A Treatise on the Life of the Wise Man Made Perfect by Instruction or, On the Unwritten Law, That Is To Say, On Abraham.

 I. (1) The sacred laws having been written in five books, the first is called and inscribed Genesis, deriving its title from the creation (genesis) of

 II. (7) Since then the beginning of all participation in good things is hope, and since the soul devoted to virtue pioneers and opens this path as a p

 III. (15) What has now been said about hope is sufficient and nature has placed her at the gates to be a sort of doorkeeper to the royal virtues with

 IV. (22) But the good man, on the contrary, is a lover of that mode of life which is not troubled by business, and withdraws, and loves solitude, desi

 V. (27) For which reason the sacred historian very naturally classes the lover of God and the lover of virtue next in order to him who repents and th

 VI. (31) And the lawgiver magnifies the lover of virtue in such a way, that even when he is given his genealogy, he does not trace himself as he usual

 VII. (36) It is not then without great correctness that after he has praised the man as being possessed of such great virtues he adds, and he was per

 VIII. (41) At whom God, being naturally indignant, and being angry that that which appeared to be the most excellent of animals, and which had been th

 IX. (47) Such was he who was the most virtuous of all the men of his age, and such were the rewards which were allotted to him which the holy scriptur

 X. (48) I have now then explained the character of the first triad of those who desire virtue. There is also another more important company of which w

 XI. (52) This then is what appears to be said of these holy men and it is indicative of a nature more remote from our knowledge than, and much superi

 XII. (56) We must, however, not remain in ignorance that the sacred historian has represented the first man, him who was formed out of the earth as th

 XIII. (60) Let thus much, then, be said generally about the three persons, since it was absolutely necessary but we must now proceed in regular order

 XIV. (62) He being impressed by an oracle by which he was commanded to leave his country, and his kindred, and his father's house, and to emigrate lik

 XV. (68) The aforesaid emigrations, if one is to be guided by the literal expressions of the scripture, were performed by a wise man but if we look t

 XVI. But Charran, in the Greek language, means holes, which is a figurative emblem of the regions of our outward senses by means of which, as by ho

 XVII. (77) And the most visible proof of this migration in which the mind quitted astronomy and the doctrines of the Chaldaeans, is this. For it is sa

 XVIII. (81) And there is evidence in support of what has here been said to be derived from the change and alteration of his name: for he was anciently

 XIX. (89) These, then, are the first principles of the man who loves God, and they are followed by actions which do not deserve to be lightly esteemed

 XX. (99) I have heard men versed in natural philosophy interpreting this passage in an allegorical manner with no inconsiderable ingenuity and proprie

 XXI. (103) All men, therefore, even the most vile, in word honour and admire virture as far as appearance goes but it is the virtuous alone who obey

 XXII. (107) It has been said then that the disposition of the Egyptians is inhospitable and intemperate and the humanity of him who has been exposed

 XXIII. (114) We have now then described the hospitable temper of the man, which was as it were a sort of addition to set off his greater virtue but h

 XXIV. (119) This then is sufficient to say by way of a literal explanation of this account we must now speak of that which may be given if the story

 XXV. (124) There are three different classes of human dispositions, each of which has received as its portion one of the aforesaid visions. The best o

 XXVI. (133) And what is signified by this is indicated in a most evident and careful manner by the events which ensued. The country of the Sodomites w

 XXVII. (137) But God, having taken pity on mankind, as being a Saviour and full of love for mankind, increased, as far as possible, the natural desire

 XXVIII. (142) But I have not gone through all these particulars for the sake of showing the magnitude of that vast and novel calamity, but because I d

 XXIX. (147) This, then, is the open explanation which is to be given of this account, and which is to be addressed to the multitude. But there is anot

 XXX. (156) But we must now proceed to speak of that which is the most necessary part of all, the advantage which we derive from the eyes. For it is to

 XXXI. (160) But now, dismissing the consideration of those of the outward senses which are in the stables, as it were, fattening up an animal which is

 XXXII. (167) We have now, then, given a full explanation concerning the vision which appeared to Abraham, and concerning his celebrated and allgloriou

 XXXIII. (177) And so Isaac is saved, God supplying a gift instead of him, and honouring him who was willing to make the offering in return for the pie

 XXXIV. But why, say they, ought one to praise Abraham as the attempter of a wholly novel kind of conduct, when it is only what private men and kings,

 XXXV. (191) Therefore putting a barrier on their unbridled and evil-speaking mouths, let them moderate that envy in themselves which hates everything

 XXXVI. (200) But the things which we have here been saying do not appear solely in the plain and explicit language of the text of the holy scriptures

 XXXVII. (208) This is enough to say about the piety of the man, though there is a vast abundance of other things which might be brought forward in pra

 XXXVIII. (217) Since then this panegyric, if taken literally, is applied to Abraham as a man, and since the disposition of the soul is here intimated,

 XXXIX. (225) Therefore the virtuous man was not only peaceful and a lover of justice, but also a man of courage and of a warlike disposition not for

 XL. (230) This was communicated to Abraham by some one of those who escaped from the defeat of his countrymen, and it grieved him exceedingly, and he

 XLI. (236) These things, then, are what are contained in the plain words of the scriptures. But as many as are able to contemplate the facts related i

 XLII. (245) And at a subsequent period his wife dies, she who was most dear to his mind and most excellent in all respects, having given innumerable p

 XLIII. (247) And though I might have many topics for panegyric on this woman, still I will only mention one, which shall be the most manifest possible

 XLIV. (255) It is sufficient to mention this as a proof of the virtue of Abraham's wife. But the topics of praise of the wise man himself are more num

 XLV. (262) There is also another praise of him recorded in his honour and testified to in the holy scriptures, which Moses has written, in which it is

 XLVI. (268) Therefore, the only real, and true, and lasting good is trust in God, the comfort of life, the fulfillment of all good hopes, the absence

XLV. (262) There is also another praise of him recorded in his honour and testified to in the holy scriptures, which Moses has written, in which it is related of him that he believed in God; which is a statement brief indeed in words, but of great magnitude and importance to be confirmed in fact. (263) For on whom else can we believe? Are we to trust in authorities, or in glory and honour, or in abundance of wealth and noble birth, or in good health and a good condition of the senses and the mind, or in vigour of body and beauty of person? But in truth every kind of authority is unstable, as it has innumerable enemies lying it wait to attack it. And if in any instance it is firmly established, it is only so confirmed by innumerable evils and calamities which those who are in authority both inflict and suffer. (264) Again, honours and glory are most unstable, being tossed about among the indiscriminate inclinations and feeble language of careless and imprudent men; and even if they endure, their nature is not such as to produce any genuine good. (265) And as for riches and illustrious birth, those things sometimes fall to the lot of the most worthless men. And even if they should belong only to the virtuous, still they are but the praises of their ancestors and of fortune, and not of those who now possess them. (266) Nor, again, is it right for a man to pride himself on his personal advantages, in which other animals are superior to him. For what man is stronger or more vigorous than a bull among domestic animals, or than a lion among wild beasts? And what man is more sharp-sighted than a falcon or an eagle? And what man is so richly endowed with the sense of hearing as that stupidest of all animals, the ass? Also what man is more accurate in his sense of smell than a hound, who huntsmen say can trace out by means of his nose animals who are lying at a distance, and can run up to them with perfect correctness, and course, though he has not seen them; for what sight is to other animals that is the sense of smell to hounds and to all the dogs which pursue game. (267) Moreover, the greater part of the irrational animals enjoy excellent health, and are as far as possible entirely exempt from disease. And also in any competition in respect of beauty, some things which are even destitute of vitality, appear to me to surpass the elegance of either men or women ; as, for instance, images, and statues, and pictures, and in a word all the works of either the pictorial or plastic art which arrive at excellence in either branch, and which are the objects of study and desire both to Greeks and barbarians, who erect them in the most conspicuous places for the ornament of their cities.