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5. If, therefore, in the time of the Feast of Tabernacles the high priest enters alone into the Holy of Holies, come then, let us demonstrate that the angel appeared to Zacharias at that time, when he was in the Holy of Holies; for he appeared to him alone while he was offering incense; but the high priest never enters alone, except only at that time. Nothing prevents us from hearing the words themselves: It came to pass in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And it came to pass, while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Recall to me, beloved, that testimony which says: And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the testimony when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy of Holies, until he comes out. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. It did not say, of the altar of sacrifices, but, of the altar of incense. For the outer altar was for sacrifices and burnt offerings, but the inner one for incense. So that from this, and from his appearing to him alone, and from its being said that the people were waiting for him outside, it is clear that he entered into the Holy of Holies. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried. But when he came out, he beckoned to them, and could not speak. Do you see that he was within the veil? At that time, therefore, he received the good news. And the time of the good news was that of the Feast of Tabernacles and of the fast; for this is what is meant by, You shall afflict your souls. And this feast is celebrated by the Jews about the end of the month of Gorpiaeus, as you also testify; for at that time we spent many long arguments against the Jews, accusing them of their untimely fast. At that time, therefore, Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias, also conceived; and hid herself five months, saying, Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. It is opportune then to show, finally, that when she was in the sixth month of John's gestation, Mary receives the good news of the conception. For when Gabriel came to her, he said: Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus; but as she was troubled, and sought to learn the manner, the angel answered and said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born of you will be called the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible. If, therefore, Elizabeth began to conceive after the month of Gorpiaeus, as has been shown, it is necessary to count the six intervening months from that time. These months, therefore, are Hyperberetaios, Dios, Apellaios, Audonaios, Peritios, Dystros. After this sixth month, therefore, Mary began her conception; whence also counting nine months, we shall arrive at this present month. The first month of the Lord's conception is therefore April, which is Xanthikos; after which are Artemisios, Desios, Panemos, Loios, Gorpiaios, Hyperberetaios, Dios, Apellaios, and this present month, in which we celebrate the day. But so that what is being said may be clearer to you again, taking up the same things again in brief, I will speak to your love: Once a year the high priest alone entered into the Holy of

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εʹ. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς Σκηνοπηγίας εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς μόνος, φέρε λοιπὸν ἀποδείξωμεν, ὅτι τότε ὤφθη ὁ ἄγγελος τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ, ἡνίκα εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων ἦν· μόνῳ γὰρ αὐτῷ ὤφθη θυμιῶντι· μόνος δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς οὐδέποτε εἰσέρχεται, ἀλλ' ἢ τότε μόνον. Οὐδὲν δὲ κωλύει καὶ αὐτῶν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν ῥημάτων· Ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡρώδου τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἱερεύς τις ὀνόματι Ζαχαρίας, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Ἐλισάβετ. Ἐγένετο δὲ, ἐν τῷ ἱερατεύειν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς ἐφημερίας αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας, ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι, εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ ἦν προσευχόμενον ἔξω, τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θυμιάματος. Ἀναμνήσθητί μοι, ἀγαπητὲ, τῆς μαρτυρίας ἐκείνης, τῆς λεγούσης· Καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἔσται ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, εἰσπορευομένου αὐτοῦ ἐξιλάσασθαι εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθῃ. Ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος Κυρίου, ἑστὼς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος. Οὐκ εἶπε, τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τῶν θυσιῶν, ἀλλὰ, τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος. Τὸ γὰρ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἔξω θυσιῶν ἦν καὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, τὸ δὲ ἔσω θυμιάματος. Ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀφθῆναι αὐτῷ μόνῳ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ λέγεσθαι, ὅτι ἔξω ἦν ὁ λαὸς προσδεχόμενος αὐτὸν, εὔδηλον ὅτι εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων εἰσῆλθε. Καὶ ἐταράχθη Ζαχαρίας ἰδὼν, καὶ φόβος ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ' αὐτόν· Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία, διότι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου, καὶ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην. Καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς προσδοκῶν τὸν Ζαχαρίαν, καὶ ἐθαύμαζον ἐν τῷ χρονίζειν αὐτόν. Ἐξελθὼν δὲ διένευεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο λαλῆσαι. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐσωτέρω τοῦ καταπετάσματος ἦν; Τότε τοίνυν εὐηγγελίσθη. Ὁ δὲ καιρὸς τοῦ εὐαγγελισμοῦ ὁ τῆς Σκη 49.358 νοπηγίας ἦν καὶ τῆς νηστείας· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ταπεινώσετε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν. Τελεῖται δὲ ἡ ἑορτὴ αὕτη τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις περὶ τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ Γορπιαίου μηνὸς, καθὼς καὶ ὑμεῖς μαρτυρεῖτε· τότε γὰρ τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ μακροὺς πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἀνηλώσαμεν λόγους, τῆς ἀκαίρου αὐτῶν νηστείας κατηγοροῦντες. Τότε τοίνυν καὶ ἡ Ἐλισάβετ συνέλαβεν, ἡ γυνὴ Ζαχαρίου· καὶ περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτὴν μῆνας πέντε, λέγουσα, ὅτι Οὕτω μοι πεποίηκεν ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἡμέραις αἷς ἐπεῖδεν ἀφελεῖν τὸ ὄνειδός μου ἐν ἀνθρώποις. Εὔκαιρον οὖν δεῖξαι λοιπὸν, ὅτι τὸν ἕκτον μῆνα ταύτης ἐχούσης ἐν τῇ κυήσει τοῦ Ἰωάννου, ἡ Μαρία λαμβάνει τῆς συλλήψεως τὰ εὐαγγέλια. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτὴν Γαβριὴλ, καὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Μαριάμ· εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ.

Καὶ ἰδοὺ συλλήψῃ ἐν γαστρὶ, καὶ τέξῃ υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν· θορυβουμένης δὲ ἐκείνης, καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἐπιζητούσης μαθεῖν, ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σὲ, καὶ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι· διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἐκ σοῦ ἅγιον, κληθήσεται Υἱὸς Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγγενής σου, καὶ αὐτὴ συνειληφυῖα υἱὸν ἐν γήρει αὐτῆς· καὶ οὗτος μὴν ἕκτος ἐστὶν αὐτῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ στείρα· ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ῥῆμα. Εἰ τοίνυν μετὰ τὸν Γορπιαῖον μῆνα ἀρχὴν ἔλαβε συλλαμβάνειν ἡ Ἐλισάβετ, καθὼς ἀποδέδεικται, ἀριθμῆσαι ἐξ ἐκείνου δεῖ τοὺς μεταξὺ μῆνας ἕξ. Εἰσὶ τοίνυν οὗτοι οἱ μῆνες, Ὑπερβερεταῖος, ∆ῖος, Ἀπελλαῖος, Αὐδοναῖος, Περίτιος, ∆ύστρος. Μετὰ τοῦτον οὖν τὸν ἕκτον μῆνα ἀρχὴν ἡ Μαρία τῆς συλλήψεως ἔλαβεν· ὅθεν καὶ ἐννέα μῆνας ἀριθμοῦντες, εἰς τὸν παρόντα τοῦτον ἀπαντησόμεθα μῆνα. Ἔστιν οὖν ὁ πρῶτος μὴν τῆς συλλήψεως τοῦ ∆εσπότου Ἀπρίλλιος, ὅς ἐστι Ξανθικός· μεθ' ὃν Ἀρτεμίσιος, ∆έσιος, Πάνεμος, Λώϊος, Γορπιαῖος, Ὑπερβερεταῖος, ∆ῖος, Ἀπελλαῖος, καὶ οὗτος ὁ μὴν ὁ ἐνεστὼς, καθ' ὃν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιτελοῦμεν. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ σαφέστερον ὑμῖν πάλιν γένηται τὸ λεγόμενον, ἐν συντόμῳ τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν ἀναλαβὼν, ἐρῶ πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην· Ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ εἰσήρχετο μόνος ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν