ST. JUSTIN MARTYR (JUNE 1ST)
St. Justin Martyr Teaching the Gentiles Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) The Life of St. Justin Martyr St. Justin Martyr was born around AD 100 at Flavia Neapolis (today Nablus) in Samaria. He self-identified as a Samaritan. His family may have been pagan, since he was uncircumcised, and defined himself as a Gentile. His grandfather, Bacchius, had a Greek name, while his father, Priscus, bore a Latin name, which has led to speculations that his ancestors may have settled in Neapolis soon after its establishment or that they were descended from a Roman "diplomatic" community that had been sent there. Most of St. Justin Martyr’s works are lost, but two apologies and a dialogue did survive. The First Apology, his most well-known text, passionately defends the morality of the Christian life, and provides various ethical and philosophical arguments to convince the Roman emperor, Antoninus, to abandon the persecution of the Church. Further, he also indicates, as ...
