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that the marvel might be shown, he is advised not to hand it down in mere writing, but to imitate through a material construction that immaterial creation, taking the most visible and brilliant materials found on the earth, among which gold was the most abundant, poured around the pillars in a circle, and with the gold, silver was also included, beautifying by itself the capitals and the bases of the pillars, so that, I think, the gold, when viewed from either side with the contrasting color, might shine out more. But there was a place where the material of bronze was also considered useful, becoming the capital and base for the silver columns. 1.50 And the veils and the curtains and the enclosure of the sanctuary and the roof stretching over the pillars were all appropriately completed through the weaver’s art, each from its suitable material. For some of the fabrics, the dye was hyacinth and purple and the fiery-red of scarlet, and the brilliance of fine linen, its natural and unadorned appearance. For others, linen, and for others, goat hair was taken for the needs of the fabrics. And there was a place where the red skins were also suitable for the beauty of the structure.

1.51 And these things, after his descent from the mountain, Moses had constructed through his assistants according to the pattern of creation set forth to him. But then, being in that sanctuary not made with hands, it is legislated with what adornment the priest should be resplendent when entering the holy of holies, the word having laid down the law for each detail of both the inner and the visible vesture. 1.52 The beginning of the vestments is not the hidden, but the visible. Shoulder pieces embroidered with various dyes, with which the veil had its construction, and having a great deal of gold thread. Clasps on each side holding the shoulder pieces together, fastening emeralds set in gold. And the adornment of the stones was on the one hand the natural brilliance, glistening forth from itself certain green rays, and on the other hand the marvel of the art of the engravings, the art not cutting the engraving in the likeness of any idols; but the names of the patriarchs, six on each stone, engraved, became an adornment. 1.53 And the small shields suspended from these on the front part, and the interwoven chains, alternately plaited with one another in a certain rhythm like a net and hanging down from the clasp on each side from above the small shields, so that, I think, the beauty of the plaiting might shine out the more, being made brilliant by what lay beneath. 1.54 And that adornment wrought of gold, placed before the breast, in which were certain stones of various kinds, equal in number to the patriarchs, with the rows arranged in four ways, three woven into each, showing upon themselves in letters the namesakes of the tribes. And the undergarment within the shoulder pieces, extending from the neck to the tips of the feet, becomingly adorned with the hangings of the tassels. And the lower hem, not only worked into beauty from the variety of the weaving, but also by means of the hangings of gold. These were golden bells and pomegranates, arranged alternately on the lower hem. 1.55 And also the miter for the head, all of hyacinth, and the plate on the forehead of pure gold, engraved with a certain ineffable character. And a girdle, which gathered up the flowing vestment, and the adornment of the hidden parts and all the things that are taught through riddles in the form of a vestment concerning priestly virtue. 1.56 And when he had been instructed in these and similar things, enveloped in that invisible darkness in the secret teaching of God, having become greater than himself by the addition of the mystical lessons, thus emerging again from the darkness he goes down to his kinsmen, to share with them the wonders shown to him in the theophany and to set before them the laws and to establish for the people the sanctuary and the priesthood according to the pattern shown to him on the mountain. 1.57 He was carrying

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παραδειχθείη τὸ θαῦμα, οὐ γραφῇ παραδοῦναι ψιλῇ συμβουλεύεται, ἀλλὰ μιμήσασθαι διὰ τῆς ὑλικῆς κατασκευῆς τὴν ἄϋλον ἐκείνην δημιουργίαν, τὰς φανοτέρας τε καὶ λαμπροτέρας ὕλας τῶν κατὰ τὴν γῆν εὑρισκομένων παραλαβόντα, ἐν οἷς πλείων μὲν ἦν ὁ χρυσὸς ἐν κύκλῳ περικεχυμένος τοῖς στύλοις, συμπαρελήφθη δὲ μετὰ τοῦ χρυσοῦ καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος τὰς κορυφὰς καὶ τὰς βάσεις τῶν στύλων δι' ἑαυτοῦ καλλωπίζων, ὡς ἄν, οἶμαι, τῷ διαλλάσσοντι τῆς χρόας ἑκατέρωθεν τὸ χρυσίον ἐκθεωρού μενον πλέον ἐκλάμποι. Ἔστι δὲ ὅπου καὶ ἡ τοῦ χαλκοῦ ὕλη χρήσιμος ἐνομίσθη, κεφαλὴ γινομένη καὶ βάσις τοῖς ἀργυροῖς τῶν κιόνων. 1.50 Καταπετάσματα δὲ καὶ παραπετάσματα καὶ ὁ τοῦ ναοῦ περίβολος καὶ ὁ τῶν στύλων ὑπερτεινόμενος ὄροφος καταλλήλως πάντα διὰ τῆς ὑφαντικῆς ἐπιστήμης ἐκ τῆς προσφόρου ἕκαστον ὕλης ἐπετελεῖτο. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἦν τῶν ὑφασμάτων ὑάκινθος ἡ βαφὴ καὶ πορφύρα καὶ τὸ πυραυγὲς τοῦ κοκκοβάφους ἐρυθήματος, τό τε λαμπρὸν τῆς βύσσου ἡ αὐτοφυής τε καὶ ἀνεπιτήδευτος ἰδέα. Ἑτέροις δὲ λῖνον καὶ ἄλλοις τρίχες πρὸς τὰς τῶν ὑφασμάτων χρείας παρελαμβά νοντο. Ἦν δὲ ὅπου καὶ τὰ ἐρυθρὰ τῶν δερμάτων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κατασκευάσματος ὥραν εὔθετα ἦν.

1.51 Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν μετὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους κάθοδον κατὰ τὸ ἐκτεθὲν αὐτῷ τῆς δημιουργίας ὑπόδειγμα ὁ Μωϋσῆς διὰ τῶν ὑπουργούντων κατεσκευάσατο. Τότε δὲ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἀχειροποιήτῳ ναῷ γενόμενος, καὶ οἵῳ χρὴ τὸν ἱερέα κόσμῳ λαμπρύνεσθαι τῶν ἀδύτων ἐπιβατεύοντα νομοθετεῖται, τῆς τε ἔνδοθεν περιβολῆς καὶ τῆς φαινομένης τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον τοῦ λόγου θεσμοθετήσαντος. 1.52 Ἀρχὴ δὲ τῆς τῶν ἐσθημάτων περιβολῆς οὐ τὸ κρύφιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ φαινόμενον γίνεται. Ἐπωμίδες ἐκ διαφόρου πεποικιλμέναι βαφῆς, δι' ὧν τὸ καταπέτασμα τὴν κατασκευὴν εἶχε, καὶ χρυσέῳ νήματι τὸ πλέον ἔχουσαι. Πόρπαι καθ' ἑκάτερον μέρος αἱ τὰς ἐπωμίδας συνέχουσαι σμαράγδους ἐν κύκλῳ διὰ χρυσοῦ περισφίγγουσαι. Κόσμος δὲ τοῖς λίθοις ἐκ μὲν φύσεως ἦν ἡ αὐγή, χλοεράς τινας ἀκτῖνας ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς ἀποστίλβουσα, ἐκ δὲ τῆς τέχνης τὸ ἐκ τῶν γλυφίδων θαῦμα, οὔτι γε πρὸς εἰδώλων τινῶν χαρακτῆρα τῆς τέχνης τὴν γλυφὴν ἐντεμούσης· ἀλλὰ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν πατριαρχῶν ἓξ καθ' ἑκάτερον τοῖς λίθοις ἐγκεχαραγμένα κόσμος ἐγίνετο. 1.53 Τά τε ἀπηρτημένα τούτων ἀσπίδια κατὰ τὸ ἔμπροσθεν μέρος, αἵ τε διάπλοκοι σειραὶ δι' ἀλλήλων ἐναλλὰξ κατά τινα ῥυθμὸν δικτυοειδῶς πεπλεγμέναι καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πόρπης καθ' ἑκάτερον μέρος ἄνωθεν καθειμέναι τῶν ἀσπίδων, ὡς ἄν, οἶμαι, πλέον ἡ τῆς πλοκῆς ὥρα διαλάμποι, τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ λαμπρυνομένη. 1.54 Ὅ τε χρυσότευκτος ἐκεῖνος κόσμος, ὁ τοῦ στήθους προβεβλημένος, ἐν ᾧ λίθοι τινὲς ἐκ διαφόρων γενῶν τοῖς πατριάρχαις ἰσάριθμοι, τετραχῇ τῶν στίχων διακειμένων, τρεῖς καθ' ἕκαστον ἦσαν ἐγκεκροτημένοι, τοὺς ἐπωνύμους τῶν φυλῶν ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν δείκνυντες τοῖς γράμμασιν. Ὅ τε ὑποδύτης ἔνδον τῶν ἐπωμίδων, ἐξ αὐχένος εἰς ἄκρους πόδας διήκων, τοῖς τῶν κοσύμβων ἀπαρτήμασιν εὐπρεπῶς κεκοσμημένος. Τό τε κάτω κράσπεδον οὐ μόνον ἐκ τῆς ὑφαντικῆς ποικιλίας εἰς κάλλος ἐξησκημένον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐκ χρυσίου ἀπαρτημάτων. Ταῦτα δὲ ἦν κώδωνες χρύσεοι καὶ ῥοΐσκοι ἐκ παραλλήλου τὸ κάτω κράσπεδον διειληφότες. 1.55 Ἥ τε αὖ τῆς κεφαλῆςνία ὑακινθίνη πᾶσα καὶ τὸ προμετωπίδιον πέταλον ἐξ ἀκηράτου χρυσίου ἀρρήτῳ τινὶ χαρακτῆρι κεχαραγμένον. Καὶ ζώνη, ἡ τὸ κεχυμένον τῆς περιβολῆς περιστέλλουσα, καὶ ὁ τῶν κρυφίων κόσμος καὶ πάντα ὅσα δι' αἰνιγμάτων ἐν εἴδει περιβολῆς περὶ ἱερατικῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκπαιδεύεται. 1.56 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῷ ἀοράτῳ ἐκείνῳ περισχεθεὶς γνόφῳ ἐν τῇ ἀπορρήτῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ διδασκαλίᾳ ἐξεπαιδεύθη, μείζων ἑαυτοῦ καταστὰς τῇ προσθήκῃ τῶν μυστικῶν μαθημάτων, οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ γνόφου πάλιν ἀναδυεὶς πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον κάτεισι, κοινωνήσων αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐν τῇ θεοφανείᾳ παραδειχθέντων αὐτῷ θαυμάτων καὶ τοὺς νόμους παραθησόμενος καὶ τὸν ναὸν καὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην κατὰ τὸ προδειχθὲν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους ὑπόδειγμα τῷ λαῷ κατα στήσων. 1.57 Ἔφερε