literaryhistoryo02crut - Carmel Apologetics

358 THE APOLOGISTS.
own. Tlic naiiu' James was common enough : but tliis man was
holy from liis mother's woml). He drank neither wine nor
strong drink, and ate nothing that had life. No razor ever
passed upon his head.
lie never anointed himself with oil, never
used a bath. lie alone (of Christians) was allowed to enter the
Holy Place. For he wore no woollen cloiliing, but only linen,
and used to enter unaccompanied into the shrine, and was (often)
found fallen upon his knees, asking pardon for the people : so
that his knees {jrew hard like those of a camel from his
constant
habit of kneeling in prayer to God, and asking pardon for the
people. From his exceeding righteousness he was called Tsaddik ^
and Oblias,- which in Greek mean defence ' of the people ' and
'
righteousness,' even as the prophets indicate of him. Now
certain of the seven Jewish sects already mentioned in my Reminiscences
asked of him, AVhat is the door of Jesus? His reply
was that Jesus was the Saviour, and so some of them believed
that Jesus was the Christ. r>ut the before-mentioned sects
neither 1)elieved in His resurrection, nor in His coming again to
reward every man according to his works. Ilowbeit those who
believed, believed through James. And since many of the rulers
believed, there arose a tumult of the Jews and the Scribes and
Pharisees, saying that there was danger of the whole people expecting
Jesus to return as the Christ. Therefore they came
together to James and said, We beseech '
thee, restrain the people,
since they have erred concerning Jesus, thinking Him to be the
Christ. We beseech thee to persuade all those that come to the
feast of the Passover concerning Jesus : for to thee we all give
heed. For both we and all the people bear thee witness that
thou art just and acceptest not the person of any. Therefore
persuade the multitude not to err concerning Jesus, for all of us
give heed to thee. Stand therefore upon the pinnacle of the
temple, that being on high thou mayest be seen of all, and thy
words may be hoard by all the people. For all our tribes together
with the Gentiles are come together on account of the
Passover.' Wherefore the aforesaid scribes and Pharisees set
James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried unto him and
said, 'Thou .lust r)ne, whom we ought all to obey, seeing that the
'
The MSS. pivc Stxaios, but it is evident tliat a Hebrew word is wanted,
and Itouth after Fuller suj^gests
p^'IV.
- Oblias seems corrupt ; ^PV signifies a fortified hill. Kouth again suggests
lifXid/ii, but with less probability than before.