Chapter 15.
Of the Jews; of their attempt at building, and of the heaven-sent plagues that befel them
Julian, who had made his soul a home of destroying demons, went his corybantic way, ever raging against true religion.
He accordingly now armed the Jews too against the believers in Christ. He began by enquiring of some whom he got
together why, though their law imposed on them the duty of sacrifices, they offered none. On their reply that their
worship was limited to one particular spot, this enemy of God immediately gave directions for the re-erection of the
destroyed temple, supposing in his vanity that he could falsify the prediction of the Lord, of which, in reality, he
exhibited the truth. The Jews heard his words with delight and made known his orders to their countrymen throughout
the world. They came with haste from all directions, contributing alike money and enthusiasm for the work; and the
emperor made all the provisions he could, less from the pride of munificence than from hostility to the truth. He
dispatched also as governor a fit man to carry out his impious orders. It is said that they made mattocks, shovels,
and baskets of silver. When they had begun to dig and to carry out the earth a vast multitude of them went on with
the work all day, but by night the earth which had been carried away shifted back from the ravine of its own accord.
They destroyed moreover the remains of the former construction, with the intention of building everything up afresh;
but when they had got together thousands of bushels of chalk and lime, of a sudden a violent gale blew, and storms,
tempests and whirlwinds scattered everything far and wide. They still went on in their madness, nor were they brought
to their senses by the divine longsuffering. Then
first came a great earthquake, fit to strike terror into the hearts
of men quite ignorant of God's dealings; and, when still they were not awed, fire running from the excavated foundations
burnt up most of the diggers, and put the rest to flight. Moreover when a large number of men were sleeping at night in
an adjacent building it suddenly fell down, roof and all, and crushed the whole of them. On that night and also on the
following night the sign of the cross of salvation was seen brightly shining in the sky, and the very garments of the
Jews were filled with crosses, not bright but black. When God's enemies saw these things, in terror at the heaven-sent
plagues they fled, and made their way home, confessing the Godhead of Him who had been crucified by their fathers.
Julian heard of these events, for they were repeated by every one. But like Pharaoh he hardened his heart.
