Celsus’s inspired nations and the Jews
After this Celsus saw fit to name the Chaldeans among the nations that have been most inspired from the beginning, and it is from them that the deceitful art of casting horoscopes has spread among men. He also ranks the Magi among the most inspired nations, and from them magic, which takes its name from their nation, has spread to the other nations as well, to the ruin and destruction of those who practise it. Earlier, even in Celsus’s own account, the Egyptians were in error, since they have stately precincts around what they consider temples, yet inside there is nothing but apes or crocodiles or goats or asps or some other animal. But now Celsus has seen fit to call the Egyptian nation too most inspired, and most inspired from the beginning, perhaps because they have waged war on the Jews from the beginning. And the Persians, who marry their mothers and lie with their daughters, seem to Celsus an inspired nation; so do the Indians, some of whom, as he said earlier, have even tasted human flesh.
But the Jews, and above all the Jews of old, who did none of these things, he not only did not call most inspired but even said would soon perish. He says this about them now as though he were a diviner as well, not seeing the whole dispensation of God concerning the Jews and their venerable ancient way of life, nor how “through” their “transgression salvation” has come “to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11), and “their transgression is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles” (Romans 11:12), “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25), so that after this “all Israel,” an Israel Celsus does not understand, “may be saved” (Romans 11:26).
Greek
Ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις ἐνθεώτατα ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔδοξε Κέλσῳ λέγειν ἔθνη Χαλδαίους, ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἡ ἀπατηλὸς γενεθλιαλογία νενέμηται τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. ἀλλὰ καὶ Μάγους τοῖς ἐνθεωτάτοις κατατάττει ἔθνεσιν ὁ Κέλσος, ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἡ παρώνυμος τοῦ ἔθνους αὐτῶν μαγεία καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπὶ διαφθορᾷ καὶ ὀλέθρῳ τῶν χρωμένων αὐτῇ ἐπιδεδήμηκε. καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι μὲν ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω καὶ παρὰ τῷ Κέλσῳ ἐπλανῶντο, ὡς σεμνοὺς μὲν ἔχοντες περιβόλους τῶν νομιζομένων ἱερῶν ἔνδον δὲ οὐδὲν ἀλλ᾿ ἢ πιθήκους ἢ κροκοδείλους ἢ αἶγας ἢ ἀσπίδας ἤ τι τῶν ζῴων· νῦν δὲ ἔδοξε Κέλσῳ ἐνθεώτατον εἰπεῖν καὶ τὸ Αἰγυπτίων ἔθνος, καὶ ἐνθεώτατον ἐξ ἀρχῆς, τάχα ἐπεὶ Ἰουδαίοις ἐξ ἀρχῆς προσπεπολεμήκασι. καὶ Πέρσαι δὲ οἱ τὰς μητέρας γαμοῦντες καὶ θυγατράσι μιγνύμενοι ἔνθεον ἔθνος εἶναι τῷ Κέλσῳ δοκοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰνδοὶ, ὧν τινας ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις ἔλεγε καὶ ἀνθρωπείων γεγεῦσθαι σαρκῶν. μηδὲν δὲ τούτων Ἰουδαίους μάλιστα τοὺς πάλαι πράττοντας οὐ μόνον οὐκ εἶπεν ἐνθεωτάτους ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτίκα ἀπολουμένους. τοῦτο μὲν ἤδη καὶ ὡς μαντικὸς λέγει περὶ αὐτῶν, οὐχ ὁρῶν πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ Ἰουδαίους καὶ τὴν σεμνὴν πάλαι πολιτείαν αὐτῶν τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκονομίαν, καὶ ὡς „τῷ“ ἐκείνων „παραπτώματι ἡ σωτηρία“ γεγένηται „τοῖς ἔθνεσι“ καὶ „τὸ παράπτωμα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος κόσμου καὶ τὸ ἥττημα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος ἐθνῶν“· ἕως „τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ,“ ἵνα μετὰ τοῦτο „πᾶς,“ ὃν οὐ νοεῖ Κέλσος, „Ἰσραὴλ“ σωθῇ.