς Πομπήῖον ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ὑρκανοῦ, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐλευθερώσας αὐτῷ ὑπὸ Ἀριστοβούλου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ περικοπτομένην, αὐτὸς ηὐτύχησεν ἐπιμελητὴς τῆς Παλαιστίνης χρηματίσαι. Διαδέχεται δὲ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον φθόνῳ τῆς πολλῆς εὐτυχίας δολοφονηθέντα, ὁ υἱὸς Ἡρώδης· ὅς ὕστερον ὑπʼ Ἀντωνίου καὶ τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ, συγκλήτου δόγματι τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐκρίθη βασιλεύειν· οὗ παῖδες, Ἡρώδης οἵ τʼ ἄλλοι τετράρχαι. Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ κοινὰ καὶ ταῖς Ἑλλήνων ἱστορίαις.

### English translation (Claude)

Nor is this unproven or improvised. For the Saviour's relatives according to the flesh, whether to show off or simply to inform, but in any case speaking the truth, have handed down this too: that Idumaean brigands, attacking Ascalon, a city of Palestine, carried off from the temple of Apollo, which stood by the walls, among other spoils, Antipater, the son of a certain Herod, a temple slave; and since the priest could not pay a ransom for his son, Antipater, brought up in the customs of the Idumaeans, later became a friend of Hyrcanus, the high priest of Judea. Sent as envoy to Pompey on behalf of Hyrcanus, and having freed for him the kingdom that was being cut away by Aristobulus his brother, he had the good fortune to be named overseer of Palestine. Antipater, treacherously murdered out of envy for his great good fortune, was succeeded by his son Herod, who afterwards, under Antony and Augustus, was appointed by decree of the senate to reign over the Jews; his sons were Herod and the other tetrarchs. These things agree with the Greek histories as well.

### Extrabiblical texts

- Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 1.7.11-12 (Church History): echo, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Quoted by Eusebius, Church History 1.7.11–12; the translation follows the site's rendering there. The story of Antipater's capture at Ascalon is Africanus's report of what the Lord's relatives said; Josephus gives a different account of Herod's descent.

### Citation (SBL)

Julius Africanus, Aristid. 4 (PG 10:60a–60b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-4).

## Letter to Aristides 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-5
- Source: PG 10:60b–64a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Herod burned the Jewish genealogical records, but the Lord's relatives, the desposyni, preserved their family's genealogy.

### Greek text

Ἀναγράπτων δὲ εἰς τότε ἐν τοῖς ἀρχείοις ὄντων τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν γενῶν, καὶ τῶν ἄχρι προσηλύτων ἀναφερομένων, ὡς Ἀχιώρ τοῦ Ἀμμανίτου, καὶ Ῥοὺθ τῆς Μωαβίτιδος, τῶν τε ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου συνεκπεσόντων ἐπιμίκτων, Ἡρώδης, οὐδέν τι συμβαλλομένου τοῦ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν γένους αὐτῷ, καὶ τῷ συνειδότι τῆς δυσγενείας κρουόμενος, ἐνέπρησεν αὐτῶν τὰς ἀναγραφὰς τῶν γενῶν· οἰόμενος εὐγενὴς ἀναφανεῖσθαι, τῷ μηδὲ ἄλλον ἔχειν ἐκ δημοσίου συγγραφῆς τὸ γένος ἀνάγειν ἐπὶ τοὺς πατριάρχας, ἢ προσηλύτους, τούς τε καλουμένους γειώρας τοὺς ἐπιμίκτους. Ὁλίγοι δὴ τῶν ἐπιμελῶν, ἰδιοτικὰς ἑαυτοῖς ἀπογραφὰς, ἢ μνημονεύσαντες τῶν ὀνομάτων, ἢ ἄλλως ἔχοντες ἐξ ἀντιγράφων, ἐναβρύνονται σωζομένης τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς εὐγενείας· ὧν ἐτύγχανον οἱ προειρημένοι δεσπόσυνοι καλούμενοι, διὰ τὴν πρὸς σωτήριον γένος συνάφειαν· ἀπό τε Ναζάρων καὶ Κωχαβὰ κωμῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν τῇ λοιπῇ γῇ ἐπιφοιτήσαντες, καὶ τὴν προειρημένην γενεαλογίαν ἔκ τε τῆς βίβλου τῶν Ἡμερῶν εἰς ὅσον ἐξικνοῦντο ἐξηγησάμενοι. Εἴτʼ οὖν οὕτως, εἴτʼ ἄλλως ἔχει, σαφεστέραν ἐξήγησιν οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι τις ἄλλος ἐξευρεῖν, ὡς ἔγωγε νομίζω, πᾶς τε ὃς εὐγνώμων τυγχάνει. Καὶ ἡμῖν αὕτη μελέτω, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐμμάρτυρός ἐστι, τῷ μὴ κρείττονα ἢ ἀληθεστέραν ἔχειν εἰπεῖν. Τὸ μέντοι Εὐαγγέλιον, πάντως ἀληθεύει.

### English translation (Claude)

Since the Hebrew families were registered up to that time in the archives, including those tracing back to proselytes, as far as Achior the Ammonite and Ruth the Moabitess, and the mixed peoples who came out of Egypt with them, Herod, since the lineage of the Israelites contributed nothing to him, and stung by the consciousness of his low birth, burned their genealogical records, thinking he would appear nobly born if no one else could trace his lineage from a public record back to the patriarchs or the proselytes, and the mixed people called geioras. A few careful people, having private records of their own, either by remembering the names or by having them in some other way from copies, pride themselves on preserving the memory of their noble birth. Among these happened to be those already mentioned, called desposyni because of their connection with the Saviour's family, who travelled from Nazareth and Cochaba, Jewish villages, to the rest of the land, and explained the aforesaid genealogy from the book of days as far as they could. Whether, then, it is so or otherwise, no one could find a clearer explanation, as I at least think, and so does every fair-minded person. Let this suffice us, even if it is not attested, since we have nothing better or truer to say. The Gospel at any rate speaks the truth in every respect.

### Scripture references

- Ruth 1:4: allusion, high confidence
- Exod 12:38: allusion, high confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 1.7.13-15 (Church History): echo, high confidence
- Jdt 14:10 (Judith): allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Quoted by Eusebius, Church History 1.7.13–15; the translation follows the site's rendering there. Achior the Ammonite: Jdt 14:10; Ruth the Moabitess; the mixed multitude: Exod 12:38. "Desposyni" means "those belonging to the Master". "Geioras" is the Aramaic word for a resident alien or proselyte.
- Several leaked notes of Migne (on Herod's burning of the records, on Exod 12:15, and on the mixed multitude) had been interleaved with the end of this chapter; they are removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Julius Africanus, Aristid. 5 (PG 10:60b–64a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-5).

## Letter to Aristides 6

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-6
- Source: PG 10:64a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: A summary of the solution: Joseph was Jacob's son by nature and Heli's by law.

### Greek text

Ματθὰν ὁ ἀπὸ Σολομῶνος, ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰακώβ. Ματθὰν ἀποθανόντος, Μελχὶ ὁ ἀπὸ Νάθαν, ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς γυναικὸς, ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἡλί· ὁμομήτριοι ἄρα ἀδελφοὶ Ἡλὶ καὶ Ἰακώβ. Ἡλὶ ἀτέκνου ἀποθανόντος, ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἀνέστησεν αὐτῷ σπέρμα, γεννήσας τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, κατὰ φύσιν μὲν ἐαυτῷ, κατὰ νόμον δὲ τῷ Ἡλί. Οὕτως ἀμφοτέρων υἱὸς ἦν ὁ Ἰωσήφ.

### English translation (Claude)

Matthan, descended from Solomon, begot Jacob. When Matthan died, Melchi, descended from Nathan, begot Heli by the same woman. So Heli and Jacob were brothers by the same mother. When Heli died childless, Jacob raised up seed for him, begetting Joseph, by nature his own son, but by law Heli's. Thus Joseph was the son of both.

### Scripture references

- Matt 1:15: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 3:23: allusion, high confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 1.7.16 (Church History): echo, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The closing summary of the letter, quoted by Eusebius, Church History 1.7.16; the translation follows the site's rendering there.

### Citation (SBL)

Julius Africanus, Aristid. 6 (PG 10:64a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/julius-africanus-ad-aristidem/1/#p-6).