Against Celsus 2.36

Then Celsus says: “What does he say too while his body is being crucified? ‘What ichor, such as flows in the blessed gods’?” He, then, is jesting; but we, from the serious Gospels, even if Celsus does not wish it, will show that the mythical, Homeric ichor did not flow from his body; but when he was already dead, “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water came out. And he who saw it has borne witness, and his witness is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.” In other dead bodies the “blood” congeals and pure “water” does not flow out; but in the dead body of Jesus there was this marvel even about the dead body, that “blood and water” poured from his side. If he brings words from the Gospel, not even rightly interpreted, in order to accuse Jesus and Christians, and keeps silent about what shows Jesus' divinity, and wishes to hear of divine signs, let him read the Gospel and see that “the centurion and those with him who were keeping watch over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and what took place, were very much afraid, saying: This was the Son of God.”