SAINT JOHN OF

DAMASCUS
WRITINGS
Translated by
FREDERIC H. CHASE, JR.
New York
FATHERS OE THE CHURCH, INC.
1958
ON HERESIES 153
101. There is also the superstition of the Ishmaelites
which
to this day prevails and keeps people in error, being
a forerunner
of the Antichrist. They are descended from Ishmael,
was was born to Abraham of Agar, and for this
reason they
are called both Agarenes and Ishmaelites. They are
also
called Saracens, which is derived from Zappocq
KSVOL, or
destitute of Sara, because of what Agar said to the
angel:
'Sara hath sent me away destitute.'
99 These used to be idolaters
and worshiped the morning star and Aphrodite,

Sfntul Ioan
Damasc
SCRIERI
Traducere de
FREDERIC H. CHASE, JR.
New York
PRINI OE BISERICA, INC
1958
ON Erezii 153
101. Exist, de asemenea, superstiie a Ismaeliilor
care
la aceast zi predomin i ine oamenii n eroare,
fiind un precursor
lui Antihrist. Ele sunt cobort de la Ismael,
sa sa nscut lui Avraam de Agar, i pentru acest
motiv, ele
sunt numite att Agarenes i Ismaelii. Acestea sunt,
de asemenea,
numita sarazinii, care este derivat din Zappocq
KSVOL, sau
lipsii de Sara, din cauza a ceea ce a spus Agar s
ngerul:
"Sara ma trimis departe srac."
99 Acestea folosit pentru a fi idolatri
i sa nchinat luceafrul de diminea i Afrodita,

whom
in their own language they called Khabar, which
means
great.
1 " And so down to the time of Heraclius they were
very great idolaters. From that time to the present a
false
prophet named Mohammed has appeared in their
midst.
This man, after having chanced upon the Old and
New
Testaments and likewise, it seems, having
conversed with an
Arian monk,101 devised his own heresy. Then,
having insinuated
himself into the good graces of the people by a
show of seeming piety, he gave out that a certain
book had
been sent down to him from heaven. He had set
down some
ridiculous compositions in this book of his and he
gave it
to them as an object of veneration.
He says that there is one God, creator of all things,
who

care
n propria lor limb-au numit Khabar, ceea ce
nseamn
mare.
1 "i aa pn la momentul Iraclie erau
foarte mari idolatri. Din acel moment pn n prezent
o fals
profet pe nume Mohammed a aprut n mijlocul lor.
Acest om, dup ce au nimerit pe Vechiul i Noul
Testamente i, de asemenea, se pare, dup vorb
cu un
Arian clugr, 101 a conceput propria sa erezie.
Apoi, dup ce a insinuat
se n graiile oamenilor de ctre un
arata de a prea evlavie, el a dat ca o anumita carte
a avut
a fost trimis la el din cer. El a stabilit un
Compoziiile ridicole n aceast carte a sa i a datpentru a le ca un obiect de veneraie.
El spune c exist un singur Dumnezeu, creatorul
tuturor lucrurilor, care
nu a fost nici nscut nici a nscut.
102 El spune c
Hristos este Cuvntul lui Dumnezeu i Duhul Su, ci
o creatur

has neither been begotten nor has begotten.

102 He says that
the Christ is the Word of God and His Spirit, but a
creature
and a servant, and that He was begotten, without
seed, of
Mary the sister of Moses and Aaron.103
For, he says, the
99 Cf. Gen. 16.8. Sozomen also says that they were
descended from Agar,
but called themselves descendants of Sara to hide
their servile origin
(Ecclesiastical History 6.38, PG 67.1412AB) .
100 The Arabic kabirun means 'great,' whether in
size or in dignity.
Herodotus mentions the Arabian cult of the
'Heavenly Aphrodite' but
says that the Arabs called her Alilat (Herodotus
1.131) .
101 This may be the Nestorian monk Bahira
(George or Sergius) who
met the boy Mohammed at Bostra in Syria and
claimed to recognize
in him the sign of a prophet.
102 Koran, Sura 112.

i un servitor, i c El a fost nscut, fr semine, de

Maria, sora lui Moise i Aaron.103
Pentru, spune el,
99 Cf.. Gen 16.8. Sozomen, de asemenea, spune c
au fost cobort de la Agar,
dar s-au numit urmaii lui Sara pentru a ascunde
originea lor servil
(Istoria bisericeasc 6.38, PG 67.1412AB).
100 arab kabirun nseamn "mare," dac n
dimensiune sau n demnitate.
Herodot menioneaz cultul arab de "Ceresc
Aphrodite", dar
spune c arabii numit Alilat ei (Herodot 1.131).
101 Acest lucru poate fi nestorian clugr Bahira
(George sau Serghie) care
sa ntlnit cu biatul Mohammed la Bostra n Siria i
a pretins s recunoasc
n el un semn al unui profet.
102 Coran, Sura 112.
103 Sura 19; 4.169.
154 Sfntul Ioan de Damasc
Cuvntul i Dumnezeu i Duhul a intrat n Maria i
ea
a adus pe Isus, care a fost un profet si slujitor al lui
Dumnezeu.

103 Sura 19; 4.169.

154 SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS
Word and God and the Spirit entered into Mary and
she
brought forth Jesus, who was a prophet and servant
of God.
And he says that the Jews wanted to crucify Him in
violation
of the law, and that they seized His shadow and
crucified
this. But the Christ Himself was not crucified, he
says,
nor did He die, for God out of His love for Him took
Him
to Himself into heaven.104 And he says this, that
when the
Christ had ascended into heaven God asked Him:
CO Jesus,
didst thou say: "I am the Son of God and God"?' And
Jesus,
he says, answered: 'Be merciful to me, Lord. Thou
knowest
that I did not say this and that I did not scorn to be
thy
servant. But sinful men have written that I made this

i el spune c evreii vrut s-L rstigneasc, cu

nclcarea
a legii, i c au confiscat umbra lui i rstignit
aceasta. Dar Hristos nu a fost crucificat, spune el,
nici nu a murit, pentru Dumnezeu, din dragoste
pentru el El a luat
la Sine n heaven.104 i el spune acest lucru, c
atunci cnd
Hristos Sa nlat la cer lui Dumnezeu L-au ntrebat:
CO Isus,
tu-ai spune: "Eu sunt Fiul lui Dumnezeu i lui
Dumnezeu"? i Isus,
spune el, a rspuns: "Ai mil de mine, Doamne. Tu
tii
c nu am spus acest lucru i c nu am dispre uiesc
s fie tale
servitor. Dar oamenii pctoi au scris c am fcut
aceast declaraie,
i le-au minit despre mine i au czut n
eroare. ' i Dumnezeu a rspuns i a zis:, CI tiu c
s nu-l spune acest cuvnt. " 105 Exist multe alte
lucruri extraordinare i destul de ridicol, n aceast
carte, care
, se lauda el a fost trimis de la Dumnezeu. Dar cnd
am

statement,
and they have lied about me and have fallen into
error.' And God answered and said to Him: CI know
that
thou didst not say this word.' 105 There are many
other
extraordinary and quite ridiculous things in this book
which
he boasts was sent down to him from God. But
when we
ask: 'And who is there to testify that God gave him
the
book? And which of the prophets foretold that such a
prophet
would rise up?
s
they are at a loss. And we remark
that Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai, with
God
appearing in the sight of all the people in cloud, and
fire,
and darkness, and storm. And we say that all the
Prophets
from Moses on down foretold the coming of Christ
and how

ntreba: "i cine este acolo pentru a depune

mrturie c Dumnezeu ia dat
carte? i care a prevestit de profei c un astfel de
profet
s-ar ridica?
s
acestea sunt la o pierdere. i se remarc
c Moise a primit Legea pe muntele Sinai, cu
Dumnezeu
care apare n faa tuturor oamenilor din nor, i de
foc,
i ntuneric, i furtuna. i noi spunem c toi profeii
de Moise pe jos prezis venirea lui Hristos i cum
Hristos Dumnezeu (i Fiul ntrupat al lui Dumnezeu)
a fost de a veni i de a
s fie rstignit i s moar i s nvieze, i cum a
fost s fie
Judectorul celor vii i mori. Apoi, atunci cnd
spunem:
mncare
este ca acest profet a ta nu a venit n aceeai
fel, cu alte mrturie pentru el? i cum se face
c Dumnezeu nu n prezena dumneavoastr
prezint acest om cu
cartea la care v referii, chiar cum El a dat Legea

Christ God (and incarnate Son of God) was to come

and to
be crucified and die and rise again, and how He was
to be
the judge of the living and dead. Then, when we say:
cHow
is it that this prophet of yours did not come in the
same
way, with others bearing witness to him? And how is
it
that God did not in your presence present this man
with
the book to which you refer, even as He gave the
Law to
Moses, with the people looking on and the mountain
smoking,
104 Sura 4.156.
105 Sura 5.116ff.
ON HERESIES 155
so that you, too, might have certainty?
3
they answer that
God does as He pleases. This/ we say, 'We know,
but we
are asking how the book came down to your

pentru
Moise, cu persoane se uit la i fumatul munte,
104 Sura 4.156.
105 Sura 5.116ff.
ON Erezii 155
astfel nct s, de asemenea, ar putea avea
certitudinea?
3
au rspuns c
Dumnezeu face ce vrea. Acest / spunem, "Noi tim,
dar am
se ntreab cum cartea a venit la profetul tu.
3 Apoi,
au rspuns c cartea a venit la el n timp ce el a fost
adormit. Apoi ne spune n glum s-i c, atta timp
ct el
a primit cartea n somn i nu au sens, de fapt,
operaie, apoi popular zical este valabil pentru el
(care
ruleaza: Ai filare mi vise).
106
Cnd ne-am ntreba din nou: "Cum se face c atunci
cnd a poruncit
noi n aceast carte a ta de a nu face nimic sau de a
primi orice

prophet.
3 Then
they reply that the book came down to him while he
was
asleep. Then we jokingly say to them that, as long
as he
received the book in his sleep and did not actually
sense the
operation, then the popular adage applies to him
(which
runs: You're spinning me dreams.)
106
When we ask again: 'How is it that when he enjoined
us in this book of yours not to do anything or receive
anything
without witnesses, you did not ask him: "First do you
show us by witnesses that you are a prophet and
that you
have come from God, and show us just what
Scriptures there
are that testify about you"
'
they are ashamed and remain
silent. [Then we continue:] 'Although you may not
marry

fr martori, nu l-ai ntreba: "n primul rnd nune arat de martori c eti un profet i care v
au venit de la Dumnezeu, i ne arat doar ceea ce
Scripturile acolo
sunt care mrturisesc despre tine "
"
le este ruine i s rmn
tcut. [Apoi vom continua:] "Dei nu se pot cstori
o soie fr martori, sau s cumpere, sau a dobndi
o proprietate, dei
tu nu primii un mgar, nici posed o fiar de
povar nemaivzut, i, dei tu nu posed ambele
neveste
i de proprietate i mgari i aa mai departe, prin
martori, dar
acesta este doar credina i scripturile voastre pe
care le dein nefondate
de martori. Pentru cine dat asta jos
pentru a v are nici o garantie de orice surs, i nici
nu exist nimeni
cunoscut care a depus marturie despre el nainte de
a venit. Pe
Dimpotriv, el a primit n timp ce el dormea. "
Mai mult dect att, ne-au Hetaeriasts, sau
Associators apel, deoarece,

a wife without witnesses, or buy, or acquire property;

although
you neither receive an ass nor possess a beast of
burden unwitnessed; and although you do possess
both wives
and property and asses and so on through
witnesses, yet
it is only your faith and your scriptures that you hold
unsubstantiated
by witnesses. For he who handed this down
to you has no warranty from any source, nor is there
anyone
known who testified about him before he came. On
the
contrary, he received it while he was asleep.'
Moreover, they call us Hetaeriasts, or Associators,
because,
they say, we introduce an associate with God by
declaring
Christ to the Son of God and God. We say to them
in
rejoinder: The Prophets and the Scriptures have
delivered
this to us, and you, as you persistently maintain,
accept the

spun ei, vom introduce un asociat cu Dumnezeu,

prin declararea
Hristos Fiul lui Dumnezeu i lui Dumnezeu. Am s le
spun n
replic: Profeii i scripturile au livrat
acest lucru pentru noi, i tu, aa cum v menine
persistent, accepta
Profeii. Deci, dac ne declarm n mod greit c
Hristos este Fiul lui
Dumnezeu, ei sunt cei care a nvat acest lucru i a
dat-o pe la noi. " Dar
unii dintre ei spun c acesta este de interpretare
greit c avem
106 Manuscrisele nu au zical, dar Lequien
sugereaz acest lucru
unul din Platon.
156 Sfntul Ioan de Damasc
reprezentat profeii spunand ca astfel de lucruri, n
timp ce altele
spune c evreii ne urau i ne-a nelat de scris
n numele profeilor, astfel ca noi s putem fi pierdut.
i
din nou, am spune-le: "Atta timp ct v spune c
Hristos este
Cuvntul lui Dumnezeu i a Duhului, de ce ne acuz

Prophets. So, if we wrongly declare Christ to be the

Son of
God, it is they who taught this and handed it on to
us.' But
some of them say that it is by misinterpretation that
we have
106 The manuscripts do not have the adage, but
Lequien suggests this
one from Plato.
156 SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS
represented the Prophets as saying such things,
while others
say that the Hebrews hated us and deceived us by
writing
in the name of the Prophets so that we might be lost.
And
again we say to them : "As long as you say that
Christ is the
Word of God and Spirit, why do you accuse us of
being
Hetaeriasts? For the word, and the spirit, is
inseparable from
that in which it naturally has existence. Therefore, if
the
Word of God is in God, then it is obvious that He is

de a fi
Hetaeriasts? Pentru cuvnt, i spiritul, este
inseparabil de la
c, n care acesta are n mod natural existen . Prin
urmare, dac
Cuvntul lui Dumnezeu este n Dumnezeu, atunci
este evident c El este Dumnezeu.
n cazul n care, cu toate acestea, El este n afara lui
Dumnezeu, apoi, n funcie de tine,
Dumnezeu este fr cuvnt i fr spirit. n
consecin, prin
evitnd introducerea unui asociat cu Dumnezeu,
avei
El mutilat. Ar fi mult mai bine pentru tine s spui c
El are un asociat de la El mutileze, ca i cum ai fost
de-a face cu o piatr sau o bucat de lemn sau alte
nensufleite
obiect. Astfel, vorbeti untruly cand sunati-ne
Hetaeriasts, am rspuns cu care te suna Mutilators
ale lui Dumnezeu ".
Ei ne acuz de asemenea de a fi idolatri, pentru c
noi
venereze crucea, pe care le detest. i am rspuns
le: "Cum este, atunci, c v voi freca de o piatr
n Ka'ba107 i sruta i mbria o? " Apoi unii

God.
If, however, He is outside of God, then, according to
you,
God is without word and without spirit.
Consequently, by
avoiding the introduction of an associate with God
you have
mutilated Him. It would be far better for you to say
that
He has an associate than to mutilate Him, as if you
were
dealing with a stone or a piece of wood or some
other inanimate
object. Thus, you speak untruly when you call us
Hetaeriasts; we retort by calling you Mutilators of
God.'
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'ba107 and kiss and embrace it?' Then
some of them
say that Abraham had relations with Agar upon it,

dintre ei
spun c Avraam a avut relaii cu Agar pe el, dar
altele
spune c el a legat cmil s-l, cnd a fost <joing
s-i sacrifice
Isaac. i i-am rspuns: "De vreme ce Scriptura
spune c
munte a fost mpdurite i a avut copaci din care
Avraam
tiat lemne pentru Holocaust i la pus pe Isaac,
108 i
apoi a plecat mgari n urm cu doi tineri, de ce
vorbesc prostii? Pentru c n loc nu este gros, cu
copaci
nici nu exist trecere de mgari ". i ei sunt jenat,
dar ei nc mai susin c piatra este al lui Avraam.
Apoi ne-am
107 Ka'ba, numit "Casa lui Dumnezeu," se
presupune c au fost construite
de Abraham cu ajutorul lui Ismael. Ea ocup locul
cel mai sacru
n Moscheea Mecca. ncorporat n peretele su este
piatra aici
menionate, faimosul Piatra Neagr, care este,
evident, o relicv a

but others
say that he tied the camel to it, when he was <joing
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,
108 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
107 The Ka'ba, called 'The House of God,' is
supposed to have been built
by Abraham with the help of Ismael. It occupies the
most sacred spot
in the Mosque of Mecca. Incorporated in its wall is
the stone here
referred to, the famous Black Stone, which is
obviously a relic of

idolatria a arabii pre-Islam.

108 Gen 22.6.
ON Erezii 157
spune: "S fie lui Avraam, aa cum spui tu prostete.
Apoi, doar
pentru c Avraam a avut relaii cu o femeie pe ea
sau legat
o cmil s-l, nu este ruine s-l srute, dar te
condamn
ne pentru venerarea crucii lui Hristos, prin care
puterea de
demonii i nelciune a diavolului a fost distrus. "
Acest
piatra pe care ei vorbesc despre este un cap de care
Afrodita care
au folosit s se nchine i care au numit-Khabar.
Chiar
pn n prezent, urme de sculptur sunt vizibile pe
ea pentru a
observatori atent.
Aa cum a fost legat, acest Mohammed a scris
multe ridicol
cri, pentru fiecare dintre care a pus un titlu. De
exemplu, acolo
este cartea pe ^ Femeia n care el spune clar face

the idolatry of the pre-Islam Arabs.

108 Gen. 22.6.
ON HERESIES 157
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.
As has been related, this Mohammed wrote many
ridiculous
books, to each one of which he set a title. For
example, there
is the book On Woman^ in which he plainly makes

legal
dispoziii pentru a lua patru neveste i, dac este
posibil, o
mii de concubine ct mai multe ca se poate men ine,
n afar de
cele patru soii. De asemenea, el a fcut-o legal de a
pune deoparte oricare
Soia s-ar putea dori, i, ar trebui s o doresc acest
lucru, s ia pentru a se
alta n acelai mod. Mohammed a avut un prieten pe
nume
Zeid. Acest om a avut o soie frumoas, cu care
Mohammed
a czut n dragoste. Odat, cnd s-au a ezat
mpreun, Mohammed
a spus: "Oh, apropo, Dumnezeu a poruncit s ia
soia ta.
5 alt raspuns: cYou sunt un apostol. Face ca
Dumnezeu i-a spus i ia pe soia mea. " Mai
degrab s-i spunei
povestea de la nceput el a zis: "Dumnezeu are
mi-a dat comanda pe care ai pus deoparte so ia ta. "
i
el a pus-o deoparte. Apoi, cteva zile mai trziu:
"Acum," a spus el,

legal
provision for taking four wives and, if it be possible,
a
thousand concubines as many as one can maintain,
besides
the four wives. He also made it legal to put away
whichever
wife one might wish, and, should one so wish, to
take to oneself
another in the same way. Mohammed had a friend
named
Zeid. This man had a beautiful wife with whom
Mohammed
fell in love. Once, when they were sitting together,
Mohammed
said: 'Oh, by the way, God has commanded me to
take
your wife.
5 The other answered: cYou are an apostle. Do as
God has told you and take my wife.' Rather to tell
the
story over from the beginning he said to him: 'God
has
given me the command that you put away your wife.'
And

"Dumnezeu mi-a poruncit s o ia." Apoi, dup ce a

luat-o i a comis adulter cu ea, el a fcut acest
Legea: "Las-l, care va lsa nevasta. i dac, dup
au pus-o deoparte, el trebuie s se ntoarc la ea,
s o
se nsoare cu ea. Pentru c nu este ngduit s o ia
dac nu au
a fost cstorit de un alt. n plus, n cazul n care un
frate pune
nevasta, s fratele su se cstoreasc cu ea, el ar
trebui s doresc acest lucru. "
110
109 Coran, Sura 4.
110 Cf.. Sura 2.225ff.
158 Sfntul Ioan de Damasc
n aceeai carte, el d astfel de precepte ca acest
lucru: "de lucru
ara pe care Dumnezeu i-a dat i nfrumusea-l. i
face acest lucru,
i o fac ntr-o astfel de manner3111 a nu repeta
toate obscen
lucruri pe care le-a fcut.
Apoi, exist cartea de Camel de God.112 Despre
acest cmil el spune c a existat o cmil de la
Dumnezeu i

he put her away. Then several days later: 'Now,' he

said,
'God has commanded me to take her.' Then, after he
had
taken her and committed adultery with her, he made
this
law: 'Let him who will put away his wife. And if, after
having put her away, he should return to her, let
another
marry her. For it is not lawful to take her unless she
have
been married by another. Furthermore, if a brother
puts
away his wife, let his brother marry her, should he so
wish.'
110
109 Koran, Sura 4.
110 Cf. Sura 2.225ff.
158 SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS
In the same book he gives such precepts as this:
'Work the
land which God hath given thee and beautify it. And
do this,
and do it in such a manner3111 not to repeat all the
obscene

c a but toat ru i nu a putut trece prin

doi muni, pentru c acolo nu era loc suficient. Acolo
au fost oameni n acel loc, spune el, i au folosit
pentru a bea
apa de pe o zi, n timp ce cmil ar bea pe
urmtor. Mai mult dect att, prin consumul de ap a
mobilat
le cu hran, pentru c ea le-a furnizat cu lapte
n loc de ap. Apoi, pentru c ace ti oameni erau
rele, ele
sculat, spune el, i a ucis cmila. Cu toate acestea,
ea a avut un
puilor, un pic de cmil, care, spune el, atunci cnd
mama
a fost fcut departe cu, numit pe Dumnezeu i
Dumnezeu a luat
l la Sine. Apoi ne-am spune-le: "n cazul n care a
fcut ca cmil
provin de la? 3 i ei spun c era de la Dumnezeu.
Apoi ne-am
spune: "A fost o cmil cuplat cu asta?" i
ei spun:
cNo.3 "Atunci cum / spunem," a fost nscut? Pentru
vom vedea c cmil este fr tat i fr mam
i fr genealogie, i c cel care a nscut a suferit

things that he did.

Then there is the book of The Camel of God.112
About
this camel he says that there was a camel from God
and
that she drank the whole river and could not pass
through
two mountains, because there was not room
enough. There
were people in that place, he says, and they used to
drink
the water on one day, while the camel would drink it
on
the next. Moreover, by drinking the water she
furnished
them with nourishment, because she supplied them
with milk
instead of water. Then, because these men were
evil, they
rose up, he says, and killed the camel. However, she
had an
offspring, a little camel, which, he says, when the
mother
had been done away with, called upon God and God
took

ru Nici nu este evident care-i crescute. i, de

asemenea, acest mic
cmil fost preluat. Deci, de ce nu a fcut Profetul
vostru, cu
care, n funcie de ceea ce v spun, Dumnezeu a
vorbit, afla
despre cmil n care pteau, i care a primit lapte
de muls
l? Sau ea, eventual, la fel ca mama ei, ntlni cu rul
oameni i sunt distruse? Sau de-a intra n paradis
nainte, aa c ai putea avea ru de lapte care
tu aa vorbim prostete despre? Pentru ai spune c
ai trei
ruri curg n rai una din ap, una de vin, i
una din lapte. Dac predecesorul dumneavoastr
cmil este n afara de paradis,
111 Sura 2.223.
112 nu n Coran.
ON Erezii 159
este evident c ea a secat de foame i de sete,
sau c alii au avantajul de lapte ei i aa ta
Profetul se laud cu minile n sn de a fi vorb cu
Dumnezeu,
pentru c Dumnezeu nu-i dezvluie misterul de
cmil.

it to Himself. Then we say to them: 'Where did that

camel
come from?3 And they say that it was from God.
Then we
say: 'Was there another camel coupled with this
one?' And
they say:
cNo.3 'Then how/ we say, 'was it begotten? For
we see that your camel is without father and without
mother
and without genealogy, and that the one that begot it
suffered
evil Neither is it evident who bred her. And also, this
little
camel was taken up. So why did not your prophet,
with
whom, according to what you say, God spoke, find
out
about the camel where it grazed, and who got milk
by milking
it? Or did she possibly, like her mother, meet with
evil
people and get destroyed? Or did she enter into
paradise
before you, so that you might have the river of milk

Dar dac ea este n paradis, ea este ap potabil n

continuare, i tu
pentru lipsa de ap se va usca n mijlocul
paradisului
de ncntare. i dac, existnd fr ap, deoarece
cmila
va fi but totul, ce sete de vin de la ru
de vin care curge prin, va deveni n stare de
ebrietate de la
but vin pur i colapsul sub influena
butur tare, i adormi. Apoi, sufer de o grea
cap dup dormit i fiind bolnav de vin, vei
dor de plcerile de paradis. Cum, atunci, a nu intra
n
n mintea profetului dumneavoastr c acest lucru ar
putea ntmpla cu tine
n paradisul de placere? El nu a avut nici o idee de
ce
cmil este lider de acum, dar tu nici mcar nu-l
ntreb,
cnd a avut loc nainte de a v cu visele sale pe
aceast tem
din cele trei ruri. Va asiguram clar v c acest
minunat
cmil a ta te-a precedat n sufletele mgari,

that
you so foolishly talk about? For you say that you
have three
rivers flowing in paradise one of water, one of wine,
and
one of milk. If your forerunner the camel is outside of
paradise,
111 Sura 2.223.
112 Not in the Koran.
ON HERESIES 159
it is obvious that she has dried up from hunger and
thirst,
or that others have the benefit of her milk and so
your
prophet is boasting idly of having conversed with
God,
because God did not reveal to him the mystery of
the camel.
But if she is in paradise, she is drinking water still,
and you
for lack of water will dry up in the midst of the
paradise
of delight. And if, there being no water, because the
camel
will have drunk it all up, you thirst for wine from the

n cazul n care, de asemenea, ca animalele sunt

destinate s mearg. i acolo
nu este ntuneric exterior i pedeapsa venic,
foc hohotitor, viermi nedormite, i infernal demons.9
Din nou, n cartea de mas, Mohammed spune c
Hristos a rugat pe Dumnezeu pentru o mas i care
i se dduse.
Pentru Dumnezeu, spune el, a zis: "Am dat la tine i
ta un tabel incoruptibil.
3113
i, din nou, n cartea de Heifer,
11 * el spune ceva
alte lucruri stupide i ridicole, care, din cauza lor
numr mare, cred c trebuie s fi trecut peste. El
este o lege fcut
ca acestea s fie circumcii i femeile, de
asemenea, i el a ordonat
i nu de a ine Sabatul i s nu fie botezai. i,
n timp ce el le-a ordonat s mnnce unele din
lucrurile interzise
113 Sura 5.114,115.
114 Sura 2.
160 Sfntul Ioan de Damasc
prin lege, a poruncit s se abin de la alii. El
n plus, le-a interzis absolut consumul de vin.

river
of wine that is flowing by, you will become
intoxicated from
drinking pure wine and collapse under the influence
of the
strong drink and fall asleep. Then, suffering from a
heavy
head after sleeping and being sick from the wine,
you will
miss the pleasures of paradise. How, then, did it not
enter
into the mind of your prophet that this might happen
to you
in the paradise of delight? He never had any idea of
what
the camel is leading to now, yet you did not even ask
him,
when he held forth to you with his dreams on the
subject
of the three rivers. We plainly assure you that this
wonderful
camel of yours has preceded you into the souls of
asses,
where you, too, like beasts are destined to go. And
there

102. Christianocategori, sau acuzatorii cretinilor,

sunt
precum i sunt numite, pentru c acei cretini care
se nchin
un Dumnezeu viu i adevrat ludat n Treime-au
acuzat
de nchinare ca dumnezei, dup obiceiul grecilor,
imaginile venerabile ale Domnului nostru Isus
Hristos, de imaculat noastre
doamn, Maicii Domnului, a sfinilor ngeri, i a lui
sfini. Ele sunt numite n plus Iconoclatii, deoarece
acestea
au demonstrat dezonoare deliberat la toate aceste
acelai sfnt i
imaginilor venerabile i trebuie expediate acestea s
fie rupt n sus
i ars. De asemenea, unele dintre cele pictate pe
pereii ei
au razuit, n timp ce alii le-au ters cu
lapte de var i vopsea neagr. Acestea sunt, de
asemenea, numite Thymoleontes,
sau Inima de Leu, pentru c, profitnd de lor
autoritate, ei au cu inima mare dat puterea de a lor
erezie i cu chinuri i torturi vizitat rzbunare asupra
cei care aprob a imaginilor. Acest nume de familie

there is the exterior darkness and everlasting

punishment,
roaring fire, sleepless worms, and hellish demons.9
Again, in the book of The Table, Mohammed says
that
the Christ asked God for a table and that it was
given Him.
For God, he says, said to Him: 'I have given to thee
and
thine an incorruptible table.
3113
And again, in the book of The Heifer,
11 * he says some
other stupid and ridiculous things, which, because of
their
great number, I think must be passed over. He made
it a law
that they be circumcised and the women, too, and
he ordered
them not to keep the Sabbath and not to be
baptized. And,
while he ordered them to eat some of the things
forbidden
113 Sura 5.114,115.
114 Sura 2.

nu au
De asemenea, a primit de la heresiarch.115 lor
103. O sut-i-a treia erezie este cea a
Aposchistae, care sunt, de asemenea, numite
Doxarii.llQ acestea ncearc dup
propria lor glorie i prezinte nici la legea lui
Dumnezeu, nici
preoilor lui. Ele sunt bine familiarizai cu
erezie a Autoproscoptae.
117 Ca i ei, au nevoie
respectarea ordonane canonice i, dei ele sunt
nici episcopi, nici preedini ai poporului, dar numai
membrii
de comun efectiv, acestea se separe de
Biserica Catolic. Rivaliznd cu Euchites,
118 adic,
Massalians, le spun asceii nu la biseric frecvente
servicii, dar s fie mulumii cu rugciunile n propria
lor
115 Leo III, Isaurul, greac mprat (717-741),
116 "Producatorii de schism" i "Gloriers." Acestea
pot fi conectate
cu Massalians sau acestea pot fi, Paulicienii.
117 Erezia 100.
118 Erezia 80.

160 SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS

by the Law, he ordered them to abstain from others.
He
furthermore absolutely forbade the drinking of wine.
102. The Christianocategori, or Accusers of
Christians, are
such and are so called, because those Christians
who worship
one living and true God praised in Trinity they
accused
of worshiping as gods, after the manner of the
Greeks, the
venerable images of our Lord Jesus Christ, of our
immaculate
lady, the holy Mother of God, of the holy angels, and
of His
saints. They are furthermore called Iconoclasts,
because they
have shown deliberate dishonor to all these same
holy and
venerable images and have consigned them to be
broken up
and burnt. Likewise, some of those painted on walls
they
have scraped off, while others they have obliterated

with
whitewash and black paint. They are also called
Thymoleontes,
or Lion-hearted, because, taking advantage of their
authority, they have with great heart given strength
to their
heresy and with torment and torture visited
vengeance upon
those who approve of the images. This last name
they have
also received from their heresiarch.115
103. The one-hundred-and-third heresy is that of the
Aposchistae, who are also called Doxarii.llQ These
seek after
their own glory and submit neither to the law of God
nor
to His priests. They are thoroughly acquainted with
the
heresy of the Autoproscoptae.
117 Like them, they require the
observance of canonical ordinances and, although
they are
neither bishops nor presidents of the people, but
only members
of the common herd, they separate themselves from

the Catholic Church. Rivaling the Euchites,

118 that is to say,
the Massalians, they tell the ascetics not to frequent
church
services, but to be satisfied with the prayers in their
own
115 Leo III, the Isaurian, Greek emperor (717-741),
116 'Makers of schism' and 'Gloriers." These may
have been connected
with the Massalians or they may have been
Paulicians.
117 Heresy 100.
118 Heresy 80.