Question 48. Why did the Lord say to Mary after the resurrection: Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father? If, therefore, before the ascension no one was permitted to touch him, how a little later did he permit the disciples and Thomas to do this? But if it was permitted, how did he forbid Mary a little before what he was about to permit to many a little later? Answer. The "Do not touch me" was said to Mary by the Savior in the sense of "Do not follow me," so as to be with me always in the manner of my life before the cross. For he wished to gradually wean the disciples from the sight and presence of his body; therefore, he was neither seen by the disciples at all times during the days he spent on earth after the resurrection, nor did he make himself entirely unseen to them, but intermittently he did both, being seen by them and not being seen. Question 49. What is the proof that only two beasts and cattle, male and female, were brought forth in the creation of the world, since some of the pious have said this to establish that the tunics of skin were not given to the first humans by God from the hides of irrational animals? Answer. If in each kind there are certain progenitors, and the progenitors are works of God, while those under the progenitors are works of nature existing through seed and generation, it is clear that of each kind God made no more than the one male-female pair. But God made the tunics of skin not in a human manner but creatively; for he did not slaughter animals and sew their skins together to make tunics, but he himself created the tunics of skin. But perhaps someone will say that if God created the tunics of skin after the seven days of creation, how does the divine scripture say that God rested on the seventh day from all the works which he had begun to do? He ceased the making, that is, of making things that were not; but the skins, which he now makes, he does not now begin to make, but in the making of the animals their skins were also made long ago. According to these things also is the verse, The Lord God further formed from the earth all the cattle and beasts of the earth, and brought them to Adam, and so on; for "further" signifies the second generation of these. Question 50. Since of old the children, and now we, when singing hymns, have used the word "hosanna" and "alleluia," what is the interpretation of these? Answer. The interpretation of "alleluia" is "praise with a song the one who is," and of "hosanna," "transcendent greatness."

Ἐρώτησις μη. ∆ιὰ τί ὁ κύριος ἔλεγε πρὸς τὴν Μαρίαν μετὰ τὴν ἔγερ σιν· Μή μου ἅπτου· οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου; Eἰ μὲν οὖν πρὸ τῆς ἀναλήψεως οὐδενὶ ἐξῆν αὐτοῦ ἅπτε σθαι, πῶς μετὰ μικρὸν τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ τῷ Θωμᾷ ποιεῖν ἐπέτρεπε τοῦτο; Eἰ δὲ ἐξῆν, πῶς ὃ ἔμελλε μετὰ μικρὸν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐπιτρέπειν ἀπηγόρευσε τῇ Μαρίᾳ πρὸ μικροῦ; Ἀπόκρισις. Τὸ Μή μου ἅπτου εἴρηται πρὸς τὴν Μαρίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ σω τῆρος κατὰ τὴν ἔννοιαν τοῦ Μή μοι ἀκολούθει, ὥστε διὰ παν τὸς συνεῖναί μοι κατὰ τὴν πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ μου διαγωγήν. Ἐβούλετο γὰρ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀπεθίζειν τοὺς μαθητὰς τῆς τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ θέας τε καὶ παρουσίας· διὸ οὔτε διὰ παντὸς ὡρᾶτο τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐν αἷς διέτριβεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, οὔτε πάντη ἀθέατον αὐτοῖς ἑαυ τὸν κατέστησεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ διαλείμματος ἀμφότερα ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ τὸ ὁρᾶσθαι αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι. Ἐρώτησις μθ. Τίς ἡ ἀπόδειξις τοῦ μόνα δύο θηρία τε καὶ κτήνη, ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ, ἐν τῇ κοσμοποιΐᾳ παρῆχθαι, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτό τινες τῶν εὐσεβῶν εἰρήκασι πρὸς σύστασιν τοῦ μὴ ἐξ ἀλόγων δορᾶς τοὺς δερματίνους χιτῶνας τοῖς πρώτοις ἀνθρώποις ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δίδοσθαι; Ἀπόκρισις. Eἰ ἐν ἑκάστῳ γένει ἐστί τινα γεναρχῆ, καὶ τὰ μὲν γεναρχῆ ἐστιν ἔργα θεοῦ, τὰ δὲ ὑπὸ τὰ γεναρχῆ εἰσιν ἔργα φύσεως διὰ σπορᾶς καὶ γενέσεως ὑφεστῶτα, δῆλον ὅτι ἑκάστου γένους πλὴν τῆς μιᾶς ζυγῆς ἀῤῥενοθήλεος οὐκ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός. Χιτῶνας δὲ δερματίνους ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως ἀλλὰ δη μιουργικῶς· οὐ γὰρ ζῶα σφάξας καὶ τούτων τὰ δέρματα συῤ ῥάψας χιτῶνας ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς τοὺς χιτῶνας ἐδημιούρ γησε τοὺς δερματίνους. Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις ὅτι Eἰ ἐδημιούρ γησεν ὁ θεὸς τοὺς δερματίνους χιτῶνας μετὰ τὰς ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας τῆς δημιουργίας, πῶς λέγει ἡ θεία γραφὴ ὅτι Κατέπαυσεν ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων ὧν ἤρ ξατο ποιεῖν; Κατέπαυσε τὴν ποίησιν, τουτέστι τοῦ ποιεῖν τὰ μὴ ὄντα· τὰ δὲ δέρματα, ἃ νῦν ποιεῖ, οὐ νῦν ἄρχεται ποιεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ποιήσει τῶν ζώων καὶ τὰ δέρματα αὐτῶν ἐγίνοντο πάλαι. Κατὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὸ Ἔπλασεν ἔτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς πάντα τὰ κτήνη καὶ τὰ θηρία τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀδάμ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· τὸ γὰρ ἔτι τὴν δευτέραν σημαίνει τούτων γένεσιν. Ἐρώτησις ν. Ἐπειδὴ πάλαι μὲν οἱ παῖδες, νῦν δὲ ἡμεῖς ὑμνοῦντες τῇ ὠσαννὰ φωνῇ καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀλληλούϊα κεχρήμεθα, τίς ἐστιν ἡ τούτων ἑρμηνεία; Ἀπόκρισις. Ἑρμηνεία ἐστὶ τοῦ μὲν ἀλληλούϊα τὸ ὑμνήσατε μετὰ μέ λους τὸ ὄν, τοῦ δὲ ὠσαννὰ μεγαλωσύνη ὑπερκειμένη.