Epiphanius of Salamis, On the Life and Death of Prophets

to them, that this ark no one will open again of priests or prophets, except Moses the elect of God, and the 11 tablets in it no one will unfold except Aaron. And in the resurrection first the ark will rise, and it will come out from the rock, and will be placed on Mount Sinai, and all the saints will be gathered to it, there awaiting the Lord, and fleeing the enemy who wishes to destroy him. And he sealed the rock with his finger with the name of the Lord; and the impression became like an engraving of iron. And a cloud covered the rock and no one knows that place, nor <is able> to read the name until this day and until the end of this age. And the rock is in the desert, where the ark first was made, between the mountains, in which lie Moses and Aaron; and at night a cloud like fire appears in that place according to the ancient type, because the glory of God will not cease from his law.

9. Ezekiel the prophet; he was from the land of Sarira, from the sons of the high priests, and he died in the land of the Chaldeans during the captivity; having prophesied many things about the return of the people; and about the return of the sons of Israel and about the coming of the Lord [he prophesied]. And the leader of the people killed him in their sojourning place in Babylon, being rebuked by him for worshiping idols. 12 And they buried him in the field of Maour in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad, fathers of Abraham; and the tomb is to this day a double cave; for Abraham in Hebron made the tomb of Sarah his wife in its likeness; it is called double, because it is dug and hidden from a level place and there is an upper room on the earth hanging from a rock. This prophet then gave a sign to the people to pay attention to the river Chobar, that: when its water fails, to expect the sickle of desolation to the end of the earth; and when its water floods, it signifies Jerusalem's return; which also happened. For the holy one lies in the land of the Assyrians, and many would gather at his tomb for prayer and supplication. And once, when a multitude of the Jews had gathered there for his commemoration, the Chaldeans, fearing they might revolt, were about to come upon them and kill them; but the prophet made the water of the river stand still, so that the sons of Israel could escape, crossing to the other side. But those who dared to pursue the people after them were drowned. This prophet, through prayer, spontaneously provided for them an abundant supply of fish, because they were perishing from famine; and from the multitude of fish they were fed; and for many who were failing, he prayed for life to come from God. This 13 prophet, when the people were being destroyed by the enemies, stood before their leaders and troubled them. Through wonders, the enemies became afraid and ceased. Then Ezekiel said to the people, that "1we have despaired; our hope is lost"2. And by the wonder of the bones of the dead he convinced them that there is hope for Israel both here and in the age to come. He, being there in the land of the Chaldeans, revealed to the people all the things happening in Jerusalem and in the temple. This prophet was snatched away from the land of the Chaldeans and brought to Jerusalem for the reproof of the unfaithful. This Ezekiel saw, like Moses, the place of the temple of the Lord and the broad wall, as Daniel also said that it would be built. He in Babylon judged the tribe of Dan and Gad, because they were impious toward the Lord, persecuting those who believe in the law and he performed a great wonder for them, for serpents consumed their infants and all their cattle. And he foretold that because of them the people would not return to Jerusalem, but would be in their own 14 land until the consummation of their error; for from them was also the one who killed him. For he was opposed to him until the day of his death.

αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τὴν κιβωτὸν ταύτην οὐδεὶς ἀναπτύξει ἔτι ἱερέων ἢ προφη- τῶν, εἰ μὴ Μωϋσὴς ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τὰς ἐν αὐτῇ 11 πλάκας οὐδεὶς ἀναπλώσει εἰ μὴ Ἀαρών. Καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει πρῶτον ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀναστήσεται, καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τῆς πέτρας, καὶ τεθήσεται ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινᾶ, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι πρὸς αὐτὴν συναχθήσονται, ἐκεῖ ἐκδεχόμενοι τὸν κύριον, καὶ τὸν ἐχθρὸν φεύγοντες ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν θέλοντα. Καὶ ἐσφράγισε τὴν πέτραν ἐν τῷ δακτύλῳ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου· καὶ γέγονεν ὁ τύπος ὡς γλυφὴ σιδήρου. Καὶ νεφέλη ἐσκέπασε τὴν πέτραν καὶ οὐδεὶς νοεῖ τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλ' οὔτε ἀναγνῶναι <δύναται> τὸ ὄνομα ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. Καὶ ἔστιν ἡ πέτρα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὅπου ἡ κιβωτὸς πρῶτον γέγονε, μεταξὺ τῶν ὄρεων, ἐν οἷς κεῖνται Μωϋσὴς καὶ Ἀαρών· ἐν δὲ ταῖς νυξὶ νεφέλη ὡς πῦρ γίνεται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ἐκείνῳ κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅτι οὐ μὴ παύσεται ἡ δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου αὐτοῦ.

θʹ. Ἰεζεκιὴλ ὁ προφήτης· οὗτος ἦν ἐκ γῆς Σαρηρᾶ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀρχιερέων, ἀπέθανε δὲ ἐκ τῇ γῇ τῶν Χαλδαίων ἐπὶ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας· πολλὰ προφητεύσας περὶ τῆς ἐπιστρο- φῆς τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου παρουσίας [ἐπροφήτευσεν]. Ἀπέκτεινεν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν τῇ παροικίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, ἐλεγχόμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ εἰδώλων σεβάσμασι. 12 Καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν ἀγρῷ Μαοὺρ ἐν τῷ τάφῳ Σὴμ καὶ Ἀρφαξὰδ πατέρων Ἀβραάμ· καὶ ἔστιν ὁ τάφος ἕως σήμερον σπήλαιον διπλοῦν· καὶ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐν Χεβρῶν πρὸς τὴν ὁμοιότητα αὐτοῦ ἐποίησεν τὸν τάφον Σάῤῥας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ· διπλοῦν λέγεται, ὅτι ὀρυκτόν ἐστι καὶ ἀπόκρυφον ἐξ ἐπιπέδου καὶ ὑπερῶόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ γῆς πέτρᾳ κρεμάμενον. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ προφήτης τέρας ἔδωκε τῷ λαῷ ὥστε προσέχειν τῷ ποταμῷ Χοβάρ, ὅτι· ὅταν ἐκλείπῃ τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῦ, ἐλπίζειν τὸ δρέπανον τῆς ἐρημώσεως εἰς πέρας τῆς γῆς· καὶ ὅταν πλημμυρήσῃ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ, τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπάνοδον αὐτῆς σημαίνει· ὃ καὶ γέγονεν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰς γῆν τῶν Ἀσ- συρίων κεῖται ὁ ὅσιος, καὶ πολλοὶ πρὸς τὸν τάφον αὐτοῦ συνεστρέφοντο ἐπὶ προσευχὴν καὶ ἱκεσίαν. Καί ποτε πλή- θους τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνελθόντος ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν μνήμην αὐτοῦ δεδιότες οἱ Χαλδαῖοι μὴ ἀντάρωσιν· ἔμελλον δὲ ἐπελθεῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀναιρεῖν αὐτούς· ἐποίησε δὲ ὁ προφήτης στῆναι τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ἵνα ἐκφύγωσιν υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πέραν γενόμενοι. Οἱ δὲ τολμήσαντες τὸν λαὸν ἐπιδιῶξαι ὀπίσω αὐτῶν κατεποντίσθησαν. Οὗτος ὁ προφήτης διὰ προσευχῆς αὐτομάτως αὐτοῖς δαψιλὴν τροφὴν ἰχθύων παρέσχετο, ὅτι λιμῷ διεφθείροντο· καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἰχθύων διετράφησαν· καὶ πολλοῖς ἐκλείπουσιν ζωὴν ἐλθεῖν ἐκ θεοῦ παρεκάλεσεν. Οὗτος ὁ13 προφήτης ἀπολλυμένου τοῦ λαοῦ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν προέστη τοῖς ἡγουμένοις αὐτῶν καὶ παρηνόχλησεν αὐτοῖς. ∆ιὰ τεραστίων καὶ φοβηθέντες ἐπαύσαντο οἱ πολέμιοι.Τότε ἔλεγε τῷ λαῷ ὁ Ἰεζεκιήλ, ὅτι "1διαπεφωνήκαμεν· ἀπώλετο ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν"2. Καὶ ἐν τέρασι τῶν ὀστέων τῶν νεκρῶν ἔπεισεν αὐτούς, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἐλπὶς τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ὧδε καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. Οὗτος ἐκεῖ ὢν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Χαλδαίων ἐμήνυσε τῷ λαῷ πάντα τὰ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν τῷ ναῷ γινόμενα. Οὗτος ὁ προφήτης ἡρπάγη ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας τῶν Χαλδαίων καὶ ἠνέχθη εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς ἔλεγχον τῶν ἀπί-στων. Οὗτος ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ εἶδε κατὰ τὸν Μωϋσὴν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ναοῦ κυρίου τὸ τεῖχός τε πλατύ, καθὼς εἶπε καὶ ὁ ∆ανιήλ, ὅτι κτισθήσεται. Οὗτος ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ἔκρινε τὴν φυλὴν ∆ὰν καὶ Γάδ, ὅτι ἠσέβουν πρὸς τὸν κύριον, διώκον- τες τοὺς εἰς τὸν νόμον πιστεύοντας καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοῖς τέρας μέγα, ὅτι οἱ ὄφεις ἀνήλισκον τὰ βρέφη αὐτῶν καὶ πάντα τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν. Καὶ προέλεγεν, ὅτι δι' αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐπιστρέψει ὁ λαὸς εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἰδίᾳ ἔσον- 14 ται ἕως συντελείας πλάνης αὐτῶν· ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἀνελὼν αὐτόν. Ἀντέκειτο γὰρ αὐτῷ ἕως ἡμέρας τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ.