Origen of Alexandria, On the Belly-Myther

On the ventriloquist

Samuel is brought up by a ventriloquist, the chosen one of the prophets, the one dedicated to god from birth, the one who before his birth was said to

And even by the hand of the prophets and in dreams i called to show me what i should do'. again the scripture did not say otherwise, but that samuel

They opened their mouth against me, like a lion tearing and roaring. my bones were scattered.” we remember, if indeed we remember the sacred letters

Of me.” this john, therefore, who leaped before birth, who said: ‘this is he of whom i said: he who comes after me has come to be before me’ and: ‘he

Of the holy spirit, so that it abandoned him and fled from his governing faculty which david also feared then after his sin, and said: and take not

Samuel is brought up by a ventriloquist, the chosen one of the prophets, the one dedicated to God from birth, the one who before his birth was said to be in the temple, the one who, as soon as he was weaned, put on an ephod and was clothed in a double-folded cloak and became a priest of the Lord, to whom while he was still a child the Lord speaking gave an oracle? Samuel in Hades? Samuel in the underworld, he who succeeded Eli, who was condemned by providence on account of the sins and transgressions of his children? Samuel in Hades, whom God heard in the season of the wheat harvest, and gave rain to come from heaven? Samuel in Hades, he who spoke so freely, whether he had taken anyone’s desired possession? He did not take the calf, he did not take the ox, he judged and condemned the people while remaining poor; he never desired to take anything from a people so great and so numerous. Why is Samuel in Hades? Do you see what follows from Samuel being in Hades? Samuel in Hades? Why not also Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in Hades? Samuel in Hades? Why not also Moses who is paired with Samuel according to what was said: "even if Moses and Samuel stood, not even them would I hear"? Samuel in Hades? Why not also Jeremiah in Hades, to whom it was said: "before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you"? In Hades also Isaiah, in Hades also Jeremiah, in Hades all the prophets, in Hades. 4 These things, then, will he say who is unwilling to accept the argument that it is truly Samuel who was brought up; but since one must be reasonable in listening to the scriptures, when the argument has plausibly resounded against us and is truly able to disturb and move us, let us see whether the scripture has ever been understood by the one who does not accept this, or whether he argues from reputable premises, but says things contrary to what is written. For what are the things that are written? "And the woman said: Whom shall I bring up for you?" Whose person is it that says: "the woman said"? Is it the person of the Holy Spirit, by whom the scripture is believed to have been written down, or the person of someone else? For the narrative person everywhere (as also those who are versed in all kinds of discourses know) is the person of the author; but the author in these words is believed to be not a man, but the author is the Holy Spirit who moved the men. Therefore the Holy Spirit says: "And the woman said: Wh<om> shall I bring up for you? And he said: Bring up Samuel for me." Who says: "And the woman saw Samuel, and the woman cried out with a loud voice, saying"? We shall say to that one who has so resounded against us and said countless things that Samuel was not in Hades: "the woman saw Samuel," the narrative voice said this, "and the woman cried out with a loud voice and said to Saul: Why have you deceived me? You are Saul. And the king said to her: What is it? Do not be afraid. What have you seen? And the woman said to Saul: I saw gods ascending from the earth. And he said to her: What is their form? And she said to him: An old man ascending, and he is clothed in a double-folded ephod." It says that she had seen also the priestly garment. But I know that <the one from the> opposite [from the] argument says: "No wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing then, if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness." But what is it that "the woman saw"? "Samuel." And why was it not said: The woman saw a demon, which was pretending to be Samuel? But it is written that "Saul knew that it was Samuel." <If it had not been Samuel, it should have been written: And Saul thought that it was Samuel. But now it is written: "Saul knew," and no one knew what is not; "Saul knew," therefore, "that it was Samuel."> "and he fell on his face on the ground and worshipped." Then again the person of the scripture: "And Samuel said to Saul: Why have you enraged me by bringing me up?" "Said" (says the scripture which must be believed) "Samuel said: Why have you enraged me by bringing me up?" Then to this Saul answers: "The foreigners war fiercely against me, and God has departed from me and has not answered me any more,

Σαμουὴλ ὑπὸ ἐγγαστρι μύθου ἀνάγεται ὁ ἐξαίρετος τῶν προφητῶν, ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς γενέσεως ἀνακείμενος τῷ θεῷ, ὁ πρὸ γενέσεως ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ λεγόμενος ἔσεσθαι, ὁ ἅμα τῷ ἀπογαλακτισθῆναι ἐνδυσάμενος ἐφοὺδ καὶ περιβεβλημένος διπλοΐδα καὶ ἱερεὺς γενόμενος τοῦ κυρίου, ᾧ παιδίῳ ἔτι ὄντι ἐχρη μάτισεν ὁ κύριος λαλῶν; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς κα ταχθονίοις ὁ διαδεξάμενος Ἡλὶ διὰ τὰ τῶν τέκνων ἁμαρτήματα καὶ παρανομήματα καταδικασθέντα ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου, οὗ ὁ θεὸς ἐπήκουσεν ἐν καιρῷ θερισμοῦ πυρῶν, καὶ ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν ἐλθεῖν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου ὁ τοιαῦτα παρρησιασάμενος, εἰ ἐπιθύμημά τινος ἔλαβεν; οὐκ ἔλαβεν τὸν μόσχον, οὐκ ἔλαβεν τὸν βοῦν, ἔκρινεν καὶ κατεδίκασεν τὸν λαὸν μένων πένης· οὐδέποτε ἐπε θύμησεν λαβεῖν τι ἀπὸ τηλικούτου λαοῦ καὶ τοσούτου. Σαμουὴλ ἵνα τί ἐν ᾅδου; ὁρᾶτε τί ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; διὰ τί οὐχὶ καὶ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; διὰ τί οὐχὶ καὶ Μωσῆς ὁ συνεζευγμένος τῷ Σα μουὴλ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· «οὐδὲ ἐὰν στῇ Μωσῆς καὶ Σαμουήλ, οὐδὲ ἐκείνων εἰσακούσομαι»; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; ἵνα τί μὴ καὶ Ἱερεμίας ἐν ᾅδου, πρὸς ὃν εἴρηται· «πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σε ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἡγίακά σε»; ἐν ᾅδου καὶ Ἡσαΐας, ἐν ᾅδου καὶ Ἱερεμίας, ἐν ᾅδου πάντες οἱ προφῆται, ἐν ᾅδου. 4 Ταῦτα μὲν ἐρεῖ ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος ἀγῶνα παραδέξασθαι, ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν ὄντως ὁ ἀναχθείς· ἐπεὶ δὲ δεῖ εὐγνώμονα εἶναι ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν τῶν γραφῶν, πιθανῶς καταβομβήσαντος ἡμῶν τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἀληθῶς δυναμένου ταράξαι καὶ κινῆσαι ἡμᾶς, ἴδωμεν πότερόν ποτε νενόηται ἡ γραφὴ τῷ τοῦτο μὴ παραδεξαμένῳ, ἢ ἀπὸ ἐνδόξων μὲν ἐπιχειρεῖ, ἐναντία δὲ λέγει τοῖς γεγραμμένοις. τίνα γάρ ἐστιν τὰ γεγραμμένα; «καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· τίνα ἀναγάγω σοι;» τίνος πρόσω πόν ἐστιν τὸ λέγον· «εἶπεν ἡ γυνή»; ἆρα τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἐξ οὗ πεπίστευται ἀναγεγράφθαι ἡ γραφή, ἢ πρόσωπον ἄλλου τινός; τὸ γὰρ διηγηματικὸν πρόσωπον πανταχοῦ (ὡς ἴσασιν καὶ οἱ περὶ παντοδαποὺς γενόμενοι λόγους) ἐστὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ συγγραφέως· συγγραφεὺς δ' ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν λόγων πεπίστευται εἶναι οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ συγγραφεὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ κινῆσαν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. οὐκοῦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λέγει· «καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· τί<να> ἀναγάγω σοι; καὶ εἶπεν· Σαμουὴλ ἀνάγαγέ μοι». τίς λέγει· «καὶ εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Σαμουήλ, καὶ ἐβόησεν ἡ γυνὴ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγουσα»; ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν τοσαῦτα ἡμῶν καταβομβήσαντα καὶ μυρία εἰρηκότα ὡς ἄρα Σαμουὴλ οὐκ ἦν ἐν ᾅδου· «εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Σαμουήλ», ἡ διηγηματικὴ φωνὴ τοῦτο ἔφησεν, «καὶ ἐβόησεν ἡ γυνὴ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Σαούλ· ἵνα τί παρελογίσω με; καὶ σὺ εἶ Σαούλ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ βασιλεύς· τί γάρ ἐστιν; μὴ φοβοῦ· τί ἑώρακας; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς τὸν Σαούλ· θεοὺς εἶδον ἀναβαίνοντας ἐκ τῆς γῆς. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· τί τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῖς; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος ἀνα βαίνων, καὶ αὐτὸς περιβεβλημένος διπλοΐδα ἐφούδ». λέγει αὐτὴν ἑωρακέναι καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον τὸ ἱερατικόν. οἶδα δὲ ὅτι <ὁ ἐκ τοῦ> ἐναντίου [ἐκ τοῦ] λόγου λέγει· «οὐ θαῦμα· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός. οὐ μέγα οὖν, εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετα σχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης». ἀλλὰ τί ἐστιν ὅπερ «εἶδεν ἡ γυνή»; «τὸν Σαμουήλ». καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ εἴρηται· εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ δαι μόνιον, ὃ προσεποιεῖτο εἶναι Σαμουήλ; ἀλλὰ γέγραπται ὅτι «ἔγνω Σαοὺλ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν». <εἰ μὴ ἦν Σαμουήλ, ἔδει γεγράφθαι· καὶ ἐνόμιζεν Σαοὺλ εἶναι αὐτὸν Σαμουήλ. νῦν δὲ γέγραπται· «ἔγνω Σαούλ», οὐδεὶς δὲ ἔγνω τὸ μὴ ὄν· «ἔγνω» οὖν «Σαοὺλ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν»> «καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν». εἶτα πάλιν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γραφῆς· «καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουὴλ πρὸς Σαούλ· ἵνα τί παρώργισάς με τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με;» «εἶπεν» (φησὶν ἡ γραφὴ ᾗ δεῖ πιστεύειν) «εἶπεν Σαμουήλ· ἵνα τί παρώργισάς με τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με;» εἶτα πρὸς τοῦτο ἀποκρίνεται Σαούλ· «σφόδρα οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πολεμοῦσιν ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἀπέστη ἀπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη μοι ἔτι,