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of the four, therefore, after them their sons, having become more numerous, reigned and "multiplied evils on the earth," as is also written in the Maccabees. And the little horn speaking great things, from among the ten horns, signifies Antiochus Epiphanes, who made war on the Jews in the time of the Maccabees. Therefore, he calls all of them "part of iron, and part of earthenware," as conquering and being defeated by one another and not mixing, in the same way that iron does not mix with earthenware. 2.69 Then again he says in the image: "A stone cut from a mountain without hands," but in the vision: "A son of man coming on the clouds of heaven." Here he signifies the Lord Christ in each part, coming from Abraham and the Virgin without the seed of a man. For here he said "without hands," that is to say, without the seed of a man, and there "on the clouds of heaven," which without human hands, as from a womb bearing the rains, bring them forth. 2.70 Then again concerning the image: "And it struck the earthenware, the iron, the bronze, the silver, the gold, and it became like chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the force of the wind carried them away and no place was found for them," but in the vision: "I watched until the beast was slain and destroyed, and its body was given to be burned with fire, and the dominion of the rest of the beasts was taken away and a lengthening of life was given to them for a season," signifying the same thing in each, that when the Lord Christ comes, all these kingdoms will be destroyed, both that of the Babylonians and that of the Medes and that of the Persians and that of the Macedonians, and as many as arose from it by division, and they will be counted as nothing, which is also what happened at the time of Christ; for neither that of the Babylonians stood, nor that of the Medes, nor that of the Persians, nor that of the Macedonians, but all were overthrown. 2.71 Then again in the image he says: "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, which shall not be destroyed for ever, and his kingdom shall not be left to another people," and it will be established for ever. But in the vision he says: "And he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented to him. And to him was given dominion and honor and kingship and all peoples, tribes, and tongues will serve him. His authority is an everlasting authority, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed," again saying the same thing in each, that when the Lord Christ comes, those kingdoms will pass away and be overthrown, but his kingdom will be indestructible and eternal. 2.72 Therefore this Ptolemy is one of those who reigned in Alexandria, either Philometor, or the younger Euergetes, or the one before Cleopatra the last, who is called Dionysus; for these in their reign exceeded the twenty-seven years and they themselves are descendants of the first Ptolemies who reigned, as is also written in the marble image, which we have set in order. 2.73 For concerning the kings of the present time nothing is written in the prophet, as the Lord himself also says that: "The law and the prophets proclaimed until John." For while Nebuchadnezzar was pondering whether his kingdom has a succession, and Daniel was pondering whether the Jewish customs have a succession, the same thing was revealed to both in parallel, that: At one time the entire succession of your kingdom will cease, at the same time the Jewish customs and laws will also be abolished, and another, better state of affairs will be introduced, which will be eternal and unending, which will also take its beginning, for when the first kingdoms and the legal customs cease, it will be revealed when its founder arrives. 2.74 For concerning the Roman kingdom it is not written openly in the prophet; for it is not from the succession of Nebuchadnezzar, nor is it fitting for the polity of the Jews, that is, their good order, but rather also destructive, nor from

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οὖν τῶν τεσσάρων, μετ' αὐτοὺς οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν πλείους γενόμενοι ἐβασίλευσαν καὶ "ἐπλήθυναν κακὰ τῇ γῇ", καθὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Μακκαβαϊκοῖς ἀναγέγραπται. Τὸ δὲ κέρας τὸ μικρὸν τὸ λαλοῦν μεγάλα, τὸ ἀναμέσον τῶν δέκα κεράτων, Ἀντίοχον σημαίνει τὸν Ἐπιφανῆ, τὸν πολεμήσαντα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐπὶ τῶν Μακκαβαίων. Τούτους οὖν πάντας λέγει "μέρος μέν τι σιδηροῦν, μέρος δέ τι ὀστράκινον", ὡς νικῶντας καὶ ἡττω μένους ὑπ' ἀλλήλων καὶ μὴ μιγνυμένους, ὃν τρόπον ὁ σίδηρος οὐ μίγνυται τῷ ὀστράκῳ. 2.69 Εἶτα πάλιν λέγει ἐν μὲν τῇ εἰκόνι· "Λίθον τμηθέντα ἐξ ὄρους ἄνευ χειρῶν", ἐν δὲ τῷ ὁράματι· "Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ." Τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν ἐνταῦθα σημαίνει ἐν ἑκατέρῳ μέρει ἐκ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῆς Παρθένου ἄνευ σπέρματος ἀνδρὸς ἐρχόμενον. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα γὰρ "ἄνευ χειρῶν" εἶπεν, ἵνα εἴπῃ· ἄνευ σπέρματος ἀνδρός, κἀκεῖ "ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ", αἵτινες ἄνευ χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ὡς ἀπὸ γαστρὸς τοὺς ὑετοὺς βαστάζουσαι ἀποτίκτουσιν. 2.70 Εἶτα πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς εἰκόνος· "Καὶ ἐπάταξε τὸ ὄστρακον, τὸν σίδηρον, τὸν χαλκόν, τὸν ἄργυρον, τὸν χρυσόν, καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ κονιορτὸς ἀπὸ ἅλωνος θερινῆς, καὶ ἐξῆρεν αὐτὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ τόπος οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν αὐτοῖς", ἐν δὲ τῷ ὁράματι· "Ἐθεώρουν ἕως ὅτε ἀνῃρέθη τὸ θηρίον καὶ ἀπώλετο, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐδόθη εἰς καῦσιν πυρός, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν θηρίων ἡ ἀρχὴ μετεστάθη καὶ μακρότης ζωῆς ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἕως καιροῦ", τὸ αὐτὸ ἐφ' ἑκατέρου σημαίνων, ὅτι παραγινομένου τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ πᾶσαι αἱ βασιλεῖαι αὗται ἀναιρεθήσονται, καὶ ἡ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων καὶ ἡ τῶν Μήδων καὶ ἡ τῶν Περσῶν καὶ ἡ τῶν Μακεδόνων καὶ ὅσαι ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐκ διαιρέσεως ἐγένοντο, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν ἔτι λογισθήσονται, ὅπερ καὶ οὕτως ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοῦ καιροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὔτε γὰρ ἡ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ἵστατο, οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν Μήδων, οὔτε ἡ τῶν Περσῶν, οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν Μακεδόνων, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαι κατελύθησαν. 2.71 Εἶτα πάλιν ἐν μὲν τῇ εἰκόνι φησί· "Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν βασιλέων ἐκείνων ἀναστήσει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ βασιλείαν, ἥτις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας οὐ διαφθαρήσεται, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ λαῷ ἑτέρῳ οὐχ ὑπολειφθήσεται", καὶ ἀναστήσεται εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ὁράματί φησι· "Καὶ ἕως τοῦ Παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔφθασε καὶ προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ. Καὶ αὐτῷ ἐδόθη ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ βασιλεία καὶ πάντες οἱ λαοί, φυλαί, γλῶσσαι δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ. Ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ ἐξουσία αἰώνιος, ἥτις οὐ παρελεύσεται, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ οὐ διαφθαρήσεται", πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ ἐφ' ἑκατέρου λέγων, ὅτι ἐρχομένου τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ ἐκεῖναι μὲν αἱ βασιλεῖαι παρελεύσονται καὶ καταλυθήσονται, ἡ δὲ τούτου βασιλεία ἀκατάλυτος ἔσται καὶ αἰώνιος. 2.72 Εἷς οὖν ἐστι καὶ οὗτος ὁ Πτολεμαῖος τῶν βασιλευσάντων ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ, ἢ ὁ Φιλομήτωρ, ἢ ὁ νεώτερος Εὐεργέτης, ἢ ὁ πρὸ Κλεοπάτρας τῆς ὑστάτης, ὁ καλούμενος ∆ιονύσου· οὗτοι γὰρ ὑπερέβησαν βασιλεύοντες τὰ εἰκοσιεπτὰ ἔτη καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀπόγονοί εἰσι τῶν πρώτων βασιλευσάντων Πτολεμαίων, καθὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ μαρμαρίνῃ, ᾗ ἐτάξαμεν, ἀναγέγραπται. 2.73 Περὶ γὰρ τῶν νῦν βασιλέων οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ ἀναγέγραπται, καθὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος λέγει ὅτι· "Ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἕως Ἰωάννου προεκήρυξαν". Τοῦ γὰρ Ναβουχοδονόσορ διαλογιζομένου, εἰ ἔχει διαδοχὴν ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ διαλογιζομένου, εἰ ἔχει διαδοχὴν τὰ ἔθη τὰ ἰουδαϊκά, ἀμφοτέροις ἐκ παραλλήλου τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπεκαλύφθη ὅτι· Ἐν ἑνὶ χρόνῳ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ διαδοχὴ τῆς βασιλείας σου ἐκλείψει, ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἰουδαϊκὰ ἔθη καὶ νόμιμα καταλυθήσονται, καὶ ἑτέρα τις κατάστασις ἐπεισαχθήσεται κρείττων, ἥτις αἰώνιος καὶ ἀτελεύτητος ἔσται, ἥτις καὶ ἀρχὴν λήψεται, παυομένων μὲν γὰρ τῶν πρώτων βασιλειῶν καὶ τῶν νομικῶν ἐθῶν, ἀναδεικνυμένης δὲ ὅταν ὁ ταύτης ἀρχηγὸς παραγένηται. 2.74 Περὶ γὰρ τῆς Ῥωμαίων βασιλείας ἐν μὲν τῷ προφήτῃ οὐ φανερῶς γέγραπται· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκ διαδοχῆς ἐστι τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, οὐδὲ ἁρμοδία τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πολιτείᾳ, ἤγουν εὐνομίᾳ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ καθαιρετική, οὐδὲ ἐκ