Another day, a Jew presented himself; the lord khalif of God placed the Nazarene in opposition to him for a religious discussion. The Jew began: “In the Pentateuch, there is no mention made of Jesus.” The Nazarene replied: “How not? Does not David say: ‘My hands and my feet fall off, and all my bones are counted.’ This is a prediction of the sufferings and of the crucifixion of Jesus.” The Jew remarked upon this: “Whatever David may have said of himself, and the All-Just have announced by his tongue, should all this be taken for a prediction of Jesus?” The Nazarene pursued: “But the conception of a virgin was predicted, and this virgin was Mary.” The Jew objected: “Amongst us, the virginity of Mary is not proved, as, according to your belief, before the birth of Jesus, she was married to Joseph the carpenter, and Jesus is said to be the son of Joseph the carpenter.” The Nazarene admitted: “This is true; but,” he added: “Joseph had never touched Mary.” The Jew opposed: “How is that proved?” And this was the question which the Jew repeated at every thing which the Nazarene brought forward, so that the latter was reduced to silence. A learned philosopher came into the hall, where Hindus also were present, and three other learned men; a Muselman, a Nazarene, and a Jew: these were summoned, and ranged in opposition to the learned philosopher. The latter opened the discussion in this manner: “The divine mission of your prophets has not been proved, for several reasons: the first is, that whatever the prophet says ought to be conformable to reason; the second is, that he ought to be free from crime, and not hurtful to other beings. But Moses, according to the opinion of the Jews, was brought up by Pharâoh, and yet he caused him by a stratagem to be drowned in the waters of the Nile, and listened not to his repentance. What they say of the water of the Nile having opened a passage to Moses, is an error. Nor did he attend to the repentance of Kárún (Korah),[57] but, from covetousness of gold, he caused him to be swallowed up by the earth. Jesus permitted the killing and ill using of animals. And Muhammed himself attacked the forces and caravans of the Koreish; he shed blood, nay, with his own hand put to death animated beings. He besides exceeded all bounds in sexual connexions, and in taking the wives of other men; so that, on account of his gazing, a wife was separated from her husband,[58] and the like are notorious of him. With these perverse qualities, how then shall we recognise a prophet?” All concurred in declaring: “By miracles.” The philosopher asked: “What are the miracles of your prophets?” The Jew answered: “Thou must have heard of Moses’s wand, which became a serpent.” The doctor immediately took up his girdle, breathed upon it, and it became a great serpent, which hissed and turned towards the Jew; but the philosopher stretched out his hand, and took it back, saying: “Lo, the miracle of Moses!” whilst the Jew,