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to those who interpreted, as if they all sat down together at the same time and interpreted in consultation with one another. It is clear that the truth will be found in the seventy-two. So that it is known to those who wish to examine things in a truth-loving manner, that those men were not only interpreters, but also in part prophets. For they left out what was not needed for interpretation, which things Origen later compiled in their own places with asterisks. Likewise, he did not take away the additions, knowing that they were more needed, but left them with obeli where he found each of the stated things, having only marked by the obelus the notice concerning the reading of the passage. And through the lemnisci he likewise indicated those readings found in both ways by some of the seventy-two interpreters, as in the case of a few words, not being dissimilar, but similar and having the same meaning, as if one might say instead of “he spoke” “he uttered,” or instead of “he came” “he has come.” And these things we have written to you concerning the four interpretations. But concerning the fifth and sixth editions I cannot say who interpreted them or from where, only that after the persecution of the emperor Severus the fifth was found hidden in jars in Jericho in the times of Antoninus the son of Severus, who was surnamed Caracalla and Geta. For the period of the emperors from Antoninus Pius, who is interpreted as the pious, had this succession in order. After Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, also called Verus, reigns for 19 years. This same man was called Commodus Lucius. And in his time, as I said before, Symmachus the interpreter was known. After him another Commodus reigns for 13 years, around whose time we have seen that Theodotion became known, who from being a Marcionite became a Jew and interpreted the fourth interpretation. Pertinax succeeds this Commodus and reigns for six months. Severus succeeds him and reigns with his son Antoninus, also called Geta, for 18 years. And when Severus died, his son Antoninus Geta, who was surnamed Caracalla, succeeds to his rule and serves for 7 years. In his days, as I said before, the books of the fifth edition were found hidden in jars in Jericho along with other Hebrew and Greek books. Macrinus succeeds Caracalla and reigns for one year. Another Antoninus succeeds him, having reigned for 4 years. After him Alexander, the son of Mamaea, reigned for 13 years. In the middle of these times a sixth edition was found, also hidden in jars in Nicopolis near Actium. After him Maximian reigns for 3 years. Gordian succeeds him and reigns for six years. After him Philip reigns for seven years. Decius succeeded him and reigned for one year and 3 months. In the times of Decius, Origen was known, flourishing from the times of Decius until the times of Gallienus and Volusianus and beyond. And when the aforementioned persecution of Decius occurred, Babylas was martyred in Antioch, Flavianus in Rome, Alexander bishop of Jerusalem in Caesarea. And Origen himself, also called Adamantius, though having suffered much, did not reach the end of martyrdom. But having come to Caesarea Stratonis and having spent a little time in Jerusalem, then having come to Tyre for 28 years, as the account has it, he practiced his way of life, and interpreted the scriptures, at which time he also compiled the Hexapla and the two Hebrew pages opposite one another, one interpretation next to the other, naming the books the Hexapla, as was stated at length above. And having found the books of the fifth and sixth editions in the way we said,

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ἑρμηνεύσασιν, ὥσπερ εἰ ἐν τῷ ἅμα πάντες ἐκάθηντο καὶ συμβουλευτικῶς ἀλλήλοις ἡρμήνευον. Εὔδηλον ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα δύο εὑρεθήσεται ἡ ἀλήθεια. Ὥστε γνωστὸν τοῦτον τοῖς φιλαλήθως ἐξετάζειν βουλομένοις, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἑρμηνευταὶ ἐκεῖνοι γεγόνασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ μέρους προφῆται. Ὧν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν χρεία εἰς ἑρμηνείαν παρῆκαν, ἅτινα εἰς ὕστερον ἐν τοῖς σφῶν αὐτῶν τόποις μετὰ ἀστερίσκων Ὠριγένης συνέθηκεν. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὰ προστεθέντα οὐκ ἀφείλατο, εἰδὼς ὅτι αὐτῶν μᾶλλόν ἐστι χρεία, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ὀβελῶν ἔνθα ἕκαστον τῶν εἰρημένων εὗρεν εἴασε, μόνον σημειωσάμενος διὰ τοῦ ὀβελοῦ τὴν περὶ τῆς τοῦ τόπου ἀναγνώσεως εἴδησιν. ∆ιὰ δὲ τῶν λιμνίσκων ὡσαύτως ἐδήλωσε τῶν παρά τισιν ἐκ τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα δύο ἑρμηνευτῶν συναμφοτέρως εὑρεθεισῶν, ὡς ἐν σπάνει ὀλίγων λέξεων οὐκ ἀνομοίων οὐσῶν, ἀλλ' ὁμοίων μὲν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν δύναμιν ἐχουσῶν, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις ἀντὶ τοῦ «ἐλάλησεν» «ἐφθέγξατο», ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ «ἦλθεν» «ἐλήλυθε». Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ἑρμηνειῶν σοι γεγράφαμεν. Περὶ δὲ τῆς πέμπτης καὶ ἕκτης ἐκδόσεως οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν τίνες ἢ πόθεν ἑρμηνεύσαντες, ἢ μόνον ὅτι μετὰ τὸν διωγμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως Σευήρου εὑρέθη ἡ πέμπτη ἐν πίθοις ἐν Ἱεριχῷ κεκρυμμένη ἐν χρόνοις Ἀντωνίνου τοῦ υἱοῦ Σευήρου τοῦ ἐπικληθέντος Καρακάλλου τε καὶ Γέτα. Καθ' ἑξῆς γὰρ ὁ τῶν ἀπὸ Ἀντωνίνου τοῦ Πίου, τοῦ εὐσεβοῦς ἑρμηνευομένου χρόνος τῶν βασιλευσάντων ταύτην ἔσχε τὴν διαδοχήν. Μετὰ Ἀντωνῖνον τὸν Πῖον βασιλεύει Μᾶρκος Αὐρήλιος Ἀντωνῖνος, ὁ καὶ Οὐῆρος, ἔτη ιθʹ. Ἐλέγετο δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς Κόμοδος Λούκιος. Ἐν δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ τούτου, ὡς προεῖπον, Σύμμαχος ἐγνωρίζετο ὁ ἑρμηνευτής. Μετὰ τοῦτον Κόμοδος ἄλλος βασιλεύει ἔτη ιγʹ, περὶ οὗ χρόνον γνωρισθῆναι Θεοδοτίωνα εἴδομεν, τὸν ἐκ Μαρκιωνιστῶν Ἰουδαῖον γεγονότα καὶ τὴν τετάρτην ἑρμηνείαν ἑρμηνεύσαντα. Κόμοδον δὲ τοῦτον διαδέχεται Περτίναξ καὶ βασιλεύει μῆνας ἕξ. Τοῦτον διαδέχεται Σευῆρος καὶ βασιλεύει σὺν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἀντωνίνῳ τῷ καὶ Γέτᾳ ἔτη ιηʹ. Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Σευήρου διαδέχεται τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ Ἀντωνῖνος Γέτας ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Καράκαλλος καὶ ποιεῖ ἔτη ζʹ. Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τούτου, ὡς προεῖπον, εὑρέθησαν αἱ βίβλοι τῆς πέμπτης ἐκδόσεως ἐν πίθοις ἐν Ἱεριχῷ κεκρυμμέναι μετὰ ἄλλων βιβλίων ἑβραϊκῶν καὶ ἑλληνικῶν. Τὸν δὲ Καράκαλλον διαδέχεται Μακρῖνος καὶ βασιλεύει ἔτος ἕν. Τοῦτον διαδέχεται Ἀντωνῖνος ἕτερος, βασιλεύσας ἔτη δʹ. Μετὰ τοῦτον ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μαμαίας παῖς, ἔτη ιγʹ. Ἐν μέσῳ τῶν χρόνων τούτων εὑρέθη ἕκτη ἔκδοσις καὶ αὐτὴ ἐν πίθοις κεκρυμμένη ἐν Νικοπόλει τῇ πρὸς Ἀκτίᾳ. Μετὰ τοῦτον βασιλεύει Μαξιμιανὸς ἔτη γʹ. Τοῦτον διαδέχεται Γορδιανὸς καὶ βασιλεύει ἔτη ἕξ. Μετὰ τοῦτον βασιλεύει Φίλιππος ἐπὶ ἔτεσιν ἑπτά. Τοῦτον διεδέξατο ∆έκιος καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐνιαυτὸν ἕνα καὶ μῆνας γʹ. Ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις ∆εκίου Ὠριγένης ἐγνωρίζετο ἀπὸ χρόνων ∆εκίου ἀκμάσας ἕως χρόνων Γαλιήνου καὶ Οὐολουσιανοῦ καὶ ἐπέκεινα. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ διωγμοῦ τοῦ προειρημένου ∆εκίου γεγονότος ἐμαρτύρησε Βαβύλας μὲν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, Φλαβιανὸς δὲ ἐπὶ Ῥώμης, Ἀλέξανδρος ἐπίσκοπος Ἱεροσολύμων ἐν Καισαρείᾳ. Καὶ αὐτὸςδὲ Ὠριγένης ὁ καὶ Ἀδαμάντιος κληθεὶς πολλὰ πεπονθὼς εἰς τέλος τοῦ μαρτυρίου οὐκ ἔφθασεν. Ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς Καισάρειαν τὴν Στράτωνος καὶ διατρίψας εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα χρόνον ὀλίγον, εἶτα ἐλθὼν εἰς Τύρον ἐπὶ ἔτη κηʹ, ὡς ὁ λόγος ἔχει, τὴν μὲν πολιτείαν ἐνησκεῖτο, τὰς δὲ γραφὰς ἡρμήνευσεν, ὅτε καὶ τὰ ἑξαπλᾶ καὶ τὰς δύο τῶν ἑβραϊκῶν σελίδας ἄντικρυ ἐκ παραλλήλου μιᾶς ἑρμηνείας πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν συνέθηκεν ἑξαπλᾶ τὰς βίβλους ὀνομάσας, καθ' ἅπερ ἄνω διὰ πλάτους εἴρηται. Εὑρὼν δὲ τῆς πέμπτης καὶ ἕκτης ἐκδόσεως τὰς βίβλους καθ' ὃν εἴπομεν τρόπον,