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nor does he wish to call it the house of God, but says it is theirs. But he prophesies that it will be desolate, in no other way than by being abandoned by the providence that previously watched over it, for which reason he said: “Behold, your house is left to you desolate.” And indeed it is possible to marvel at the result of the saying, that the place never at any other time endured such desolation, not even when it was captured by the Babylonians on account of their excessive impieties and idolatries and the bloody murders of the prophets; for the whole time of the desolation of the place in those days was seventy years. Therefore, the saying “Behold, your house is left to you desolate” could not have been properly said to them then. For it was not abandoned, but it received visitation after no long time, during which it was deemed worthy of a greater renewal than the former one, so that one of the prophets foretold that “the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former.” But after the voice of our Savior, how their house was abandoned by the decree of God and driven to the utmost desolation, the very sight of it shows the result more than words to those who arrive at the places. And the time, having become many years and long, confirms the decree of our Savior, as it is not only double the seventy-year desolation that happened under Babylon, but even exceeds it fourfold. But when again at some other time the Savior was walking around the said temple, his disciples, greatly admiring the buildings of the enclosure, and the size and beauty of the temple itself, were pointing them out to him, “and he answered and said to them: ‘Do you not see all these things? I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’” And that all the things of the building and of the other construction of the temple there were indeed worth seeing, the histories declare. But for the sake of an example, some remains have been preserved to this day, through which the traces of the ancient constructions are perceived. But more wonderful than all is the divine voice of our Savior's foreknowledge, which he fittingly declared to those who were astonished at the buildings, in which they marveled, how not one stone would be left upon another undemolished. For it was necessary, on account of the things that would be dared by the inhabitants, for the place to endure complete destruction and desolation, since it had indeed become the dwelling place of impious men. But how the things of the prophecy have proceeded to deeds, and the entire temple and the enclosure and the revered and beautiful edifices in it, all surpassing description, have endured desolation from that time until now, and the power of the word increases and spreads over time, so that not even a trace of foundations appears in some places. It is possible for anyone who wishes to perceive with their eyes. And if someone should say that some parts still stand, yet even of these one must expect the disappearance, as the desolation increases daily and the said prophecy is ever active with an ineffable power. But I have heard of some who interpreted the aforementioned saying differently. For it was said not about all the buildings but about a certain part, which indeed his disciples, marveling, were pointing out to him; for against that he brought forth the prophecy. But again the writing of the disciples concerning him teaches these things about the besiegers of the place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The things before were prophesied about the temple, but the things at hand were about the city itself, which the Jews called the “city of God” on account of the temple of God established in it. The philanthropist indeed weeps for the entire city, not so much for the buildings nor the ground itself as pitying the souls of the former inhabitants and their destruction, but also presents the causes of their desolation, saying, “If you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for your peace.” And it signifies his coming which occurred for the peace of the whole world. For he was the one about whom it was said “shall rise in the

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οὐδὲ τοῦ θεοῦ οἶκον βούλεται χρηματίζειν, ἀλλ' αὐτῶν εἶναί φησιν. ἔρημον δὲ αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι θεσπίζει οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ ὑπὸ τῆς πρότερον ἐπισκοπούσης αὐτὸν προνοίας καταλειφθησόμενον, δι' ὃ εἶπεν· «ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος». καὶ δὴ θαυμάσαι ἔστι τοῦ λόγου τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα, ὅτι δὴ μηδ' ἄλλοτε πώποτε τοσαύτην ὑπέμεινεν ἐρημίαν ὁ τόπος οὐδ' ὅτε διὰ τὰς ὑπερβαλλούσας αὐτῶν δυσσεβείας καὶ εἰδωλολατρείας τάς τε κατὰ τῶν προφητῶν μιαιφονίας ὑπὸ Βαβυλωνίων ἥλω· ἑβδομηκονταετὴς γὰρ ὁ πᾶς τῆς ἐρημώσεως τοῦ τόπου χρόνος κατ' ἐκείνους ἐγενήθη. διὸ οὐκ ἂν κυρίως ἐλέχθη αὐτοῖς τότε τὸ «ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος». οὐ γὰρ ἀφείθη, ἔτυχε δὲ ἐπισκοπῆς μετ' οὐ πολὺν χρόνον, καθ' ὃν ἀνανεώσεως μείζονος ἢ κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἠξιώθη, ὡς προειπεῖν τινα τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι δὴ «ἔσται ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου τούτου ἡ ἐσχάτη ὑπὲρ τὴν προτέραν». μετὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν φωνήν, ὅπως ἀφείθησαν ὅ τε οἶκος αὐτῶν διὰ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀποφάσεως εἰς ἔσχατον ἐρημίας ἤλασεν, τοῖς εἰς τοὺς τόπους ἀφικνουμένοις ἡ ὄψις αὐτὴ τοῦ λόγου μᾶλλον δείκνυσι τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα. καὶ ὁ χρόνος δὲ πολυετὴς γεγονὼς καὶ μακρός, ὡς μὴ μόνον διπλασίονα εἶναι τῆς ἑβδομηκονταετοῦς ἐρημίας τῆς ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνι γεγενημένης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τετραπλασίονα ὑπερβαίνειν τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀπόφασιν πιστοῦται. ὅτε δὲ πάλιν καὶ κατ' ἄλλον τινὰ χρόνον ὁ μὲν σωτὴρ ἀμφὶ τὸ εἰρημένον ἱερὸν ἐβάδιζεν, οἱ δ' αὐτοῦ μαθηταὶ τοῦ περιβόλου τὰς οἰκοδομὰς αὐτοῦ τοῦ τε τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ κάλλος ὑπερθαυμάζοντες ἐδείκνυον αὐτῷ, «ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· οὐ βλέπετε ταῦτα πάντα; λέγω ὑμῖν οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ὃς οὐ καταλυθήσεται». καὶ ὅτι μὴν ἀξιοθέατα ἦν πάντα τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τά τε τῆς ἄλλης κατασκευῆς τοῦ αὐτόθι νεώ, δηλοῦσιν αἱ ἱστορίαι. δείγματος δὲ χάριν εἰσέτι δεῦρο λείψανά τινα πεφύλακται, δι' ὧν τὰ ἴχνη καταλαμβάνεται τῶν πάλαι κατασκευασμάτων. πάντων δὲ θαυμασιωτέρα τυγχάνει ἡ θεϊκὴ φωνὴ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν προγνώσεως, ἣ καταλλήλως τοῖς τὰς οἰκοδομὰς ἐκπεπληγμένοις ἀπεφήνατο, ἐν οἷς ἐθαυμάζοντο πῶς οὐ μὴ μείνῃ λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ἀκαθαίρετος. δεῖν γὰρ διὰ τὰ τολμηθησόμενα τοῖς οἰκήτορσι παντελῆ φθορὰν καὶ ἐρημίαν τὸν τόπον ὑπομεῖναι, ἅτε δὴ ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν γενόμενον οἰκητήριον. ὅπως δὲ τὰ τῆς προρρήσεως εἰς ἔργα προκεχώρηκεν ὅ τε πᾶς νεὼς καὶ ὁ περίβολος τά τε ἐν αὐτῷ σεμνὰ καὶ περικαλλῆ ἱδρύματα πάντα λόγον καλύπτοντα ἐρημίαν ἐξ ἐκείνου καὶ εἰς δεῦρο ὑπέμεινεν αὔξει τε κατὰ χρόνους καὶ ἐπινέμεται ἡ τοῦ λόγου δύναμις, ὡς μηδὲ ἴχνος θεμελίων ἔν τισι φαίνεσθαι τόποις. ἔξεστι τῷ βουλομένῳ παραλαμβάνειν ὀφθαλμοῖς. εἰ δὲ φαίη τις μέρη τινὰ ἔτι συνεστάναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων χρὴ προσδοκᾶν τὸν ἀφανισμὸν ὁσημέραι τῆς ἐρημίας αὐξούσης καὶ τῆς εἰρημένης προρρήσεως ἀπορρήτῳ δυνάμει εἰς ἀεὶ ἐνεργούσης. οἶδα δέ τινων ἀκούσας ἑρμηνευσάντων τὴν προκειμένην φωνὴν ἑτέρως. μὴ γὰρ περὶ πάντων τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων εἰρῆσθαι ἀλλὰ περί τινος μέρους, ὃ δὴ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ θαυμάζοντες ἐπεδείκνυον αὐτῷ· κατ' ἐκείνου γὰρ ἐξενηνοχέναι αὐτὸν τὴν πρόρρησιν. πάλιν δὲ ἡ τῶν μαθητῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ γραφὴ ταῦτα διδάσκει ὑπὲρ τῶν τοῦ τόπου πολιορκητῶν . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . τὰ μὲν πρόσθεν περὶ τοῦ νεώ, τὰ δὲ προκείμενα περὶ τῆς πόλεως αὐτῆς ἐθεσπίζετο, ἣν «θεοῦ πόλιν» ὠνόμαζον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι διὰ τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἱδρυμένον νεών. ἀποκλαίεται δῆτα τὴν σύμπασαν πόλιν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, οὐχ οὕτω τὰ οἰκοδομήματα οὐδὲ τοὔδαφος αὐτὸ ὡς τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν πάλαι οἰκητόρων καὶ τὴν ἀπώλειαν αὐτῶν ἐλεῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐρημίας αὐτῶν αἴτια παρίστησι λέγων, «εἰ ἔγνως καί γε σὺ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην σοι». σημαίνει δὲ τὴν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν ἐπ' εἰρήνῃ τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου γεγενημένην. αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν περὶ οὗ εἴρηται «ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς