reminder the 'corpse of the jew' defeated the 'ever living gods'

reminder the 'corpse of the jew' defeated the 'ever living gods'

ChatGPT said:

The phrase “the corpse of the Jew defeated the ever‑living gods” originates from the Roman emperor Julian, known as Julian the Apostate (r.361–363AD), and appears in his polemical work Against the Galileans (sometimes rendered Against the Christians). Julian was a staunch pagan who sought to revive traditional Roman religious practices and deeply criticized Christianity.

Origin & Context

In one of his scathing passages, Julian condemns Christian converts for abandoning the “ever‑living gods” (i.e., the traditional Greco‑Roman pantheon) and turning instead to what he calls “the corpse of the Jew,” a derogatory reference to Jesus Christ—depicting Christ as a lifeless, defeated figure. The passage reads:

“..., who by following you, have sunk to such depths of ruin that they have abandoned the ever‑living gods and have gone over to the corpse of the Jew.”

Enlighten Theses
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tertullian.org
+6
Hiraeth
+6

A scholarly summary specifically notes Julian’s phrase: "Christians had ‘abandoned the ever living gods for the [mere] corpse of the Jew.’”

UNT Digital Library
+1

Another academic source quotes: “ever‑living gods for the corpse of the Jew” referring to Julian’s polemic.

universalchristianlibrary.com
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Academia
+7
Dokumen
+7

Meaning & Interpretation

"Ever‑living gods": This refers to the immortal deities of the classical pagan religions—Zeus, Hera, Apollo, the full pantheon celebrated in Roman and Hellenistic tradition.

"The corpse of the Jew": A deliberately contemptuous phrase meant to demean Christianity by implying it worships a dead, defunct figure—Christ—whose origins Julian sees as rooted in Judaism.

Effectively, Julian accuses Christians of engaging in a radical, backward movement—forsaking the timeless, life-giving pagan gods in favor of a faith centered on a single, dead man.

reminder the 'corpse of the jew' defeated the 'ever living gods'

Reminder the 'corpse of the jew' defeated the 'ever living gods'

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reminder the corpse of the jew defeated the 'ever living gods'

reminder the 'corpse of the jew' defeated the 'ever living gods'

reminder that the 'corpse of the jew' conquered the 'ever living gods'