4

and before the end I do not declare it, for your sake. See how he immediately instructed his household, and taught them that he is a lover of God. And not simply, 'Do it with us,' he says, but, 'With your servants'; and beginning, he spoke thus: 'Test your servants.' They did not refuse to show human honor, where it did not harm their piety at all; since Paul also does this. Beginning his defense, he starts with praises of the judge, speaking thus: 'Enjoying great peace through you'; and he uses civic matters. And Nathan, when prophesying, worships David, and Jacob, Pharaoh, and Abraham, his neighbors. And this man himself, 'Live forever,' he says. See a word full of flattery. But I would not call this flattery, but understanding and wisdom. Thus Paul also says: 'Walk in wisdom toward those outside, redeeming the time.' Thus also Christ taught: 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' What then? Were the vegetables unclean? Not at all, nor the water. And they continued doing this for three years. And after the end, he says, of the days which the king had said to bring them in, the chief eunuch brought them in to Nebuchadnezzar. And there were not found among all of them any like Daniel, and Hananiah, and Mishael, and 56.199 Azariah. And they stood before the king; and in every matter of wisdom and knowledge, in which the king sought of them, he found them ten times better than all the enchanters, and the magicians, who were in all his kingdom. And after the end of the days, he says, their appearance was seen to be good, and they advanced in beauty and health. See the things against nature; see the Creator opening up His own energy. For just as that sculptor would appear most skilled, who is able not only to melt down bronze and fashion it, but no less he who is able to correct a statue already made; so also in the case of God and those children one might see. For to make the bodies well-conditioned with such nourishment, was no less a proof of creative power than to make man from the earth. Whence the healthy complexion? whence the gleaming bloom? whence the strength? You know that both water-drinking and eating of vegetables diminishes strength. For he did not even bear to eat bread. And there is no small difference between worked and unworked grain. For strength comes not only from eating, but also from digesting what is given; but for these things to be digested was not according to nature. See that these signs do not take their beginning from the ambition of those who ask, but have their basis in necessary need. For he did not simply leap into the test with nothing at stake, but necessity called him to this. Thus also the soul of the children was far from ambition. And yet who, having so great a faith, and being in the midst of barbarians, would not have wished to show to the rulers the favor which God has for them? But not these. See again in the case of the refuting elders, how it comes from necessity.

CHAPTER 2.

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he had a dream

Nebuchadnezzar a dream, and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep departed from him. And yet this is the twelfth year. For if it was three years after the city was taken, and it was taken in the ninth, this is the twelfth year. Some say that among the Hebrews this number and that are represented by the same symbol. It is either a scribal error, or that the 56.200 children presented themselves in the second year. But that would not make sense. But a more difficult matter occurs. What is this? Not knowing what the dream is. And this happens clearly. For if this had not happened, the wisdom of Daniel would not have been revealed. For we see that he would have been called, and he said the future; they were saying

4

καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τέλους οὐκ ἀποφαίνο μαι, διὰ σέ. Ὅρα πῶς καὶ τοὺς οἰκέτας ἐπαίδευσεν εὐθέως, καὶ ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι φιλόθεός τίς ἐστιν. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, Μεθ' ἡμῶν, φησὶ, ποίησον, ἀλλὰ, Μετὰ τῶν παίδων σου· καὶ ἀρχόμενος οὕτως ἔλεγε· Πείρασον τοὺς παῖδάς σου. Οὐ παρῃτοῦντο τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας τιμὰς, ἔνθα τὴν εὐσέβειαν οὐδὲν ἔβλαπτεν, ἐπιδεί ξασθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος αὐτὸ ποιεῖ. Ἀπολογίας ἀρχό μενος, ἐξ ἐγκωμίων τοῦ δικάζοντος ἄρχεται οὕτω λέγων· Πολλῆς εἰρήνης τυγχάνοντες διὰ σοῦ· καὶ πολιτικοῖς κέχρηται πράγμασι. Καὶ προφητεύων δὲ ὁ Νάθαν προσκυνεῖ τὸν ∆αυῒδ, καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ τὸν Φαραὼ, καὶ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τοὺς συνοίκους. Καὶ οὗτος αὐτὸς, Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, φησὶ, ζῆθι. Ὅρα ῥῆμα κολα κείας γέμον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμι τοῦτο κολακείαν, ἀλλὰ σύνεσιν καὶ σοφίαν. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω, τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐδίδασκεν· Ἀπόδοτε τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ. Τί οὖν; τὰ σπέρματα μιαρὰ οὐκ ἦν; Οὐ δαμῶς, οὐδὲ τὸ ὕδωρ. Καὶ τοῦτο διετέλεσαν ἔτη τρία ποιοῦντες. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος, φησὶ, τῶν ἡμερῶν, ὧν εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς, εἰσ ήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ὁ ἀρχιευνοῦχος πρὸς Ναβουχοδο νόσορ. Καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθησαν ἐκ πάντων αὐτῶν ὅμοιοι ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ Ἀνανίᾳ, καὶ Μισαὴλ, καὶ 56.199 Ἀζαρίᾳ. Καὶ ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ ἐν παντὶ ῥήματι σοφίας καὶ ἐπιστήμης, ἐν οἷς ἐζήτησε παρ' αὐτῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς, εὗρεν αὐτοὺς δεκαπλασίονας ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς ἐπαοιδοὺς, καὶ τοὺς μάγους, τοὺς ὄντας ἐν πάσῃ τῇ βασι λείᾳ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος τῶν ἡμερῶν, φησὶ, ὡράθησαν αἱ ἰδέαι αὐτῶν ἀγαθαὶ, καὶ εἰς κάλλος καὶ εὐεξίαν ἐπέδωκαν. Ὅρα παρὰ φύσιν τὰ πρά γματα· ὅρα παρανοίγοντα τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν τὴν ἐνέρ γειαν τὴν αὑτοῦ. Καθάπερ γὰρ πλαστογράφος ἐκεῖνος ἂν μάλιστα φανείη, ὁ μὴ μόνον ἀναχωνεῦσαι τὸν χαλκὸν δυνάμενος καὶ διαπλάσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τού του οὐχ ἧττον ὁ γενόμενον ἤδη τὸν ἀνδριάντα διορ θῶσαι δυνάμενος· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν παίδων ἐκείνων ἴδοι τις ἄν. Τοῦ γὰρ ἀπὸ γῆς ἄνθρω πον ποιῆσαι τὸ μετὰ τοιαύτης τροφῆς εὐπαθῆ δεῖξαι τὰ σώματα οὐχ ἧττον εἰς δημιουργίας λόγον τεκμή ριον ἦν. Πόθεν ἡ εὔχροια; πόθεν τὸ ἄνθος ἀποστίλβον; πόθεν ἡ ἰσχύς; Ἴστε δὲ ὅτι καὶ καθαιρεῖ ἰσχὺν ἡ ὑδροποσία, καὶ φάγησις σπερμάτων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄρτον ἠνείχετο φαγεῖν. Οὐκ ὀλίγον δὲ τὸ μέσον τοῦ κατειρ γασμένου σίτου καὶ ἀνεργάστου. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ φα γεῖν μόνον γίνεται ἡ ἰσχὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πεφθῆναι τὰ διδόμενα· ταῦτα δὲ πεφθῆναι οὐκ ἦν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν. Ὅρα τὰ σημεῖα ταῦτα οὐκ ἐκ φιλοτιμίας τῶν αἰτούντων λαμβάνοντα τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ χρείας ἀναγκαίας ἔχοντα τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς οὐδε νὸς προκειμένου ἐπεπήδησε τῇ πείρᾳ, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγκης αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦτο καλούσης. Οὕτω καὶ πόῤῥω φιλοτι μίας ἦν τῶν παίδων ἡ ψυχή. Καίτοι γε τίς τοσαύτην ἔχων πίστιν, καὶ ἐν μέσοις βαρβάροις ὢν, οὐκ ἂν ἠθέλησεν ἐπιδείξασθαι τοῖς κρατοῦσι τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἣν ὁ Θεὸς ἔχει περὶ αὐτούς; Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὗτοι. Ὅρα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλεγχόντων πρεσβυτέρων πάλιν, πῶς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔρχεται.

ΚΕΦΑL. Βʹ.

Ἐν τῷ ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῆς βασιλείας Ναβουχοδονόσορ, ἐνυπνιάσθη

Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἐνύπνιον, καὶ ἐξέστη τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ ὕπνος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ μὴν δωδέκατον τοῦτό ἐστιν ἔτος. Εἰ γὰρ τρία ἔτη μετὰ τὸ ἁλῶναι τὴν πόλιν ἦν, ἐκείνη δὲ ἐννάτῳ ἑάλω, δωδέκατον τοῦτό ἐστιν ἔτος. Τινές φασιν ὅτι τῷ αὐτῷ σημείῳ παρ' Ἑβραίοις καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος ὁ ἀριθμὸς γίνεται. Ἡ καὶ σφάλμα γραφικόν ἐστιν, ἢ δευτέρῳ ἔτει παραστῆναι τοὺς 56.200 παῖδας. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι λόγον. Πρᾶγμα δὲ συμβαί νει ἀπορώτερον. Ποῖον δὲ τοῦτο; Τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ ἐνύπνιον. Καὶ σαφῶς τοῦτο γίνεται. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, οὐκ ἂν ἐφάνη ἡ σοφία τοῦ ∆ανιήl. Ὁρῶμεν γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ἐκλήθη ἂν, καὶ εἶπε τὸ μέλλον· ἔλεγον