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Herod again sent word to him, saying, Give me your son. Do you not know that your blood is under my hand? And Zacharias said: I am God's witness. You may have my blood, but my spirit is God's. But receive and know this, that you are shedding innocent blood in the entrance of the temple of the Lord. And Herod, angered by this, ordered him to be killed between the altar before dawn, so that his murder would not be prevented by the people. At dawn, the priests who had come to the temple were surprised, when the high priest did not meet them as was customary, and they remained outside. Therefore, when time dragged on, one of them dared to enter. And he saw congealed blood by the altar, and he heard a voice saying: Zacharias has been murdered, and his blood will not be blotted out until the avenger comes. Hearing these things, he became afraid, and going out he reported it to the priests. But they, entering, did not see the body, only the blood, and tearing their garments, they mourned, and announced it to the people, and for three days and nights they made a lamentation for him. And after this, they appointed Simeon by lot to his position, who had been divinely informed by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he should see the Lord's Christ. But another story is told about Zacharias: that there was a place around the temple where only virgins were permitted to enter and worship God; but it was not lawful for married women. Mary, therefore, having given birth to the Savior, came and stood in this place. Therefore, when those who knew she had given birth were preventing her, Zacharias said that she was worthy of the place of the virgins. So, as he was transgressing the law concerning the place of the virgins, they killed him between the altar. And these things were said in passing. But Joseph, sold into Egypt by his brothers, through divine inspiration interpreted dreams for Pharaoh, and was appointed ruler of all Egypt. And when a famine was pressing all the land, his brothers went down to Egypt, to buy grain themselves because of the famine; and Joseph, having been recognized by them, moves 777 them together with their father Jacob into Egypt with the whole family. For to Reuben were born four sons, Enoch, Phalles, Arrom, Charmei; to Simeon six, Jebuel, Jaben, Aod, Achie, Sade, Saul; and to Levi three, Gedson, Boad, and Menarei; to Judah five, Er, Aunan, who, as was written before, died, Selom, Phares, Zara; to Phares two, Arrom, and Jemoel; to Issachar four, Thala, Phona, Jasouph, Zabran; to Zebulun three, Serder, Aldon, Aiel; all thirty-three, having their lineage from Leah, and a daughter Dinah. And to Gad were born seven sons, Saphon, Aggeis, Saunis, Thasobath, Aedis, Anoedes, Ariles; to Asher four, Jemna, Joul, Meria, and Sera a daughter; and from Beria were born Chobor, and Melchiel; all these were sixteen sons of Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah, who bore them to Jacob in the name of Leah. And to Joseph were born in Egypt two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Aseneth the daughter of Petephres of Heliopolis bore to him. And from Manasseh was born Machir by a concubine, a Syrian by race; and Machir begot Galaad; and from Ephraim were born the sons Soutalam, Bad, Lam. And from Soutalam was born Eden. And to Benjamin himself were born two sons, Ballachobor and Assaer; and from Ballachobor, Geran, and Noemin, and Laches, and Esrom, and Mamphi. And Mamphi begot Arad; these sons of Rachel were all eighteen. And a son was born to Dad; and of Naphtali, Asiel, and Goumin, and Isaar, and Syllim; these sons of Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel, were all seven. But the blessed Jacob, having lived a total of 147 years, died in Egypt, having first blessed each of his sons with different blessings. And the blessing of the firstborn Joseph

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Ἡρώδης πάλιν ἐπέστελλεν αὐτῷ. ∆ὸς ἔξω, λέγων, τὸν υἱόν σου. Οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι τὸ αἷμά σου ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖρά μού ἐστιν; Καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἔφη· Μάρτυς εἰμὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Σὺ μὲν ἔχε μου τὸ αἷμα, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμά μου ὁ Θεός. ∆έξαι δὲ καὶ γίνωσκε, ὅτι ἀθῶον αἷμα ἐκχέεις εἰς τὰ πρόθυρα τοῦ ναοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ ὁ Ἡρώδης, ἐπὶ τούτοις ὀργισθεὶς, μεταξὺ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἀναιρεθῆναι αὐτὸν πρὸ τοῦ διαφαῦσαι προσέταξεν, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ κωλυθῆναι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀναίρεσιν. Ὄρθρου δὲ οἱ ἱερεῖς παραγενόμενοι εἰς τὸν ναὸν, ἐξενίζοντο, κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς μὴ ὑπαντήσαντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, καὶ ἐπέμενον ἔξω. Ὥρας οὖν παρελκούσης, εἷς τις ἐξ αὐτῶν εἰσελθεῖν ἀπετόλμησεν. Ὁ δὲ θεωρεῖ αἷμα πεπηγὸς παρὰ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἀκούει φωνῆς λεγούσης· Ζαχαρίας πεφόνευται, καὶ οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ ἔκδικος. Ἀκούων γοῦν ταῦτα ἔμφοβος ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐξελθὼν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἀπήγγειλεν. Οἱ δὲ, εἰσελθόντες, τὸ μὲν σῶμα οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ τὸ αἷμα, καὶ τὰς στολὰς ἑαυτῶν διαῤῥήξαντες, ἐκόψαντο, καὶ τῷ λαῷ ἀνήγγειλαν, καὶ τρία νυχθήμερα ἐπ' αὐτῷ θρῆνον ἐποίησαν. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα Συμεῶνα εἰς τὴν τάξιν αὐτοῦ κλήρῳ κατέστησαν, ὃς ὑπῆρχεν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος χρηματισθεὶς μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον, ἕως ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν Χριστὸν Κυρίου. Ἄλλη δέ τις ἱστορία περὶ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου ἐμφέρεται· ὡς ἄρα ἦν τις περὶ τὸν ναὸν τόπος, ἔνθα μόνας τὰς παρθένους ἐξῆν εἰσιούσας προσκυνεῖν τῷ Θεῷ· τὰς δὲ γαμηθείσας μὴ εἶναι νόμιμον. Ἡ οὖν Μαρία, γεννήσασα τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἐλθοῦσα, ἔστη ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ. Κωλυόντων οὖν αὐτὴν τῶν εἰδότων γεγεννηκυῖαν αὐτὴν, ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἔλεγεν ἀξίαν αὐτὴν εἶναι τοῦ τόπου τῶν παρθένων. Ὡς οὖν παρανομοῦντα αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν παρθένων μεταξὺ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἀπέκτειναν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἐν παρόδῳ ἐλέχθη. Ἰωσὴφ δὲ, ἀποδοθεὶς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, θείᾳ ἐπινοίᾳ τῷ Φαραὼ διακρίνας ὀνείρατα, ἡγεμὼν πάσης τῆς Αἰγύπτου καθίσταται. Καὶ λιμοῦ πᾶσαν πιέζοντος τὴν γῆν, οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ κατῆλθον εἰς Αἴγυπτον, σῖτον καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τὸν λιμὸν ὠνησόμενοι· καὶ ἀναγνωρισθεὶς αὐτοῖς Ἰωσὴφ, μεθιστᾷ 777 αὐτοὺς ἅμα τῷ πατρὶ Ἰακὼβ εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον παγγενῆ. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ Ῥουβὶν τέσσαρες παῖδες ἐγένοντο, Ἐνὼχ, Φαλὲς, Ἀῤῥὼμ, Χαρμεί· τῷ δὲ Συμεὼν ἓξ, Ἰεβουὴλ, Ἰαβὴν, Ἀὼδ, Ἀχιὴ, Σαδὴ, Σαούλ· καὶ τῶ Λευῒ τρεῖς, Γεδσὼν, Βωὰδ, καὶ Μεναρεί· τῷ δὲ Ἰούδα πέντε, Ἢρ, Αὐνὼν, οἵτινες, καθὼς προεγράφη, ἀπέθανον, Σηλὼμ, Φαρὲς, Ζαρά· τῷ δὲ Φαρὲς δύο, Ἀῤῥὼμ, καὶ Ἰεμοήλ· τῷ δὲ Ἰσσάχαρ τέσσαρες, Θαλὰ, Φονὰ, Ἰασοὺφ, Ζαβράν· τῷ Σαβουλὼν τρεῖς, Σερδὲρ, Ἀλδὼν, Αἰήλ· οἱ πάντες τριάκοντα τρεῖς, ἐκ τῆς Λείας τὸ γένος ἔχοντες, καὶ θυγατέρα ∆ίνα. Ἐγένοντο δὲ καὶ τῷ Γὰδ υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ, Σαφὼν, Ἄγγεις, Σαῦνις, Θασοβὰθ, Ἀήδις, Ἀνοήδης, Ἀρίλης· τῶδὲ Ἀσὴρ τέσσαρες, Ἰεμνὰ, Ἰοὺλ, Μερία, καὶ Σερὰθυγάτηρ· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Βερία ἐγεννήθησαν Χοβὼρ, καὶ Μελχιήλ· οὗτοι πάντες ἓξ καὶ δέκα υἱοὶ Ζελφᾶς τῆς παιδίσκης Λείας, ἥτις εἰς ὄνομα τῆς Λείας τῷ Ἰακὼβ αὐτοὺς ἐγέννησεν. Ἐτέχθησαν δὲ καὶ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παῖδες δύο, Μανασσῆς καὶ Ἐφραῒμ, οὓς ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ Ἀσινὲθ θυγάτηρ Πετεφρῆ Ἡλιοῦ. Καὶ ἐκ μὲν τοῦ Μανασσῆ ἐγεννήθη Μαχεὶρ ἐκ παλακῆς Συρίας τῷ γένει· ὁ δὲ Μαχεὶρ ἐγέννησε τὸν Γαλαάδ· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ ἐγεννήθησαν υἱοὶ Σουταλὰμ, Βὰδ, Λάμ. Ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Σουταλὰμ ἐγεννήθη Ἐδέν. Τῷ δὲ Βενιαμὶν καὶ αὐτῷ δύο παῖδες ἐγένοντο, Βαλλαχοβὼρ καὶ Ἀσσαήρ· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Βαλλαχοβὼρ Γηρὰν, καὶ Νοεμὶν, καὶ Λάχης, καὶ Ἐσρὼμ, καὶ Μαμφί. Μαμφὶ δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἀράδ· οὗτοι υἱοὶ Ῥαχὴλ οἱ πάντες ὀκτωκαίδεκα. Υἱὸς δὲ ἐγένετο τῷ ∆άδ· τοῦ δὲ Νεφθαλεὶμ Ἀσιὴλ, καὶ Γοϋμὶν, καὶ Ἰσαὰρ, καὶ Συλήμ· οὗτοι υἱοὶ Βάλλας παιδίσκης Ῥαχὴλ οἱ πάντες ἑπτά. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Ἰακὼβ ἔτη τὰ πάντα βιώσας ρμζʹ, ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἀπέθανε, πρότερον ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ διαφόροις εὐλογίαις εὐλογήσας. Καὶ τὴν μὲν εὐλογίαν τῶν πρωτοτόκων Ἰωσὴφ