pt. 1. The biblical knowledge of violence: Scandal must come. The cycle of mimetic violence. Satan -- pt. 2. The enigmal of myth resolved: The horrible miracle of Appolonius of Tyana. Mythology. Sacrifice. The founding murder. Powers and principalities -- pt. 3. The victory of the cross: The uniqueness of the Bible. The uniqueness of the Gospels. The triumph of the cross. Scapegoat. The modern concern for victims. The twofold Nietzschean heritage.