Book V - Snyder Bible

74
from heaven for the salvation of men? For myself, I confess, if I
had not known him intimately, and had taken part in his
doings, I would easily have been carried away with him.
Whence it was no great thing for us to be separated from his
society, knowing as we did that he depends upon magic arts
and wicked devices. But if thou also thyself wish to know all
about himwho, what, and whence he is, and how he contrives
what he does
Chapter VII: Simon Magus: His History
By nation he is a Shomroni, from a village of the Gettones; by
profession a magician yet exceedingly well trained in the
Greek literature; desirous of glory, and boasting above all the
human race, so that he wishes himself to be believed to be an
exalted power, which is above Yahweh the Creator, and to be
thought to be the Moshiach, and to be called the Standing One.
And he uses this name as implying that he can never be dissolved,
asserting that his flesh is so compacted by the power
of his divinity, that it can endure to eternity. Hence, therefore,
he is called the Standing One, as though he cannot fall by any
Chapter VIII: Simon Magus: His History
yourself also know, when Dositheus had broached his heresy,
with thirty other chief talmidim, and one woman, who was
called Lunawhence also these thirty appear to have been
appointed with reference to the number of the days, according
to the course of the moonthis Simon ambitious of evil glory,
as we have said, goes to Dositheus, and pretending friendship,
entreats him, that if any one of those thirty should die, he
should straightway substitute him in room of the dead: for it
was contrary to their rule either to exceed the fixed number or
to admit any one who was unknown or not yet proved;
whence also the rest, desiring to become worthy of the place
and number, are eager in every way to please, according to the