Chapter XXIII.--Simon a Disciple of the Baptist.

"But that he came to deal with the doctrines of religion happened on this wise. There was one John, a day-baptist, ¹ who was also, according to the method of combination, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus; and as the Lord had twelve apostles, bearing the number of the twelve months of the sun, so also he, John, had thirty chief men, fulfilling the monthly reckoning of the moon, in which number was a certain woman called Helena, ² that not even this might be without a dispensational significance. For a woman, being half a man, made up the imperfect number of the triacontad; as also in the case of the moon, whose revolution does not make the complete course of the month. ³ But of these thirty, the first and the most esteemed by John was Simon; and the reason of his not being chief after the death of John was as follows:--