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of the creation of the world, in the 1st indiction. Let everyone who encounters this chronicle reckon the beginning of every year as the 1st of the first month of the Hebrews, Nisan, and not the first of Thoth according to the Egyptians, or the first of the month of January according to the Romans, or of any other nation beginning elsewhere. For among different nations the months and the beginnings of months and years were agreed upon differently; ignorance of which creates no small confusion for those wishing to inquire accurately about days or months or years. Therefore, thinking it good, I shall set forth for the studious their three more notable differences, being easily discernible by the patristic teachings, omitting the rest as untrodden, so to speak, of the Indians or Chaldeans or some other unfamiliar peoples. The three differences are those among the Hebrews, and among the Egyptians, and among the Romans. The first month according to the law of God is Nisan among the Hebrews, of 30 day-and-nights; from the 25th of March to the 23rd of April; from the 29th of Phamenoth to the 28th of Pharmouthi. The second month is Iar, of thirty days; from the 24th of April to the 23rd of May; from the 29th of Pharmouthi to the 28th of the month Pachon. The month Souian, of 31 days; from the 24th of May to the 23rd of June; a total of 92; from the 29th of Pachon to the 29th of Payni. Summer solstice. The month Thamnei, of 30 day-and-nights; from the 24th of June to the 23rd of July; from the 30th of Payni to the 29th of Epiphi. 7 The fifth month Arei, of 30 days; from the 24th of July to the 22nd of August; from the 30th of Epiphi to the 29th of Mesore. The sixth month Eilou, of 31 days; from the 23rd of August to the 22nd of September, a total of 182 days; from the 30th of Mesore, and the epagomenal days, to the 25th of Thoth; from the 24th of August to the 28th. For the beginning of Thoth is from the 29th of August, the fifth epagomenal day is the 30th of August, and on a leap year, the 31st of August. Autumn. The seventh month Theeleiph, of 30 days; from the 23rd of September to the 22nd of October; from the 26th of the first month Thoth according to the Egyptians to the 25th of Phaophi. The eighth month Mersouan, of 30 day-and-nights; from the 23rd of October to the 21st of November; from the 26th of Phaophi to the 25th of Athyr. The ninth month Chassaleu, of thirty-one days. a total of 273; from the 22nd of November to the 22nd of December; from the 26th of Athyr to the 26th of Choiak. Winter solstice. The tenth month Tubeth, 30 days; from the 23rd of December to the 21st of January; from the 27th of Choiak to the 26th of Tubet. The eleventh month Sabbat, of 30 days; from the 22nd of January to the 20th of February; from the 27th of Tubet to the 26th of Mecheir. The twelfth month Adar, of thirty-two days; from the 21st of February to the 24th of March; from the 27th of Mecheir to the 28th of Phamenoth. with the five-day period. These things have been set down as a summary concerning the triple difference of the months mostly in use. It remains, then, to begin from the first year of Adam and thereafter. Years of the genesis of the world. First. From the details of Genesis In the 7th year he transgressed and in the 8th they were cast out of paradise, as they say, 45 days after the transgression, at the rising of the Pleiades. And Adam spent in paradise a week of 365 days. and he was cast out with his wife Eve on account of the transgression on the 10th of the month of May. 8 Josephus and the detailed Genesis say that the beasts and the quadrupeds and the reptiles were of one voice with the first-formed people before the transgression; because, he says, the serpent spoke to Eve with a human voice, which seems to be impossible. For every rational nature is in the image of God, but these are not in the image of God. For we confess that the serpent spoke to Eve, having become a mouth for the mind, for the serpent. in which he, working in a way unusual to man compared with the other beasts, deceived the first parents through it, he who after this also spoke in lifeless idols to the idolaters enticed by him in many ways. And we do not disbelieve that the serpent was formerly four-footed and, after the evil suggestion, a reptile. In the 55th year, he says, knew

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κτίσεως κόσμου ἰνδικτίωνος αʹ. ἀρχὴν δὲ παντὸς ἔτους ἐν τῷδε τῷ χρονικῷ τὴν αʹ τοῦ πρώτου μηνὸς τοῦ παρ' Ἑβ ραίοις Νισὰν πᾶς τις ἐντυγχάνων αὐτῷ λογιζέσθω, καὶ οὐ τὴν κατὰ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους πρώτην τοῦ Θώθ, ἢ τὴν κατὰ Ῥωμαίους πρώτην τοῦ Ἰανουαρίου μηνός, ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς ἔθνους ἄλλοθεν ἀρχομένου. διαφόρως γὰρ παρὰ διαφόροις ἔθνεσιν οἱ μῆνες καὶ αἱ τῶν μηνῶν καὶ ἐνιαυτῶν ἀρχαὶ συνεφω νήθησαν· ὧν ἡ ἄγνοια τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀκριβῶς περὶ ἡμερῶν ἢ μηνῶν ἢ ἐνιαυτῶν τι ζητεῖν οὐ μικρὰν ἐμποιεῖ τὴν πλάνην. διὸ καλὸν ἡγούμενος τὰς ἐπισημοτέρας αὐτῶν διαφορὰς τρεῖς οὔσας καὶ ταῖς πατρικαῖς δι δασκαλίαις εὐδιαγνώστους εἶναι τοῖς φιλομαθέσιν ἐκθήσομαι τὰς λοιπὰς παρείς, ὡς ἀτρίπτους οἷον εἰπεῖν, Ἰνδῶν ἢ Χαλδαίων ἢ ἄλλων τινῶν ἀσυνήθων. εἰσὶ δὲ αἱ τρεῖς διαφοραὶ ἥ τε παρ' Ἑβραίοις καὶ παρ' Αἰγυ πτίοις καὶ ἡ παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις. Μὴν πρῶτος κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ νομοθεσίαν ὁ παρ' Ἑβραίοις Νισὰν νυχθημέρων λʹ· ἀπὸ κεʹ Μαρτίου ἕως κγʹ Ἀπριλλίου· ἀπὸ κθʹ τοῦ Φα μενὼθ ἕως τὰς κηʹ τοῦ Φαρμουθί. ∆εύτερος μὴν Ἰάρης ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα· ἀπὸ κδʹ Ἀπριλλίου ἕως κγʹ Μαΐου· ἀπὸ κθʹ τοῦ Φαρμουθὶ ἕως τὰς κηʹ τοῦ Παχὼν μηνός. Μὴν Σουϊὰν ἡμερῶν λαʹ· ἀπὸ κδʹ Μαΐου ἕως τὰς κγʹ Ἰουνίου· ὁμοῦ ζβʹ· ἀπὸ τὰς κθʹ τοῦ Παχὼν ἕως τὰς κθʹ τοῦ Παϋνί. Θερινὴ τροπή. Μὴν Θαμνεὶ νυχθημέρων λʹ· ἀπὸ κδʹ Ἰουνίου ἕως κγʹ Ἰουλίου· ἀπὸ λʹ τοῦ Παϋνὶ ἕως κθʹ τοῦ Ἐπιφεί. 7 Πέμπτος μὴν Ἀρεὶ ἡμερῶν λʹ· ἀπὸ κδʹ τοῦ Ἰουλίου ἕως τὰς κβʹ τοῦ Αὐγούστου· ἀπὸ λʹ τοῦ Ἐπιφεὶ ἕως τὰς κθʹ τοῦ Μεσορή. Ἕκτος μὴν Εἰλοῦ ἡμερῶν λαʹ· ἀπὸ τὰς κγʹ τοῦ Αὐγούστου ἕως τὰς κβʹ τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου, ὁμοῦ ρπβʹ ἡμέραι· ἀπὸ τὰς λʹ τοῦ Μεσορή, καὶ αἱ ἐπαγόμεναι, ἕως τὰς κεʹ τοῦ Θώθ· ἀπὸ τὰς κδʹ τοῦ Αὐγούστου ἕως τὰς κηʹ. ἡ γὰρ ἀρχὴ τοῦ Θὼθ ἀπὸ τὰς κθʹ Αὐγούστου ἐστὶ ἐπιπενθήμερος λʹ Αὐγούστου, ἐπὶ δὲ ἑξημέρου λαʹ Αὐγούστου. Φθινόπωρον. Μὴν ἕβδομος Θεελεὶφ ἡμερῶν λʹ· ἀπὸ κγʹ Σεπτεμβρίου ἕως τὰς κβʹ Ὀκτωβρίου· ἀπὸ τὰς κ ςʹ τοῦ πρώτου μηνὸς Θὼθ κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους ἕως κεʹ τοῦ Φαωφί. Ὄγδοος μὴν Μερσουὰν νυχθημέρων λʹ· ἀπὸ τὰς κγʹ Ὀκτωβρίου ἕως καʹ Νοεμβρίου· ἀπὸ τὰς κ ςʹ τοῦ Φαωφὶ ἕως κεʹ τοῦ Ἀθύρ. Ἔνατος μὴν Χασσαλεὺ ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα μιᾶς. ὁμοῦ σογʹ· ἀπὸ κβʹ Νοεμβρίου ἕως κβʹ ∆εκεμβρίου· ἀπὸ κ ςʹ τοῦ Ἀθὺρ ἕως κ ςʹ τοῦ Χοιάκ. Χειμερινὴ τροπή. ∆έκατος μὴν Τυβὴθ ἡμέρας λʹ· ἀπὸ κγʹ ∆εκεμβρίου ἕως καʹ Ἰανουα ρίου· ἀπὸ κζʹ τοῦ Χοιὰκ ἕως κ ςʹ τοῦ Τυβῆτ. Ἑνδέκατος μὴν Σαββὰτ ἡμερῶν λʹ· ἀπὸ κβʹ τοῦ Ἰανουαρίου ἕως κʹ τοῦ Φευρουαρίου· ἀπὸ κζʹ τοῦ Τυβῆτ ἕως τὰς κ ςʹ τοῦ Μεχείρ. ∆ωδέκατος μὴν Ἀδὰρ ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα δύο· ἀπὸ καʹ Φευρουαρίου ἕως κδʹ Μαρτίου· ἀπὸ κζʹ τοῦ Μεχεὶρ ἕως κηʹ τοῦ Φαμενώθ. μετὰ δὲ τῆς πενθημέρου. Ταῦτα ὡς ἐν συνόψει ἐστοιχειώθη περὶ τῆς ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ἐν χρήσει τριττῆς διαφορᾶς τῶν μηνῶν. ἀρκτέον δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου ἔτους Ἀδὰμ καὶ καθεξῆς. Γενέσεως κόσμου ἔτη. πρῶτον. Ἐκ τῶν λεπτῶν Γενέσεωσ Τῷ ζʹ ἔτει παρέβη καὶ τῷ ηʹ ἐξερρίφησαν τοῦ παραδείσου, ὥς φασι, μετὰ μεʹ ἡμέρας τῆς παραβάσεως, ἐν τῇ ἐπιτολῇ τῶν Πλειάδων. Ἐποίησε δὲ ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ἑβδομάδα ἡμερῶν τξεʹ. καὶ ἐξε βλήθη σὺν τῇ γυναικὶ Εὔᾳ διὰ τὴν παράβασιν τῇ ιʹ τοῦ Μαΐου μηνός. 8 Τὰ θηρία καὶ τὰ τετράποδα καὶ τὰ ἑρπετὰ φησὶν ὁ Ἰώσηππος καὶ ἡ λεπτὴ Γένεσις ὁμόφωνα εἶναι πρὸ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῖς πρωτοπλάστοις· διότι, φησίν, ὁ ὄφις ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ ἐλάλησε τῇ Εὔᾳ, ὅπερ ἀδύνατον εἶναι δοκεῖ. πᾶσα γὰρ λογικὴ φύσις κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ ἐστι, ταῦτα δὲ οὐκ εἰσὶ κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ. τὸν γὰρ ὄφιν ὁμολογοῦμεν λελαληκέναι τῇ Εὔᾳ, στόμα γενόμενον τῷ νοῒ τῷ ὄφει. ἐν ᾧ ἐνεργήσας ἀσυνήθει ὄντι τῷ ἀν θρώπῳ παρὰ τὰ λοιπὰ θηρία, δι' αὐτοῦ ἠπάτησε τοὺς προπάτορας, ὁ μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἀψύχοις εἰδώλοις λαλήσας τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δελεασθεῖσι πολυτρόπως εἰδωλολάτραις. τὸ δὲ εἶναι τὸν ὄφιν τετράπουν τὸ πρὶν καὶ μετὰ τὴν πονηρὰν εἰσήγησιν ἑρπηστικὸν οὐκ ἀπιστοῦμεν. Τῷ νεʹ ἔτει, φησίν, ἔγνω ὁ