A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 5. Christianity and Judaism 25him in this? Learn that he says the eighteen first and then, makinga space, the three hundred. The eighteen are the Iota, ten, and theEta, eight; and you have here the name of Jesus. And because thecross was to express the grace in the letter Tau, he says also, threehundred. He discloses therefore Jesus in the two letters, and thecross in one. He knows this who has put within us the engraftedgift of his teaching. No one has learned from me a more excellentpiece of knowledge, but I know that ye are worthy. 8(b) Justin Martyr, Dialogus cum Tryphone, 17. J. C. T. Otto,Corpus Apologetarum Christianorum Sæculi Secundi, third ed.;1876-81. (MSG, 6:511.)Justin Martyr was born about 100 in Samaria. He was one ofthe first of the Gentiles who had been trained in philosophyto become a Christian. His influence upon the doctrinaldevelopment of the Church was profound. He died as amartyr between 163 and 168. His principal works are thetwo Apologies written in close connection under AntoninusPius (138-161), probably about 150, and his dialogue withTrypho the Jew, which was written after the first Apology.All translations of Justin Martyr are based upon Otto's text, v.supra.For the other nations have not been so guilty of wrong inflictedon us and on Christ as you have been, who are in fact the authorsof the wicked prejudices against the Just One and against uswho hold by Him. 9 For after you had crucified Him, the only [017]blameless and righteous Man, through whose stripes there is8 ΙΗ or Ιη = Ἰησους. T was taken as a picture of a cross. For the Tau orEgyptian cross, see DCA, art. “Cross.” The method of allegorical interpretationhere used is that species known as gematria, in which the numerical equivalenceof letters composing a word is employed as a key to mystic meaning. Thisdiffers somewhat from the ordinary gematria, for which see Farrar, History ofInterpretation, 1886, pp. 98 ff., 445 f. Barnabas is by no means singular among