3

who will teach, let us approach the teacher who does not lie, the truth—and Christ is the hypostatic wisdom and truth, in whom are all the hidden treasures of knowledge, who is the wisdom and power of God the Father—and let us hear his voice through the divine scriptures and learn the true knowledge of all existing things. But in approaching, let us approach carefully and sincerely, not dulling the intellectual eye of our soul with the passions; for one will scarcely be able to gaze clearly at the truth with a most pure and transparent eye. If the light in us, that is, the mind, is darkness, how great is that darkness? Therefore, let us approach with our whole soul and with all our mind. For just as it is impossible for an eye that is constantly turning and being led around to gaze clearly at a visible object, but it is necessary to fix the eye attentively on what is being looked at, so too, having shaken off all dizziness of thought, let us approach the truth immaterially. But in approaching and reaching the gate, let us not be content, but let us knock vigorously, so that when the door of the bridal chamber is opened for us we may see the beauties within it. The gate, then, is the letter, but the bridal chamber within the gate is the beauty of the thoughts hidden beneath it, that is, the spirit of truth. Let us knock vigorously, let us read once, twice, many times, and thus by digging we shall find the treasure of knowledge and we shall delight in its wealth. Let us seek, let us search, let us examine, let us ask; “for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” And “ask your father, and he will show you; your elders in knowledge, and they will tell you.” If, therefore, we are lovers of learning, we shall also be learned; for all things are by nature able to be captured by diligence and labor, and before all and after all by the grace of God who gives. And since the divine apostle says: “Test all things; hold fast what is good,” let us also search the words of the philosophers outside. Perhaps we will find something of value even among them and we will reap some benefit for the soul; for every craftsman needs some instruments for the construction of his products. And it is fitting for the queen to be served by some handmaidens. Let us take, therefore, the words which are slaves of the truth and let us cast away the impiety which has tyrannized them, and let us not make bad use of what is good, let us not employ the art of words for the deception of the more simple, but, even if the truth does not need various sophisms, let us use them at least for the refutation of those who fight evil and of so-called knowledge. From these, therefore, let us make a beginning as from elements and things suitable for those still in need of milk, having invoked as helper Christ, the hypostatic Word of God, “from whom every good gift and every perfect gift is given.” And the goal for those who read will be to anchor the mind in the blessed end; and this is to be led up through the senses to that which is beyond all sense and comprehension, who is the cause and maker and creator of all things. “For from the beauty of his own creatures, the creator is seen by analogy,” and “his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood from the creation of the world through the things that are made.” With a mind, therefore, free from vainglory and humble, desiring knowledge, we shall attain what we long for; “for you cannot believe in me,” said Christ the truth, “while you receive glory from men,” and “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 2 What is the purpose. Since everyone who begins a matter without purpose travels as if in darkness—for he who toils without a purpose is altogether poor—, come, let us first state the proposed purpose of our discourse, so that what is said may be easy to grasp. Our purpose, therefore, will be to make a beginning of philosophy and to inscribe in this present tablet, in a concise way, every kind of knowledge, as far as we are able. For this reason let it be called “The Fount of Knowledge.” Therefore, I will say nothing of my own, but what has been said sporadically by divine and wise men I will set forth collectively. It is better, therefore, to know first

3

διδάξοντος, προσέλθωμεν τῷ ἀψευδεῖ διδασκάλῳ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ-Χριστὸς δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἐνυπόστατος σοφία τε καὶ ἀλήθεια, ἐν ᾧ πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς γνώσεως οἱ ἀπόκρυφοι, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς σοφία καὶ δύναμις-καὶ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ διὰ τῶν θείων γραφῶν ἀκούσωμεν καὶ μάθωμεν τὴν πάντων τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν τὴν ἀληθῆ. Προσερχόμενοι δὲ ἐπιμελῶς καὶ εἰλικρινῶς προσίωμεν, μὴ ἀμβλύνοντες ἡμῶν τὸ νοερὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμμα τοῖς πάθεσι· μόλις γὰρ ἂν καθαρωτάτῳ καὶ διειδεστάτῳ ὀφθαλμῷ τρανῶς ἐνατενίσαι τις τῇ ἀληθείᾳ δυνήσεται. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν φῶς ἤτοι ὁ νοῦς σκότος, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Ὅλῃ οὖν ψυχῇ καὶ πάσῃ διανοίᾳ προσέλθωμεν. Ὡς γὰρ ἀδύνατον ὀφθαλμὸν συχνῶς περιστρεφόμενον καὶ περιαγόμενον τρανῶς ἐνατενίσαι τῷ ὁρατῷ, ἀλλὰ δεῖ προσεχὲς τὸ ὄμμα ἐνερεῖσαι τῷ βλεπομένῳ, οὕτω πᾶσαν λογισμοῦ ζάλην ἀποσεισάμενοι ἀύλως προσέλθωμεν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Προσερχόμενοι δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῆς πύλης φθάνοντες μὴ ἀρκεσθῶμεν, ἀλλ' εὐτόνως κρούσωμεν, ὡς ἂν ἀνοιχθείσης ἡμῖν τῆς τοῦ νυμφῶνος θύρας ἴδωμεν τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ κάλλη. Πύλη μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὸ γράμμα, ὁ δὲ ἐντὸς τῆς πύλης νυμφῶν τὸ κεκρυμμένον ὑπ' αὐτὸ τῶν νοημάτων κάλλος ἤτοι τῆς ἀληθείας πνεῦμα. Εὐτόνως κρούσωμεν, ἀναγνῶμεν ἅπαξ, δίς, πολλάκις, καὶ οὕτως ὀρύσσοντες τὸν θησαυρὸν τῆς γνώσεως εὑρήσομεν καὶ τοῦ πλούτου κατατρυφήσομεν. Ζητήσωμεν, ἐρευνήσωμεν, ἀνακρίνωμεν, ἐρωτήσωμεν· «πᾶς γὰρ ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει καὶ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει καὶ τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται». Καὶ «ἐπερώτησον τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ σοι, τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους σου ἐν γνώσει καὶ ἐροῦσί σοι». Ἐὰν οὖν ὦμεν φιλομαθεῖς, ἐσόμεθα καὶ πολυμαθεῖς· ἁλωτὰ γὰρ ἐπιμελείᾳ καὶ πόνῳ γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν ἅπαντα καὶ πρὸ πάντων καὶ μετὰ πάντα τῇ τοῦ διδόντος θεοῦ χάριτι. Ἐπειδὴ δέ φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· «Πάντα δοκιμάζοντες τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε», ἐρευνήσωμεν καὶ τῶν ἔξω σοφῶν τοὺς λόγους. Ἴσως τι καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς τῶν ἀγωγίμων εὑρήσομεν καί τι ψυχωφελὲς καρπωσόμεθα· πᾶς γὰρ τεχνίτης δεῖται καί τινων ὀργάνων πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀποτελουμένων κατασκευήν. Πρέπει δὲ καὶ τῇ βασιλίδι ἄβραις τισὶν ὑπηρετεῖσθαι. Λάβωμεν τοίνυν τοὺς δούλους τῆς ἀληθείας λόγους καὶ τὴν κακῶς αὐτῶν τυραννήσασαν ἀσέβειαν ἀπωσώμεθα καὶ μὴ τῷ καλῷ κακῶς χρησώμεθα, μὴ πρὸς ἐξαπάτην τῶν ἁπλουστέρων τὴν τέχνην τῶν λόγων μεταχειρισώμεθα, ἀλλ', εἰ καὶ μὴ δεῖται ποικίλων σοφισμάτων ἡ ἀλήθεια, πρός γε τὴν τῶν κακομάχων καὶ τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως ἀνατροπὴν τούτοις ἀποχρησώμεθα. Ἐκ τούτων τοίνυν τὴν ἀρχὴν ποιησώμεθα ὡς στοιχείων καὶ τοῖς ἔτι δεομένοις γάλακτος ἁρμοζόντων Χριστὸν τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνυπόστατον λόγον ἀρωγὸν ἐπικεκλημένοι, «παρ' οὗ πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα δίδοται τέλειον». Ἔσται δὲ σκοπὸς τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι πρὸς τὸ μακάριον τέλος καθορμισθῆναι τὸν νοῦν· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἀναχθῆναι πρὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν καὶ κατάληψιν, ὅς ἐστιν ὁ τῶν πάντων αἴτιος καὶ ποιητὴς καὶ δημιουργός. «Ἐκ γὰρ καλλονῆς τῶν οἰκείων κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς κατοπτεύεται», καὶ «τὰ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται». Ἀκενοδόξῳ τοίνυν καὶ ταπεινῷ φρονήματι τῆς γνώσεως ἐφιέμενοι τοῦ ποθουμένου τευξόμεθα· «οὐ γὰρ δύνασθε πιστεύειν εἰς ἐμέ», ἔφη Χριστὸς ἡ ἀλήθεια, «δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνοντες», καὶ «πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται». 2 Τίς ὁ σκοπός. Ἐπειδὴ πᾶς ἀσκόπως ἐναρχόμενος πράγματος ὡς ἐν σκότει διαπορεύεται-ὁ γὰρ ἀσκόπως κοπιῶν καθολικῶς πτωχεύει-, φέρε τὸν προκείμενον τοῦ λόγου σκοπὸν πρότερον εἴπωμεν, ὡς ἂν εὔληπτα εἴη τὰ λεγόμενα. Σκοπὸς τοίνυν ἡμῖν ἔσται φιλοσοφίας ἀπάρξασθαι καὶ παντοδαπὴν γνῶσιν, ὅση δύναμις, συντετμημένως τῇ παρούσῃ ἐναπογράψασθαι δέλτῳ. ∆ιὸ «Πηγὴ γνώσεως» ὀνομαζέσθω. Ἐρῶ τοιγαροῦν ἐμὸν μὲν οὐδέν, τὰ δὲ σποράδην θείοις τε καὶ σοφοῖς ἀνδράσι λελεγμένα συλλήβδην ἐκθήσομαι. Ἄμεινον οὖν πρότερον γνῶναι