11

kingdom from the foundation of the world." XXV Some say that paradise is in heaven. When the divine scripture says, "God further caused to spring up from the earth every tree that is beautiful to the sight and good for food," it is too audacious to abandon the teaching of the spirit and follow one’s own reasonings. XXVI "The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," should we say they are intelligible or perceptible? The divine scripture said that these too have sprouted from the earth; therefore they do not have a different nature from the other plants. For just as the wood of the cross is wood and is called salvific, because of the salvation that comes from faith in it, so also these are plants that have sprouted from the earth 30; but because of the divine decree, one of them was named "tree of life;" and the other, because the perception of sin occurred concerning it, was called the tree "of the knowledge of good and evil." And concerning this, the contest was set before Adam; but the tree of life was set forth as a kind of prize for him if he kept the commandment. Thus also the patriarchs gave names to places and wells; and one they called "well of vision," not because it bestowed the power of sight, but because the Lord of all appeared beside it; and "well of spaciousness," because after often fighting over the other wells, those from Gerar did not trouble those who had prepared this well; so "well of the oath," because the oaths were made beside it; thus Luz was named "Bethel," that is, "house of God," because the Maker of all appeared to Jacob in that place; and "hill of witness;" not because the hill was animate, but because in that place they made their covenants with each other; thus baptism is called living water, not because the water of baptism has a different nature, but because through that water divine grace bestows eternal life. Thus it was called "tree of life" because of the divine decree, and "tree of knowledge" because of the perception of sin that occurred concerning it; for not yet having had experience of sin, then having partaken of the forbidden fruit, as having transgressed the commandment, they received the stings of conscience. 31 XXVII Therefore, did they have the knowledge of good and evil before partaking of the forbidden fruit? And how was it possible for those honored with reason and made in the divine image not to have discernment of good and evil? How would the abyss of righteousness have laid down a law for them, if they did not have this knowledge in their nature, nor knew that it is good to keep the commandment, but destructive to transgress it? They had, therefore, the knowledge; but they acquired the experience later. XXVIII How then after eating did they know that they were naked, for before eating they did not have this perception? Nor do very young children naturally blush when stripped of their clothing; but as the body gradually grows, and the mind then begins to show its proper nature, nakedness is no longer tolerable for youths, but they blush and cover themselves, and if someone takes away their clothing, they cover their private parts with their hands; and for many, custom also takes away this shame; for both sailors sailing naked, and bathers seen naked by one another, do not have this shame in that context; but if someone is naked outside the baths, he blushes exceedingly. So also Adam and Eve, having just been formed, like infants and those newly born and uninitiated in sin, were not ashamed living without 32 coverings; but after the experience, they covered some parts of the body with leaves. XXIX How does Moses say that the Tigris and the Euphrates issue from paradise, which some say spring up from the mountains of Armenia? It is possible to see other rivers also issuing from one place and then going into the earth through certain chasms, and gushing up again from above; this also happens with these

11

βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου " XXV Τινὲς ἐν οὐρανῷ φασι τὸν παράδεισον εἶναι. Τῆς θείας λεγούσης γραφῆς " ἐξανέτειλεν ἔτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῆς γῆς πᾶν ξύλον ὡραῖον εἰς ὅρασιν καὶ καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν ", τολμηρὸν ἄγαν τὸ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀκολουθεῖν λογισμοῖς καταλιπόντας τὴν διδασκαλίαν τοῦ πνεύματος. XXVI " Τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὸ ξύλον τοῦ εἰδέναι γνωστὸν καλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ ", νοητὰ χρὴ λέγειν ἢ αἰσθητά; Ἐκ τῆς γῆς βεβλαστηκέναι καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν ἡ θεία γραφή· οὐ τοίνυν ἑτέραν τινὰ φύσιν ἔχει παρὰ τὰ ἄλλα φυτά. ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ξύλον ξύλον ἐστὶ καὶ σωτήριον ὀνομάζεται, διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸ πίστεως σωτηρίαν προσγινομένην, οὕτω καὶ ταῦτα φυτὰ μέν ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς γῆς 30 βεβλαστηκότα· διὰ δὲ τὸν θεῖον ὅρον θάτερον αὐτῶν " ξύλον ζωῆς " ὠνομάσθη· τὸ δὲ ἕτερον, διὰ τὸ περὶ αὐτὸ γενέσθαι τῆς ἁμαρ τίας τὴν αἴσθησιν, ξύλον ἐκλήθη " γνωστὸν καλοῦ καὶ πο νηροῦ ". καὶ περὶ τοῦτο μὲν ὁ ἀγὼν τῷ Ἀδὰμ προετέθη· τὸ δὲ τῆς ζωῆς οἷόν τι ἔπαθλον προὔκειτο τετηρηκότι τὴν ἐντολήν. οὕτω καὶ οἱ πατριάρχαι, καὶ χωρίοις καὶ φρέασι τὰς ἐπωνυμίας ἐπέθηκαν· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐκάλεσαν " φρέαρ ὁράσεως ", οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ὁρατικὴν δύναμιν ἐχαρίζετο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὤφθη παρ' αὐτῷ τῶν ὅλων ὁ Κύριος· καὶ " φρέαρ εὐ ρυχωρίας ", ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων φρεάτων πολλάκις οἱ ἀπὸ γε ράρων διαμαχεσάμενοι, οὐκ ἠνώχλησαν τοῖς τοῦτο κατεσκευακόσι τὸ φρέαρ· οὕτω " φρέαρ ὅρκου ", διὰ τὸ παρ' αὐτῷ γεγενῆσθαι τοὺς ὅρκους· οὕτως ἡ Λουζὰ " Βαιθὴλ " ὠνομάσθη, τουτέστιν " οἶκος Θεοῦ ", ἐπειδὴ ὤφθη τῷ Ἰακὼβ ἐν ἐκείνῳ γε τῷ χωρίῳ τῶν ὅλων ὁ ποιητής· καὶ " βουνὸς μάρτυς· " οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἔμψυχος ἦν ὁ βουνός, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ χωρίῳ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐπεποίηντο τὰς συνθήκας· οὕτως ὕδωρ ζῶν καλεῖται τὸ βάπτισμα, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ φύσιν ἑτέραν ἔχει τὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ὕδωρ, ἀλλ' ὅτι δι' ἐκείνου τοῦ ὕδατος ἡ θεία χάρις τὴν αἰώνιον δωρεῖται ζωήν. οὕτω " ξύλον ζωῆς " διὰ τὸν θεῖον ὅρον ἐκλήθη, καὶ " ξύλον γνώσεως ", διὰ τὴν περὶ τοῦτο γεγενημένην αἴσθησιν τῆς ἁμαρτίας· οὐδέπω γὰρ πεῖραν εἰληφότες τῆς ἁμαρτίας, εἶτα τοῦ ἀπειρημένου μετειληχότες καρποῦ, ὡς παραβεβηκό τες τὴν ἐντολήν, τὰς τοῦ συνειδότος ἀκίδας ἐδέξαντο. 31 XXVII Οὐκοῦν εἶχον τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ κακοῦ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀπει ρημένου καρποῦ μεταλήψεως; Καὶ πῶς οἱόν τε ἦν τοὺς λόγῳ τετιμημένους καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα θείαν γεγε νημένους, οὐκ ἔχειν διάκρισιν ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ; πῶς δ' ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐτε θείκει νόμον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡ ἄβυσσος, ταύτην οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐν τῇ φύσει τὴν γνῶσιν, μηδὲ γινώσκουσιν ὡς ἀγαθὸν μὲν τὸ φυλάξαι τὴν ἐντολήν, ὀλέθριον δὲ τὸ παραβῆναι; εἶχον οὖν ἄρα τὴν γνῶσιν· τὴν δὲ πεῖραν προσέλαβον ὕστερον. XXVIII Πῶς οὖν μετὰ τὴν βρῶσιν ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν, πρὸ γὰρ τῆς βρώ σεως ταύτην οὐκ εἶχον τὴν αἴσθησιν; Οὐδὲ τὰ κομιδῇ νέα παιδία ἐρυθριᾶν πέφυκε τῆς ἐσθῆτος γεγυμνωμένα· κατὰ βραχὺ δὲ τοῦ σώματος αὐξανομένου, καὶ τοῦ νοῦ λοιπὸν ἀρχομένου τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν ἐπιδεικνύναι, οὐκέτι λοιπὸν φορητὴ τοῖς μειρακίοις ἡ γύμνωσις, ἀλλ' ἐρυθριῶσι καὶ περιβάλλονται, κἄν τις ἀφέληται τὴν ἐσθῆτα, ταῖς χερσὶ τὰ παιδογόνα καλύπτουσι μόρια· πολλῶν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἔθος ἀφαιρεῖται ταύτην τὴν αἰσχύνην· καὶ γὰρ οἱ ναῦται γυμνοὶ πλέον τες, καὶ οἱ λουόμενοι γυμνοὶ ὑπ' ἀλλήλων ὁρώμενοι, ταύτην ἐνταῦθα τὴν αἰσχύνην οὐκ ἔχουσιν· ἐὰν δέ τις ἔξω τῶν βαλανείων γυμνὸς ᾖ, λίαν ἐρυθριᾷ. οὕτω καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀδὰμ εὐθὺς μὲν διαπλασθέντες, οἷα δὴ νήπιοι καὶ εὐθυγενεῖς καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀμύητοι οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο δίχα 32 περιβολαίων διάγοντες· μετὰ δὲ τὴν πεῖραν, τοῖς φύλλοις ἔνια τοῦ σώμα τος συνεκάλυψαν μόρια. XXIX Πῶς ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου φησὶν ὁ Μωϋσῆς τὸν Τιγρήτα ἐξιέναι καὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην, οὓς φασί τινες ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν ἀναβλύζειν τῆς Ἀρμενίας; Ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἄλλους ποταμοὺς ἑτέρωθεν μὲν ἐξιόντας ἔπειτα δὲ εἰς τὴν γῆν διά τινων καταδύσεων χωροῦντας, καὶ πάλιν ἄνωθεν ἀναβλύζοντας· τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων