E01986: The emperor Julian, in his treatise Against the Galilaeans (Christians) of 362, denounces the Christian cult of tombs and relics as a form of witchcraft, which contradicts the doctrines of Christ himself. Written in Greek at Antioch (Syria).

Julian the Apostate (Flavius Claudius Iulianus Augustus), Against the Galilaeans (Christians)

p. 225-226.

Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν τὸ κακὸν ἔλαβε παρὰ Ἰωάννου τὴν ἀρχήν· ὅσα δὲ ὑμεῖς ἑξῆς προσευρήκατε, πολλοὺς ἐπεισάγοντες τῷ πάλαι νεκρῷ τοὺς προσφάτους νεκροὺς, τίς ἂν πρὸς ἀξίαν βδελύξαιτο; πάντα ἐπληρώσατε τάφων καὶ μνημάτων, καίτοι οὐκ εἴρηται παρ’ ὑμῖν οὐδαμοῦ τοῖς τάφοις προσκαλινδεῖσθαι καὶ περιέπειν αὐτούς. εἰς τοῦτο δὲ προεληλύθατε μοχθηρίας, ὥστε οἴεσθαι δεῖν ὑπὲρ τούτου μηδὲ τῶν γε Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου ῥημάτων ἀκούειν. ἀκούετε οὖν, ἅ φησιν ἐκεῖνος περὶ τῶν μνημάτων· «οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ, ὅτι παρομοιάζετε τάφοις κεκονιαμένοις· ἔξωθεν ὁ τάφος φαίνεται ὡραῖος, ἔσωθεν δὲ γέμει ὀστέων νεκρῶν καὶ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας.» εἰ τοίνυν ἀκαθαρσίας Ἰησοῦς ἔφη πλήρεις εἶναι τοὺς τάφους, πῶς ὑμεῖς ἐπ’ αὐτῶν ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν θεόν; (...) καὶ μαθητοῦ τινος λέγοντος «κύριε, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι πρῶτον ἀπελθεῖν καὶ θάψαι τὸν πατέρα μοῦ», αὐτὸς ἔφη· «ἀκολούθει μοι καὶ ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάπτειν τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς.» τούτων οὖν οὕτως ἐχόντων, ὑμεῖς ὑπὲρ τίνος προσκαλινδεῖσθε τοῖς μνήμασι; ἀκοῦσαι βούλεσθε τὴν αἰτίαν; οὐκ ἐγὼ φαίην ἂν, ἀλλ’ Ἡσαΐας ὁ προφήτης· «ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι καὶ ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις κοιμῶνται δι’ ἐνύπνια.» σκοπεῖτε οὖν, ὅπως παλαιὸν ἦν τοῦτο τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τῆς μαγγανείας τὸ ἔργον, ἐγκαθεύδειν τοῖς μνήμασιν ἐνυπνίων χάριν. ὃ δὴ καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὑμῶν εἰκός ἐστι μετὰ τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου τελευτὴν ἐπιτηδεύσαντας ὑμῖν τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς παραδοῦναι τοῖς πρώτοις πεπιστευκόσι, καὶ τεχνικώτερον ὑμῶν αὐτοὺς μαγγανεῦσαι, τοῖς δὲ μεθ’ ἑαυτοὺς ἀποδεῖξαι δημοσίᾳ τῆς μαγγανείας ταύτης καὶ βδελυρίας τὰ ἐργαστήρια.

'Now, this evil [of venerating a mortal man as god] originates with John. But who could detest as they deserve all those things you [Christians] have subsequently devised, adding up, as you did, several recent dead to the dead man of old? You have filled everything with tombs and sepulchres, even though it is nowhere said in your doctrines that you need to grovel by tombs and pay them honour. But you have reached such a level of perversion that you believe that, in this matter, you need not listen even to the words of Jesus of Nazareth himself. Hear, then, what he says about sepulchres: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres; outward the tomb appears beautiful, but within it is full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." [Mt. 23.27] If, then, Jesus said that tombs are full of uncleanness, how do you invoke God at them? [...] And when a disciple said “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father”, he [Jesus] said: “Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.” [Mt. 8.22] Therefore, since this is so, why do you grovel among tombs? Do you wish to hear the reason? It is not I who will tell you, but the prophet Isaiah: "They lodge among tombs and in caves in pursuit of dream visions." [Is. 65.4] You see, then, how ancient this kind of witchcraft was among the Jews, namely to sleep among tombs in pursuit of dream visions. It is then plausible that, after their teacher's death, your apostles practised it too, and handed it down from the beginning to the first of you who believed; and they practised the magic more skilfully than you, and openly indicated to their successors the places where this witchcraft and abomination is practised.'

Text: Neumann 1880. Translation: E. Rizos.