Against Celsus 1.22
Summary: Celsus says circumcision came from Egypt, but Moses says it began with Abraham, whose name even exorcists use; its deeper meaning is left for another time.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:72–73
Μετὰ ταῦτα τὸ περιτέμνεσθαι τὰ αἰδοῖα μὴ διαβαλὼν ὁ Κέλσος ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων γινόμενον, φησὶν ἀπὸ Αἰγυπτίων αὐτὸ ἐληλυθέναι, Αἰγυπτίοις μᾶλλον ἢ Μωϋσεῖ πιστεύσας, λέγοντι πρῶτον ἐν ἀνθρώποις περιτετμῆσθαι τὸν Ἀβραάμ. τοῦ δʼ Ἀβραὰμ τὸ ὄνομα οὐ Μωυσῆς ἀναγράφει μόνος οἰκειῶν αὐτὸν θεῷ, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἐπᾳδόντων δαίμονας χρῶνται ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν τῷ „ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, “ ποιοῦντες μὲν διὰ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκειότητα, διὸ παραλαμβάνουσι τὴν „(ὁ) θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ“ λέξιν. οὐκ ἐπιστάμενοι δὲ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ Ἀβραάμ. τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ λεκτέον καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· ἅτινα ὁμολογουμένως Ἑβραῖα ὄντα ὀνόματα πολλαχοῦ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἐπαγγελλομένοις ἐνέργειάν τινα ἐνέσπαρται μαθήμασι. τὸν δὲ λόγον τῆς περιτομῆς, ἀρξάμενον ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ κωλυόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, μὴ βουλομένου τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς τὸ αὐτὸ ποιεῖν. οὐ πρόκειται νῦν ἑρμηνεύειν. οὐ γὰρ τῆς περὶ τούτων διδασκαλίας ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς ἀλλʼ ἀγῶνος καθαιροῦντος τὰ φερόμενα ὑπὸ Κέλσου κατὰ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων λόγου ἐγκλήματα, οἰομένου τάχιον ψευδοποιήσειν τὸν χριστιανισμὸν, ἐὰν τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαϊκοῖς οὔσης λόγοις κατηγορῶν παραστήσῃ κἀκεῖνον ψευδῆ.
English · Claude translation
After this Celsus, without slandering the circumcision of the private parts practiced by the Jews, says that it came from the Egyptians, believing the Egyptians rather than Moses, who says that Abraham was the first among human beings to be circumcised. And it is not only Moses who records the name of Abraham, associating him closely with God; many of those who charm demons also use in their formulas "the God of Abraham," achieving results through the name and through God's close relation to the righteous man. That is why they adopt the phrase "the God of Abraham," though they do not know who Abraham is. The same must be said of Isaac, Jacob, and Israel: these names, admittedly Hebrew, are sown in many places in the lore of the Egyptians who profess to work some effect. But the meaning of circumcision, which began with Abraham and was stopped by Jesus, who did not wish his disciples to do the same, is not our business to explain now. For the present occasion is not for teaching about these matters, but for a contest that pulls down the charges Celsus brings against the Jewish teaching, since he thinks he will more quickly prove Christianity false if, by accusing its origin, which lies in the Jewish writings, he shows that too to be false.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- On Abraham's circumcision see Gen 17:10–14, 23–27. "The God of Abraham" (Exod 3:6) was used in magical formulas; Origen returns to this in 4.33–34 and 5.45.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 1.22 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/1/22/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 1.22 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/1/22/).
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