But he felt it his duty to conciliate prejudice as far as he could, and so, though he would have fought to the death rather than given countenance to the belief that circumcision was necessary, he had no scruple about Circumcising Timothy; and, though he believed that for Christians the whole ancient ritual was abolished, he was quite willing, if it would smooth away the prejudices of the 'many thousands of Jews who believed,' to show, by his participation in the temple worship, that he 'walked orderly, keeping the law.
"Expositions of Holy Scripture: Romans Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)"
Alexander Maclaren
It is, however, probable that the Ethiopians received it from the Egyptians; while, on the contrary, the Phoenicians have abolished the practice of Circumcising new-born children since the enlargement of their commerce with the Greeks.
"The Bible: what it is"
Charles Bradlaugh