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For this he lays down this law: 1.3.18 “But if the way is too long for you, and you are not able to bring them, because the place is far from you which the Lord your God shall choose, to put his name there, because the Lord your God shall bless you, then you shall exchange them for silver, and you shall take the silver in your hands, and you shall go to the place which the Lord your God shall choose for himself, and you shall give the silver for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul desires, and you shall eat there before the Lord your God.” 1.3.19 And again he seals the place, speaking thus: “Every firstling that is born among your herds, and among your flocks, you shall bring the males to the Lord your God. You shall not work with the firstling of your calf, and you shall not shear the firstling of your sheep; you shall eat it before the Lord your God year by year, in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, you and your house.” 1.3.20 After these things, see again in what manner he also distinguishes matters concerning the feasts, to celebrate them nowhere else on earth but only in the indicated place. For he says: “Observe the month of new things, and you shall keep the Passover to the Lord your God, sheep and oxen in the place which the Lord your God shall choose for himself.” 1.3.21 And again he reminds, saying: “You may not sacrifice the Passover in any of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you, but in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening toward the setting of the sun, at the time that you came out of the land of Egypt, and you shall boil it, and you shall eat it in the place which the Lord your God shall choose.” 1.3.22 Such then is the law of the feast of the Passover. But hear what he says about Pentecost: “You shall number for yourself seven full weeks, from when you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain, and you shall keep a feast of weeks to the Lord your God, according to the ability of your hand, as many things as you shall give, because the Lord your God has blessed you. 1.3.23 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son, and your daughter, your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite who is in your cities, and the sojourner, and the orphan, and the widow who is among you, in the place which the Lord your God shall choose for himself, that his name may be called upon there.” 1.3.24 And hear where he commands the third feast to be carried out: “You shall keep for yourself the feast of tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press, and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant and the widow, in the place which the Lord your God shall choose for himself.” 1.3.25 Therefore, by designating the place through so many things, and having said so many times that they should come to it with all their kin and with all their household, how could it be fitting for those of Judaea, even those who are a short distance away, let alone for the nations throughout the whole world? Especially when he grants no pardon to those who transgress the ordinances, but brings a curse against all who do not keep all things, saying in these very words: “Cursed is he who will not abide by all the things written in this law to do them.” 1.3.26 Consider also in another way the impossibilities for all men in the legislation of Moses. Having distinguished the voluntary and grievous sins, and having imposed punishments on each of those deserving the greatest chastisement, he lays down laws, according to which, in another way, he also brings back those who transgress unintentionally. Of which the one is as follows: 1.3.27 “If one soul from the people of the land should sin unintentionally in doing one of all the commandments of the Lord which should not be done, and he transgresses, and the sin which he has sinned becomes known to him, then he shall bring as his gift a female goat without blemish for his sin which he has sinned, in the place where they slaughter the burnt offerings, and the priest shall take some of the blood.” 1.3.28 And see how here also the one who has erred against his will must come to the place where they slaughter the burnt offerings; and this was the one he already mentioned before through many things, saying: “whichsoever

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τούτου τόνδε τίθησι τὸν νόμον· 1.3.18 «ἐὰν δὲ μακρὰν γένηται ἀπὸ σοῦ ἡ ὁδός, καὶ μὴ δυνήσῃ ἀναφέρειν αὐτά, ὅτι μακρὰν ἀπὸ σοῦ ὁ τόπος ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ, ὅτι εὐλογήσῃ σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου, καὶ ἀποδώσεις αὐτὰ ἀργυρίου, καὶ λήψῃ τὸ ἀργύριον ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου, καὶ πορεύσῃ εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου αὐτόν, καὶ δώσεις τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ παντὸς οὗ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή σου, ἐπὶ βουσίν, ἢ ἐπὶ προβάτοις, ἢ ἐπὶ οἴνῳ, ἢ ἐπὶ σικέρᾳ, ἢ ἐπὶ παντὸς οὗ ἂν ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή σου, καὶ φαγῇ ἐκεῖ ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου». 1.3.19 καὶ αὖθις τὸν τόπον ἐπισφραγίζεται ὧδέ πως φάσκων· «πᾶν πρωτότοκον ὃ ἐὰν τεχθῇ ἐν τοῖς βουσί σου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς προβάτοις σου, τὰ ἀρσενικὰ ἀποίσεις κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου. οὐκ ἐργᾷ ἐν τῷ πρωτοτόκῳ μόσχῳ, καὶ μὴ κείρῃς τὸ πρωτότοκον τῶν προβάτων σου· ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ φαγῇ αὐτὸ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐξ ἐνιαυτοῦ, ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου, σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου». 1.3.20 Μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν θέα τίνα τρόπον καὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν ἑορτῶν διαστέλλει οὐκ ἄλλοθι γῆς ἀλλ' ἢ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ δηλουμένῳ τόπῳ πανηγυρίζειν. λέγει δ' οὖν· «φύλαξαι τὸν μῆνα τῶν νέων, καὶ ποιήσεις τὸ πάσχα κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου, πρόβατα καὶ βόας ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου αὐτόν». 1.3.21 καὶ πάλιν ὑπομιμνήσκει λέγων· «οὐ δυνήσῃ θῦσαι τὸ πάσχα ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ τῶν πόλεών σου, ὧν κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσί σοι, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ἐκεῖ θύσεις τὸ πάσχα ἑσπέρας πρὸς δυσμαῖς ἡλίου, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ᾧ ἐξῆλθες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἑψήσεις, καὶ φαγῇ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου». 1.3.22 ὁ μὲν δὴ τῆς τοῦ πάσχα ἑορτῆς νόμος τοιοῦτος. περὶ δὲ τῆς πεντηκοστῆς τί φησὶν ἄκουσον· «ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδας ὁλοκλήρους ἐξαριθμήσεις σεαυτῷ, ἀρξαμένου σου δρέπανον ἐπ' ἀμητόν, καὶ ποιήσεις ἑορτὴν ἑβδομάδων κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου, καθὰ ἰσχύει ἡ χείρ σου, ὅσα ἂν δῷ σοι ὅτι εὐλόγησέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου. 1.3.23 καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ ἐνώπιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου, σὺ καὶ ὁ υἱός σου, καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ σου, ὁ παῖς σου, καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη σου, καὶ ὁ Λευίτης ὁ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσί σου, καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος, καὶ ὁ ὀρφανός, καὶ ἡ χήρα ἡ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἂν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου αὐτῷ, ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ». 1.3.24 καὶ τὴν τρίτην δ' ἑορτὴν ἔνθα προστάττει ἐκτελεῖν ἐπάκουσον· «ἑορτὴν τῶν σκηνῶν ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, ἐν τῷ συναγαγεῖν σε ἀπὸ τῆς ἄλωνός σου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ληνοῦ σου, καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ σου, σὺ καὶ ὁ υἱός σου καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ σου, ὁ παῖς σου καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη σου καὶ ἡ χήρα, ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἐὰν ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἑαυτῷ». 1.3.25 ∆ιὰ τοσούτων οὖν τὸν τόπον ἐπισημαινόμενος, τοσαυτάκις τε εἰπὼν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπαντᾶν παγγενεὶ καὶ πανοικί, πῶς ἂν ἥρμοζε τοῖς τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ ἐπὶ μικρὸν διεστῶσι, μή τί γε τοῖς καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔθνεσι; μάλιστα ὅτε οὐδὲ συγγνώμην τινὰ νέμει τοῖς παραβαίνουσι τὰ διωρισμένα, ἀρὰν δὲ κατὰ πάντων τῶν μὴ τὰ πάντα τηρούντων ἐπάγει, ῥήμασιν αὐτοῖς λέγων· «ἐπικατάρατος ὃς οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ πᾶσι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷδε τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά». 1.3.26 Θεώρησον δὲ καὶ ἄλλως τὰ ἀδύνατα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τῆς Μωσέως νομοθεσίας. διαστειλάμενος τὰ ἑκούσια καὶ χαλεπὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ τιμωρίας περιθεὶς ἑκάστῳ τῶν μεγίστης κολάσεως ἀξίων, νόμους τίθησι, καθ' οὓς ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ καὶ τοὺς ἀκουσίως πλημμελοῦντας ἐπιστρέφει. ὧν ὁ μὲν οὕτως ἔχει· 1.3.27 «ἐὰν ψυχὴ μία ἁμάρτῃ ἀκουσίως ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς γῆς ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαι μίαν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν κυρίου ἣ οὐ ποιηθήσεται, καὶ πλημμελήσῃ, καὶ γνωσθῇ αὐτῷ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἣν ἥμαρτεν, καὶ οἴσει δῶρον αὐτοῦ χίμαρον ἐξ αἰγῶν, ἄμωμον θήλειαν οἴσει περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν, ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ σφάζουσι τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα, καὶ λήψεται ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος». 1.3.28 καὶ ὅρα γε ὡς καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸν πταίσαντά τι παρὰ γνώμην ἐν τῷ τόπῳ δεῖ ἀπαντᾶν οὗ σφάζουσι τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα· οὗτος δὲ ἦν οὗ διὰ πλείστων ἤδη πρότερον ἐμνήσθη λέγων· «ὃν ἂν