JUSTIN MARTYR (b. C. A.D. oo), Christian apologist, was born, of pagan parents, c. at Flavia Neapolis (anc. Sichem), now Nablus, in Palestinian Syria (Samaria). A thorough study of the philosophy of Peripatetics and Pythagoreans, Stoics and Platonists, brought home to Justin the conviction that true knowledge was not to be found in them. On the other hand, he came to look upon the Old Testament prophets as approved by their antiquity, sanctity, mystery and prophecies to be inter preters of the truth. To this must be added the deep impression produced upon him by the life and death of Christ. His conver sion apparently took place at Ephesus. After his conversion he retained his philosopher's cloak (Euseb., Hist. Eccl. iv. 11. 8), the distinctive badge of the wandering professional teacher of philo sophy, and went about from place to place discussing the truths of Christianity in the hope of bringing educated Pagans, as he himself had been brought, through philosophy to Christ. In Rome he gave lectures in a class-room of his own, though not without opposition from his fellow-teachers. Among his opponents was the Cynic Crescentius (Apol. ii. 13). Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. iv. 16. 7-8) concludes somewhat hastily, from the statement of Justin and his disciple Tatian (Drat. ad Graec. 19), that the accusation of Justin before the authorities, which led to his death, was due to Crescentius. But we know, from the undoubtedly genuine Acta SS. Justini et sociorum, that Justin suffered the death of a martyr under the prefect Rusticus between 163 and 167.
To form an opinion of Justin as a Christian and theologian, we must turn to his Apology and to the Dialogue with the Jew Trypho, for the authenticity of all other extant works attrib uted to him is disputed with good reason. The Apology was written in Rome about 15o. In the first part Justin defends his fellow-believers against the charge of atheism and hostility to the state. He then demonstrates the truth of his religion from the effects of the new faith, and from the excellence of its moral teaching, and concludes with a comparison of Christian and Pagan doctrines, in which the latter are set down as the work of demons. As the main support of his proof of the truth of Christianity appears his demonstration that the prophecies of the old dispen sation have found their fulfilment in Christianity. A third part shows, from the practices of their religious worship, that the Christians had in truth dedicated themselves to God. The whole closes with an appeal to the princes, with a reference to the edict issued by Hadrian in favour of the Christians. In the so-called Second Apology, Justin takes occasion from the trial of a Chris tian recently held in Rome to argue that the innocence of the Christians was proved by the very persecutions.
Even as a Christian Justin always remained a philosopher. By his conscious recognition of the Greek philosophy as a prepara tion for the truths of the Christian religion, he appears as the first and most distinguished in the long list of those who have endeavoured to reconcile Christian with non-Christian culture. In the Dialogue with the Jew Trypho, where he had to deal with the Judaism that believed in a Messiah, he was far better able to do justice to Christianity as a revelation; and the argu ments of this work are much more completely in harmony with primitive Christian theology than those of the Apology.
Justin is a valuable authority for the life of the Christian Church in the middle of the 2nd century. The Apology contains a few paragraphs (61 seq.), which give a vivid description of the public worship of the Church and its method of celebrating the sacraments (Baptism and the Eucharist). His works are also of great value for the history of the New Testament writings. He knows of no canon of the New Testament, i.e., no fixed and in clusive collection of the apostolic writings. His sources for the teachings of Jesus are the "Memoirs of the Apostles," by which are probably to be understood the Synoptic Gospels (without the Gospel according to St. John), which, according to his account, were read along with the prophetic writings at the public services.
Both the Apology and the Dialogue are preserved in but a single ms. (cod. Paris, 450, A.D. 1364).
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—The editions of Robert Etienne (Stephanus) (1550 ; H. Sylburg (1593) ; F. Morel (1615) ; Prudentius Maranuis (1742) are superseded by J. C. T. Otto, Justini philosaphi et maetyris opera quae feruntur omnia (3rd ed. 5 vols., Jena, 1876-81). This edition contains besides the Apologies (vol. i.) and the Dialogue (vol. ii.) other writings now admitted to be spurious. For a handy edition of the Apology, see G. Kruger, Die Apologien Justins des Martyrers (3rd ed. Tubingen, 1904). There is a good German translation with a corn prehensive commentary by H. Veil (1894). For English translations consult the "Oxford Library of the Fathers" and the "Ante-Nicene Library." See also J. Donaldson, A Critical History of Christian Litera ture and Doctrine, vol. 2 (1866) ; T. M. Wehofer, Die Apologie Justins des Philosophen and Mdrtyrers in litterarhistorischer Beziehung zum ersten Male untersucht (1897) ; A. L. Feder, Justins des Miirtyrers Lehre von Jesus Christus (1906). On the spurious writings consult A. Harnack, Diodav von Tarsus. Vier pseudo-justinische Schriften als Eigentum Diodors nachgewiesen (19o1) ; Goodenough, The Theology of Justin Martyr (1923).