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their noble birth, but looking to the sign, they should keep inextinguishable the memory of the one who gave it. And that this is true, the wilderness is witness; for having spent forty years in it, they considered circumcision superfluous, being separated from the nations, and living by themselves. But when at last they were brought into the promised land, then again the God of all commanded Jesus the son of Nun to circumcise everyone, and thus to hand over the dominion of the land. For they were about to approach foreign nations, for which reason they necessarily needed the seal that separates them from the foreign nations. But if the Jews are proud of circumcision, let them learn that not only was the patriarch circumcised, but also Ishmael the half-slave, and the household servants, and those bought with silver, and the Edomites and those from Keturah. And the Egyptians also learned to be circumcised from the Israelites; therefore, circumcision does not make men righteous. For all these are accused by the divine scripture as impious; therefore, circumcision did not justify Abraham either, but faith declared him righteous; and virtue made him more illustrious. And circumcision was given as a sign of faith. LXX The divine scripture says that the angels ate in Abraham's tent. 66 And the same scripture says that Abraham saw men; if, therefore, one must attend to the bare letter, men, not angels, ate; but if we unfold the meaning, they ate as they appeared. For just as they, having an incorporeal nature, both they themselves and their master, seemed to have bodies; for so they were seen; so they were seen eating, not by bringing the food to mouth and stomach; for they did not have bodies; but they consumed it as they wished. For it is of the utmost folly to be overly curious about the manner of the ineffable. LXXI Why was Lot not accused for having intercourse with his daughters? Because even men are accustomed to forgive those who transgress out of ignorance; therefore, no one would rightly blame Lot for the sake of the union; for he was ignorant of what was being done; but the matter of drunkenness has some blame mixed with pardon. For being greatly distressed and distraught, as one stripped of all his possessions at once, and in addition to all the other things, even of his wife, he tolerated his daughters offering wine beyond what was needed; since, indeed, he was ignorant of the plot being hatched, but suspected that what was being done was for diversion and comfort. But they are entirely blameless of any accusation; for having seen the four cities and all the villages burned by the rain of fire, and the inhabitants of Zoar swallowed up—for this is what the name signifies; for Zoar is interpreted as "swallowing up"—they thought that the human race had been utterly destroyed; and seeing the surrounding desolation and foreseeing the weakness of old age, they wished to devise both seed for the race and some diversion for themselves; using this reasoning and not serving desire, they took wine as an accomplice, and by much drinking stole the senses of their father, and made their father the sower. 67 LXXII Why then did God not prevent the unlawful union? He foresaw the impiety of the race; for the Moabites served Chemosh, and the Ammonites served Milcom; so that the Israelites, by mingling with them as relatives, might not partake of their impiety, He did not prevent the unlawful marriage; in order that, at least in this way, He might declare them abominable and detestable to the Jews; and the God of all makes this clear, proclaiming through Moses the lawgiver: "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord, even to the tenth generation, and even forever." LXXIII It seems excessively cruel for Ishmael, being a youth, to be driven out of his paternal home, with only his mother and a skin of water. And this plainly shows the virtue of Abraham; for when Sarah had said, "Cast out the bondwoman and her son," he did not obey; but when God commanded, he immediately added the deed to the word; and this, though he was affectionately disposed toward Ishmael. and

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τὴν εὐγένειαν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ σημεῖον ὁρῶντες, ἄσβεστον τοῦ δεδωκότος τοῦτο τὴν μνήμην φυλάττωσι· καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθές, ἡ ἔρημος μάρτυς· τεσσαράκοντα γὰρ χρόνους ἐν αὐτῇ διατρίψαντες, περιττὴν ἐνόμιζον τὴν περιτομήν, τῶν ἐθνῶν κεχωρισμένοι, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς πολιτευόμενοι. ἡνίκα δὲ λοιπὸν εἰς τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην εἰσήγοντο γῆν, τηνικαῦτα πάλιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς Ἰησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ προσέταξε περιτεμεῖν ἅπαντας· καὶ οὕτω τῆς γῆς παραδοῦναι τὴν δεσποτείαν. ἔμελλον γὰρ ἔθνεσιν ἀλλοφύ λοις πελάζειν, οὗ δὴ χάριν ἀναγκαίως τῆς σφραγῖδος ἐδέοντο, τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλογενῶν αὐτοὺς χωριζούσης ἐθνῶν. εἰ δὲ μέγα φρονοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῇ περιτομῇ ἰουδαῖοι, μαθέτωσαν ὡς οὐ μόνος ὁ πατριάρχης περιετμήθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰσμαὴλ ὁ ἡμίδουλος, καὶ οἱ οἰκογενεῖς οἰκέται, καὶ οἱ ἀργυρώνη τοι καὶ οἱ ἰδουμαῖοι καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Χεττούρας. ἔμαθον δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἰσραηλι τῶν καὶ αἰγύπτιοι περιτέμνεσθαι· οὐ τοίνυν ἡ περιτομὴ δικαίους ἐργά ζεται. οὗτοι γὰρ ἅπαντες ὡς δυσσεβεῖς, ὑπὸ τῆς θείας κατηγοροῦνται γραφῆς· οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἡ περιτομὴ ἐδικαίωσεν, ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν πίστις ἀπέφηνε δίκαιον· λαμπρότερον δὲ ἡ ἀρετὴ κατεσκεύασεν. ἡ δὲ περιτομὴ σημεῖον ἐδόθη τῆς πίστεως. LXX Ἡ θεία λέγει γραφή, ὅτι ἔφαγον οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ 66 Καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ λέγει γραφή, ὅτι ἄνδρας εἶδεν Ἀβραάμ· εἰ τοίνυν γυμνῷ προ σεκτέον τῷ γράμματι, ἄνδρες, οὐκ ἄγγελοι ἔφαγον· εἰ δὲ τὸν νοῦν ἀναπ τύσσωμεν, ὡς ὤφθησαν ἔφαγον. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀσώματον ἔχοντες φύσιν καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ ὁ τούτων δεσπότης, σώματα ἔχειν ἔδοξαν· οὕτως γὰρ ἑωράθησαν· οὕτως ἐσθίοντες ὤφθησαν, οὐ στόματι καὶ γαστρὶ τὴν τρο φὴν προσενεγκόντες· οὔτε γὰρ εἶχον σώματα· ἀναλώσαντες δὲ αὐτὴν ὡς ἠθέλησαν. ἀνοίας γὰρ ἐσχάτης τὸ πολυπραγμονῆσαι τῶν ἀρρήτων τὸν τρόπον. LXXI ∆ιὰ τί ὁ Λὼτ οὐκ ἐνεκλήθη ταῖς θυγατράσι μιγείς; Ἐπειδὴ τοῖς ἐξ ἀγνοίας πλημμελουμένοις καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι συγγινώσκειν εἰώθασιν· οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ τῷ Λὼτ ἐπεμέμψαιτο ἄν τις δικαίως τῆς μίξεως ἕνεκα· ἠγνόει γὰρ τὸ πραττόμενον· τὸ δὲ τῆς μέθης ἔχει τινὰ μέμψιν κεκραμένην συγγνώμῃ. ἀδημονῶν γὰρ κομιδῇ καὶ ἀλύων, ὡς πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν ὄντων γεγυμνωμένος καὶ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ὁμοζύγου ἠνέσχετο τῶν θυγατέρων τὸν οἶνον προσφερουσῶν περαι τέρω τῆς χρείας· ἅτε δὴ τὸ μὲν κατασκευαζόμενον ἀγνοῶν, ψυχαγωγίαν δὲ καὶ παραμυθίαν τὸ δρώμενον ὑποπτεύων. ἐκεῖναι δὲ παντάπασίν εἰσιν κατηγορίας ἀθῷοι· θεασάμεναι γὰρ τὰς μὲν τέσσαρας πόλεις καὶ τὰς κώ μας ἁπάσας ἐμπρησθείσας τῷ ὑετῷ τοῦ πυρός, τοὺς δὲ τὴν Σηγὼρ οἰκοῦν τας καταποθέντας-τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει καὶ τοὔνομα· κατάποσις γὰρ ἡ Σηγὼρ ἑρμηνεύεται-, ἐνόμισαν ἄρδην ἀπολωλέναι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν· καὶ τὴν κατέχουσαν ἐρημίαν ὁρῶσαι καὶ τοῦ γήρως προθεω ρήσασαι τὴν ἀσθένειαν, ἠβουλήθησαν ἐπινοῆσαι καὶ σπέρμα τῷ γένει καὶ ἑαυταῖς ψυγαγωγίαν τινά· τούτῳ χρησάμεναι τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ οὐκ ἐπιθυμίᾳ δουλεύσασαι, τὸν μὲν οἶνον ἔλαβον συνεργόν, ἔκλεψαν δὲ τῇ πλείονι πόσει τοῦ γεγεννηκότος τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἀπέφηναν δὲ τὸν πατέρα σπορέα. 67 LXXII Τί δήποτε ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐκώλυσε τὴν παράνομον μίξιν; Προεώρα τὴν τοῦ γένους ἀσέβειαν· μωαβῖται μὲν γὰρ ἐδούλευον τῷ Χαμῶς, τῷ δὲ Μελχὼμ ἀμμανῖται· ἵνα οὖν μὴ ὡς συγγενέσιν ἐπιμιγνύμε νοι τούτοις οἱ ἰσραηλῖται μετάσχωσι τῆς ἀσεβείας, οὐκ ἐκώλυσε τὸν πα ράνομον γάμον· ὅπως ταύτῃ γοῦν αὐτοὺς μυσαροὺς ἀποφήνῃ καὶ βδε λυκτοὺς ἰουδαίοις· δηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς διὰ Μωϋσέως τοῦ νομοθέτου διαγορεύων· " ἀμμανίτης καὶ μωαβίτης οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου ἕως δε κάτης γενεᾶς καὶ ἕως εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ". LXXIII Ὠμὸν ἄγαν εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ νέον ὄντα τὸν Ἰσμαὴλ ἐξελαθῆναι τῆς πατρικῆς οἰκίας, μετὰ μόνης τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἀσκοῦ τοῦ ὕδατος Καὶ τοῦτο ἄντικρυς δείκνυσι τὴν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀρετήν· τῆς μὲν γὰρ Σάρρας εἰρηκυίας, " ἔκβαλε τὴν παιδίσκην καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς ", οὐχ ὑπήκουσε· τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ κελεύσαντος, εὐθὺς τῷ λόγῳ τὸ ἔργον ἐπέθηκε· καὶ ταῦτα φιλοστόργως περὶ τὸν Ἰσμαὴλ διακείμενος. καὶ