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in Assyria, they say, and for this reason they used bricks instead of stones; but without stones how could there be lime? LX Which language is more ancient? The names make it clear; for Adam and Cain and Abel and Noah, are peculiar to the Syriac language; for it is the custom of the Syrians to call red earth *adamtha*. Adam, then, is interpreted as either "earthly" or "of dust," and Cain "possession," and Adam, celebrating this, said: "I have gotten a man through God." And Abel "mourning"; for he was the first to be seen dead; and was the first to cause mourning to his parents; and Noah "rest." 57 LXI Whence, then, did Hebrew begin? I think it is a sacred language; for just as in the Greek temples there were certain peculiar characters of letters which they called "hieratic," so through Moses the God of all gave this language, it being taught, not natural; consequently, while all others speak according to the language of the nations in which they are born—those born in Italy using the language of the Italians, and those in Greece the language of the Greeks, and those in Persia the language of the Persians, and those in Egypt the language of the Egyptians; Hebrew children are not found using the Hebrew language immediately, but that of those among whom they were born. Then, having become young men, they are taught the characters of the letters; and through the letters they learn the divine Scripture, which is written in the Hebrew language. And I think that the blessed David also hints at this in the eightieth psalm: "he heard a language that he did not know." LXII But some say that the language was called Hebrew from Eber; for he alone remained with the first language and from him they were named Hebrews. But I think that they were named Hebrews from the patriarch Abraham coming from the land of the Chaldeans into Palestine, having crossed the Euphrates river; for in the Syriac language *hebra* is called "a crossing"; and so he himself was called, and the divine Scripture is a witness; for after the 58 captivity of Lot, someone came, it says, "and told Abram the crosser"; and this I found in the Hebrew text as *hebrei*; and *hebrei* when translated into Greek becomes *hebraios* (Hebrew). For also in that passage, where the Egyptian woman said concerning Joseph: "You have brought in a Hebrew servant to mock us," in the Hebrew it is *hebrei*. But if they are called Hebrews from Eber, not only should they have been so named; for many nations trace their lineage from Eber; and, to pass over all the others, from him are the Ishmaelites and those from Keturah and the Idumeans and the Amalekites and the Moabites and the Ammonites and those who inhabit Carrhae; for they trace their lineage from Nahor and Laban. But none of these uses the Hebrew language. But it is superfluous to dispute about this; for it does no harm to the doctrine of piety, whether we accept this or that. - LXIII Some say that Pharaoh had intercourse with Sarah. What care, then, did Abraham enjoy from the God of all, if he allowed his wife to be defiled? Why then did he afflict Pharaoh and all his house with great and grievous plagues, if he did not wish to prevent the unlawful union? And Pharaoh himself offers his ignorance as a defense; and he blames Abraham for having called his wife his sister; and he makes clear that he took her not wishing to insult her, but to marry her. "What is this," he says, "that you have done to me? That she is your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my 59 sister,' so that I took her to myself for a wife? And now behold, your wife is before you; take her and depart." And he not only said it, but also did it, and deemed him worthy of all kinds of care; "For," it says, "Pharaoh commanded men concerning Abraham to send him away, and his wife and all that was his." It is clear, then, that as soon as Sarah was seized, the Ruler of all bound Pharaoh with a disease; and the disease blunted his desire, and the hunter, having the prey within his nets, did not enjoy the catch; for the disease prevented it. LXIV And for what reason did the Scripture here remain silent about the

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ἐν τῇ Ἀσσυρίᾳ φασί, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ταῖς πλίν θοις ἀντὶ λίθων κεχρῆσθαι· λίθων δὲ δίχα πῶς ἂν γένοιτο ἄσβεστος; LX Ποία γλῶσσα ἀρχαιοτέρα; ∆ηλοῖ τὰ ὀνόματα· Ἀδὰμ γὰρ καὶ Κάϊν καὶ Ἄβελ καὶ Νῶε, τῆς Σύρωνἴδια γλώττης· ἀδαμθὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐρυθρὰν γῆν ἔθος τοῖς σύροις καλεῖν. Ἀδὰμ τοίνυν, ἢ ὁ γήϊνος ἢ ὁ χοϊκὸς ἑρμηνεύεται, καὶ Κάϊν κτήσις, τοῦτο δὲ ὑμνῶν ὁ Ἀδὰμ εἴρηκεν· " ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ". καὶ Ἄβελ πένθος· πρῶτος γὰρ οὗτος ὤφθη νε κρός· καὶ πρῶτος τοῖς γεγεννηκόσι προὐξένησε πένθος· καὶ Νῶε ἀνά παυσις. 57 LXI Ἡ οὖν ἑβραία πόθεν ἤρξατο; Οἶμαι αὐτὴν ἱερὰν εἶναι φωνήν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἑλληνικοῖς ναοῖς ἴδιοί τινες ἦσαν χαρακτῆρες γραμμάτων οὓς ἱερατικοὺς προσηγόρευον, οὕτω διὰ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ταύτην ἔδωκε τὴν γλῶτταν, διδακ τὴν οὖσαν, οὐ φυσικήν· τοιγάρτοι τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐν οἷς ἂν γεννηθῶσι φθεγγομένων φωνὴν καὶ τῶν μὲν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ τικτομένων τῇ ἰταλῶν κεχρημένων, τῶν δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι τῇ ἑλλήνων, καὶ τῶν ἐν Περσίδι τῇ περσῶν, καὶ τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τῇ αἰγυπτίων· τὰ ἑβραίων παιδία οὐ τῇ ἑβραίᾳ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν εὐθὺς κεχρημένα φωνῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐκείνων παρ' οἷς ἐγεννήθησαν· εἶτα μειράκια γενόμενα διδάσκεται τῶν γραμμάτων τοὺς χαρακτῆρας· μανθάνει δὲ διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων τὴν θείαν γραφήν, τῇ ἑβραΐδι γεγραμμένην φωνῇ. οἶμαι δὲ τοῦτο αἰνίττεσθαι καὶ τὸν μακάριον ∆αβὶδ ἐν τῷ ὀγδοηκοστῷ ψαλμῷ· " γλῶσσαν ἣν οὐκ ἔγνω ἤκουσεν ". LXII Ἀλλὰ τινές φασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἕβερ ἑβραίαν κεκλῆσθαι τὴν γλῶσσαν· ἐκεῖνον γὰρ μόνον ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ μεῖναι φωνῇ καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἑβραίους ὀνομασ θῆναι Ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι ἑβραίους ὀνομασθῆναι ἐκ τοῦ τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀβραὰμ ἀπὸ τῆς χαλδαίων χώρας εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην ἐλθεῖν τὸν Εὐφράτην πο ταμὸν διαβάντα· ἑβρα γὰρ τῇ σύρων φωνῇ διάβασις ὀνομάζεται· οὕτω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκαλεῖτο καὶ μάρτυς ἡ θεία γραφή· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Λὼτ 58 αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἐλθών τις, φησίν, " ἀπήγγειλεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ περάτῃ "· τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τῷ ἑβραίῳ κείμενον εὗρον ἑβρει· τὸ δὲ ἑβρει ἐξελληνιζόμενον ἑβραῖος γίνεται. καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ χωρίῳ, ἔνθα ἡ αἰγυπτία περὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἔφη· " εἰσήγαγες ἡμῖν παῖδα ἑβραῖον ἐμπαίζειν ἡμῖν ", παρὰ τῷ ἑβραίῳ ἑβρει κεῖται. εἰ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Ἕβερ ἑβραῖοι καλοῦνται, οὐ μόνους ἐχρῆν τούτους οὕτω προ σαγορεύεσθαι· πολλὰ γὰρ ἔθνη ἐκ τοῦ Ἕβερ κατάγει τὸ γένος· καὶ ἵνα τοὺς ἄλλους πάντας παρῶ, ἐκ τούτου εἰσὶν ἰσμαηλῖται καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Χεττούρας καὶ ἰδουμαῖοι καὶ ἀμαληκῖται καὶ μωαβῖται καὶ ἀμμανῖται καὶ οἱ τὰς Κάρρας οἰκοῦντες· ἐκ τοῦ γὰρ Ναχὼρ καὶ τοῦ Λάβαν τὸ γένος κατάγουσιν. ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς τούτων τῇ ἑβραΐδι χρῆται φωνῇ. ἀλλὰ περὶ τούτου ζυγομαχεῖν περιττόν· οὐδὲν γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς εὐσεβείας λυμαίνε ται, κἄν τε τοῦτο, κἄν τε ἐκεῖνο δεξώμεθα. - LXIII Τινές φασι τῇ Σάρρᾳ μιγῆναι τὸν Φαραώ. Ποίας οὖν κηδεμονίας ἀπήλαυσεν Ἀβραὰμ παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ, εἰ περιεῖδεν αὐτοῦ μοιχευομένην τὴν γαμετήν; τί δήποτε δὲ καὶ ἤτασεν ἐτασμοῖς μεγάλοις καὶ πονηροῖς τὸν Φαραώ, καὶ ἅπαντα τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ κωλῦσαι τὴν παράνομον ἠβούλετο συναφήν; καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Φαραὼ τὴν ἄγνοιαν εἰς ἀπολογίαν προβάλλεται· καὶ μέμφεται τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἀδελ φὴν κεκληκότι τὴν γαμετήν· καὶ διδάσκει ὡς οὐχ ὑβρίσαι αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ γῆμαι βουλόμενος ἔλαβε. " τί τοῦτο, γάρ φησιν, ἐποίησάς μοι, ὅτι γυνή σού ἐστιν; ἵνα τί εἶπας ἀδελφή 59 μού ἐστι, καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα; καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἐναντίον σου, λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε ". καὶ οὐ μόνον εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔπραξε, καὶ παντοδαπῆς κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσεν· " ἐνετείλατο, γάρ φησι, Φαραὼ ἀν δράσι περὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ συμπροπέμψαι αὐτόν, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ ". δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς εὐθὺς ἁρπασθείσης τῆς Σάρρας ἐπέδησε τῇ νόσῳ τὸν Φαραὼ τῶν ὅλων ὁ πρύτανις· ἡ δὲ νόσος τὴν ὄρεξιν ἤμβλυνεν, καὶ τῶν δικτύων εἴσω τὴν θήραν ἔχων ὁ θηρευτής, οὐκ ἀπήλαυσε τῆς ἄγρας· ἡ γὰρ νόσος ἐκώλυσε. LXIV Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἐσίγησεν ἡ γραφὴ τὸ