The Epistle of Barnabas

What then is the milk and the honey? Because a child is first nourished with honey, and afterwards with milk. Thus therefore we also, being nourished on the faith of the promise and by the word, shall live and possess the earth.

And we have said above, And let them increase and multiply and rule over the fishes. Who then is it who is now able to rule over beasts or fishes or the birds of heaven? For we ought to understand that to rule implies authority, so that one may give commandments and have domination.

If then this does not happen at present he has told us the time when it will;—when we ourselves also have been made perfect as heirs of the covenant of the Lord.

Understand therefore, children of gladness, that[*](Fasting and the scapegoat) the good Lord made all things plain beforehand to us, that we should know him to whom we ought to give thanks and praise for everything.

If then the Son of God, though he was the Lord and was destined to judge the living and the dead suffered in order that his wounding might make us alive, let us believe tliat the Son of God could not suffer except for our sakes.

But moreover when he was crucified he was given to drink vinegar and gall. Listen how the priests of the Temple foretold this. The commandment was written, Whosoever does not keep the fast shall die the death, and the Lord commanded this because he himself was going to offer the vessel of the spirit as a sacrifice for our sins, in order that the type established in Isaac, who was offered upon the altar, might be fulfilled.

What then does he say in the Prophet? And let them eat of the goat which is offered in the fast for all their sins. Attend carefully,—and let all the priests alone eat the entrails unwashed with vinegar.