“You are speaking of parents who have long since left their native land.  The ancestor need not be indignant with his descendants when they use the language of their new home, so long as they continue to act in accordance with his spirit.”

“We must live not merely in accordance with the spirit, but by the words of the Most High, for not a syllable proceeds from His lips in vain.  The more exalted the spirit of a discourse is, the more important is every word and syllable.  One single letter often changes the meaning of whole sentences.—­What a noise the people outside are making!  The wild tumult penetrates even into this room which is so far from the street, and your sons take delight in the disorders of the heathen!  You do not even withhold them by force from adding to the number of those mad devotees of pleasure!”

“I was young once myself, and I think it no sin to share in the universal rejoicing.”

“Say rather the disgraceful idolatry of the worshippers of Dionysus.  It is in name alone that you and your children belong to the elect people of God, in your hearts you are heathens!”

“No, Father,” exclaimed Apollodorus eagerly.  “The reverse is the case.  In our hearts we are Jews but we wear the garments of Greeks.”

“Why your name is Apollodorus—­the gift of Apollo.”

“A name chosen only to distinguish me from others.  Who would ever enquire into the meaning of a name if it sounds well.”

“You, everybody who is not devoid of sense,” cried the Rabbi.  “You think to yourself ’need Zenodotus or Hermogenes, some Greek you meet at the bath or else where, know at once that the wealthy personage, with whom he discussed the latest interpretation of the Hellenic myths, is a Jew?’ And how charming is the man who asks you whether you are not an Athenian, for your Greek has such a pure Attic accent!  And what we ourselves like, we favor in our children, so we choose names for them too which flatter our own vanity.”

“By Heracles!”

A faint mocking smile crossed Gamaliel’s lips and interrupting the Alexandrian he said: 

“Is there any particularly worthy man among our Alexandrian fellow-believers whose name is Heracles?”

“No one” cried the Alexandrian “ever thinks of the son of Alcmene when he asseverates—­it only means ‘really,—­truly—­’”

“To be sure you are not fastidiously accurate in the choice of your words and names, and where there is so much to be seen and enjoyed as there is here one’s thoughts are not always connected.  That is intelligible—­ quite, peculiarly intelligible!  And in this city folks are so polite that they are fain to wrap truth in some graceful disguise.  May I, a barbarian from Judea, be allowed to set it before you, bare of clothing, naked and unadorned.”

“Speak, I beg you, speak.”

“You are Jews; but you had rather not be Jews, and you endure your origin as an inevitable evil.  It is only when you feel the mighty hand of the Most High that you recognize it and claim your right to be one of His chosen people.  In the smooth current of daily life you proudly number yourselves with his enemies.  Do not interrupt me, and answer honestly what I shall ask you.  In what hour of your life did you feel yourself that you owed the deepest gratitude to the God of your fathers?”