Note 75 — Chapter III · THE FAMILIARITY OF THE REGIONS OF THE EARTH WITH THE TRIPLICITIES AND THE PLANETS

The epithet is remarkable, not only as being, in the opinion of a Gentile, merited by the Jews, among other nations, but also at a period scarcely exceeding a century after their most heinous crime had been committed, expressly under the cloak of religion. It seems, however, that the Jews were charged with atheism by other writers also, and on account of their neglect of the false gods of the heathens; viz. “falsorium deorum neglectus: quam candem causam etiam Judæis maledicendi Tacitus habuit, et Plinius Major, cui Judæi dicuntur gens contumeliâ numinum insignis.” See Clark’s Notes on Grotius de Verit. Relig. Christ. Lib. 2, §2.