The Four Classes of Samaritans.
The Gorthenes celebrate their feasts at other times than Sebyaeans.
The Sebyaeans differ from the Gorthenes by reason of their feasts.
The Seven Heresies of the Jews.
Thus far the summary of the thirteen heresies contained in the second part of Book II.
The following belong to this third part, in which thirteen heresies are contained:
Thus far for the eighteen heresies of the fourth part of Book II.
The following five heresies are contained in the fifth part of Book II:
Thus far the five heresies of the fifth part of Book II.
The following seven heresies are contained in the first part of Book III:
Thus far similarly the seven heresies of the first part of Book III.
In the second part of Book III there are four heresies:
They furthermore accuse us of being idolaters, because we venerate the cross, which they abominate. And we answer them: ‘How is it, then, that you rub yourselves against a stone in your Ka’ba and kiss and embrace it?’ Then some of them say that Abraham had relations with Agar upon it, but others say that he tied the camel to it, when he was going to sacrifice Isaac. And we answer them: ‘Since Scripture says that the mountain was wooded and had trees from which Abraham cut wood for the holocaust and laid it upon Isaac, and then he left the asses behind with the two young men, why talk nonsense? For in that place neither is it thick with trees nor is there passage for asses.’ And they are embarrassed, but they still assert that the stone is Abraham’s. Then we say: ‘Let it be Abraham’s, as you so foolishly say. Then, just because Abraham had relations with a woman on it or tied a camel to it, you are not ashamed to kiss it, yet you blame us for venerating the cross of Christ by which the power of the demons and the deceit of the Devil was destroyed. This stone that they talk about is a head of that Aphrodite whom they used to worship and whom they called Khabar. Even to the present day, traces of the carving are visible on it to careful observers.
Διαβάλλουσι δὲ ἡμᾶς ὡς εἰδωλολάτρας προσκυνοῦντας τὸν σταυρόν, ὃν καὶ βδελύττονται. Καί φαμεν πρὸς αὐτούς: Πῶς οὖν ὑμεῖς λίθῳ προστρίβεσθε κατὰ τὸν Χαβαθὰν ὑμῶν καὶ φιλεῖτε τὸν λίθον ἀσπαζόμενοι; Καί τινες αὐτῶν φασιν, ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ συνουσιάσαι τῇ Ἄγαρ, ἄλλοι δέ, ὅτι ἐπ' αὐτὸν προσέδησε τὴν κάμηλον μέλλων θύειν τὸν Ἰσαάκ. Καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποκρινόμεθα: Τῆς γραφῆς λεγούσης, ὅτι ὄρος ἦν ἀλσῶδες καὶ ξύλα, ἀφ' ὧν καὶ εἰς τὴν ὁλοκάρπωσιν σχίσας ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπέθηκε τῷ Ἰσαάκ, καὶ ὅτι μετὰ τῶν παίδων τὰς ὄνους κατέλιπεν. Πόθεν οὖν ὑμῖν τὸ ληρεῖν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖσε ξύλα δρυμώδη κεῖται οὔτε ὄνοι διοδεύουσιν. Αἰδοῦνται μέν, ὅμως φασὶν εἶναι τὸν λίθον τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. Εἶτά φαμεν: Ἔστω τοῦ Ἀβραάμ, ὡς ὑμεῖς ληρεῖτε: τοῦτον οὖν ἀσπαζόμενοι, ὅτι μόνον ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπ' αὐτὸν συνουσίασε γυναικὶ ἢ ὅτι τὴν κάμηλον προσέδησεν, οὐκ αἰδεῖσθε, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς εὐθύνετε, ὅτι τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσκυνοῦμεν, δι' οὗ δαιμόνων ἰσχὺς καὶ διαβόλου καταλέλυται πλάνη. Οὗτος δέ, ὅν φασι λίθον, κεφαλὴ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἐστίν, ᾗ προσεκύνουν, ἣν δὴ καὶ Χαβὰρ προσηγόρευον, ἐφ' ὃν καὶ μέχρι νῦν ἐγγλυφίδος ἀποσκίασμα τοῖς ἀκριβῶς κατανοοῦσι φαίνεται.