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of the greater, the evils will be greater than God, overcoming the impulse of his choice; which seems to me absurd to say concerning God. 7.22.55 For why will these things not rather be gods, being able according to your argument to conquer God, if indeed we call that God which has authority over all things? 7.22.56 But I wish to learn a few things from you also about matter itself; and tell me now, whether matter was simple or composite; for the difference of the things that have come to be brings me to such an examination of this argument. For if matter happened to be simple and of a single form, but the world is composite and has its constitution from different substances and mixtures, it is impossible to say that it has come from matter, since it is not possible for composite things to have their constitution from one simple thing, for the composite 7.22.57 indicates a mixture of certain simple things. But if, on the other hand, you should wish to say that matter is composite, you will by all means say it is composed of certain simple things. And if it was composed of simple things, the simple things once existed by themselves, and when they were composed, matter came to be, from which it is also shown to be created. 7.22.58 For if matter is composite, and composite things have their constitution from simple things, there was a time when matter did not exist, that is, before the simple things came together. But if there was a time when matter did not exist, and there was never a time when the uncreated did not 7.22.59 exist, matter will not be uncreated. From this, then, there will be many uncreated things. For if God was uncreated and the simple things from which matter was composed, there will not be only two uncreated things. Does it seem to you that none of the things that exist is opposed to itself? It seems so. 7.22.60 Is water opposed to fire? It seems to me to be opposed. And likewise darkness to light and hot to cold, and in addition to these, wet to dry? It seems so to me. 7.22.61 Therefore, if none of the things that exist is opposed to itself, but these things are opposed to each other, they will not be one matter, nor indeed from one matter. And again I wish to learn from you a similar argument to this. Does it seem to you that the parts are not destructive of each other? It seems so. 7.22.62 And are fire and water parts of matter, and likewise the rest? It is so. What then? Does it not seem to you that water is subversive of fire, and light of darkness, and the other things that are similar to these? It seems so. 7.22.63 Therefore, if the parts are not destructive of each other, but the parts of matter are destructive of each other, they will not be parts of each other; and if they are not parts of each other, they will not be of one matter. But indeed they themselves will not be matter, since none of the things that exist 7.22.64 is destructive of itself according to the principle of opposition. For nothing is opposed to itself; for opposites are by nature opposed to other things. For example, white is not opposed to itself, but is said to be opposed to black; and likewise light is shown not to be opposed to itself, but appears to be so in relation to darkness, and indeed very many other things are likewise so. If, therefore, there was one matter, it would not have been opposed to itself. And since opposites are thus, it is shown that matter does not exist.” So much from the aforementioned author. But since the argument has received a sufficient outline, passing on to the eighth book of the Preparation for the Gospel, we will complete the remaining points for the present inquiry, calling upon God as an ally.

8.Pin.t THE EIGHTH BOOK OF THE GOSPEL PREPARATION CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING 8.Pin.1 1. Concerning the pious polity according to Moses 2. Of Aristeas concerning the interpretation of the scriptures among the Jews 3. Letter of Demetrius of Phalerum to Ptolemy the king of Egypt 4. Letter of Ptolemy the king to Eleazar the high priest of the Jews 5. Letter of Eleazar the high priest to Ptolemy the king 6. Of Philo concerning the journey of the Jews from Egypt 7.

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τοῦ μείζονος, μείζονα ἔσται τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ κακά, νικῶντα τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτοῦ τὴν ὁρμήν· ὅπερ ἄτοπον εἶναί μοι λέγειν περὶ θεοῦ 7.22.55 δοκεῖ. διὰ τί γὰρ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ταῦτ' ἔσονται θεοί, νικᾶν κατὰ τὸν λόγον τὸν σὸν δυνάμενοι τὸν θεόν, εἴπερ θεὸν ἐκεῖνό φαμεν ὃ τὴν ἁπάντων ἐξουσίαν 7.22.56 ἔχει; βραχέα δέ σου καὶ περὶ τῆς ὕλης αὐτῆς πυθέσθαι βούλομαι· καί μοι φέρων λέγε, πότερον ἁπλῆ τις ἦν ἡ ὕλη ἢ σύνθετος· ἡ γὰρ διαφορὰ τῶν γεγονότων εἰς τοιαύτην με περιίστησιν ἐξέτασιν τοῦδε τοῦ λόγου. εἰ γὰρ ἁπλῆ τις ἐτύγχανεν ἡ ὕλη καὶ μονοειδής, σύνθετος δὲ ὁ κόσμος καὶ ἐκ διαφόρων οὐσιῶν τε καὶ κράσεων τὴν σύστασιν ἔχει, ἀδύνατον τοῦτον ἐξ ὕλης γεγονέναι λέγειν τῷ τὰ σύνθετα μὴ οἷόν τε ἐξ ἑνὸς ἁπλοῦ τὴν σύστασιν ἔχειν, τὸ γὰρ σύνθετον 7.22.57 ἁπλῶν τινων μῖξιν μηνύει. εἰ δ' αὖ πάλιν τὴν ὕλην σύνθετον λέγειν ἐθέλοις, πάντως ἐξ ἁπλῶν τινων συντεθεῖσθαι φήσεις. εἰ δὲ ἐξ ἁπλῶν συνετέθη, ἦν ποτε καθ' ἑαυτὰ τὰ ἁπλᾶ, ὧν συντεθέντων γέγονεν ἡ ὕλη, ἐξ οὗπερ καὶ γενητὴ 7.22.58 οὖσα δείκνυται. εἰ γὰρ σύνθετος ἡ ὕλη, τὰ δὲ σύνθετα ἐξ ἁπλῶν τὴν σύστασιν ἔχει, ἦν ποτε καιρὸς ὅτε ὕλη οὐκ ἦν, τουτέστι πρὶν τὰ ἁπλᾶ συνελθεῖν. εἰ δὲ ἦν ποτε καιρὸς ὅτε ἡ ὕλη οὐκ ἦν, οὐκ ἦν δέ ποτε καιρὸς ὅτε τὸ ἀγένητον οὐκ 7.22.59 ἦν, οὐκ ἔσται ἀγένητος ἡ ὕλη. τὸ δ' ἐντεῦθεν ἄρα ἔσται πολλὰ τὰ ἀγένητα. εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἀγένητος ὁ θεὸς καὶ τὰ ἁπλᾶ ἐξ ὧν ἡ ὕλη συνετέθη, οὐκ ἔσται δύο μόνα τὰ ἀγένητα. δοκεῖ δέ σοι μηδὲν τῶν ὄντων αὐτὸ ἑαυτῷ ἀντικεῖσθαι; ∆οκεῖ. 7.22.60 Ἀντίκειται δὲ τῷ πυρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ; Ἀντικεῖσθαί μοι φαίνεται. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῷ φωτὶ τὸ σκότος καὶ τῷ ψυχρῷ τὸ θερμόν, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ τῷ ξηρῷ τὸ ὑγρόν; Οὕτως ἔχειν μοι δοκεῖ. 7.22.61 Οὐκοῦν εἰ μηδὲν τῶν ὄντων αὐτὸ ἑαυτῷ ἀντίκειται, ἀλλήλοις δὲ ταῦτα ἀντίκειται, οὐκ ἔσονται ὕλη μία οὐδὲ μὴν ἐξ ὕλης μιᾶς. ὅμοιον δέ τινα τούτῳ λόγον πάλιν πυθέσθαι σου βούλομαι. δοκεῖ σοι τὰ μέρη μὴ ἀναιρετικὰ τυγχάνειν ἀλλήλων; ∆οκεῖ. 7.22.62 Εἶναι δὲ τῆς ὕλης μέρη τό τε πῦρ καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὰ λοιπά; Οὕτως ἔχει. Τί δέ; οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἀνατρεπτικὸν μὲν εἶναι τοῦ πυρὸς τὸ ὕδωρ, τοῦ δὲ σκότους τὸ φῶς, καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα τούτοις παραπλήσια; ∆οκεῖ. 7.22.63 Οὐκοῦν εἰ τὰ μέρη οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλλήλων ἀναιρετικά, τὰ δὲ τῆς ὕλης ἀλλήλων ἀναιρετικὰ τυγχάνει, οὐκ ἔσται ἀλλήλων μέρη· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλλήλων μέρη, οὐκ ἔσονται ὕλης μιᾶς. ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδ' αὐτὰ ἔσονται ὕλη τῷ μηδέν τι τῶν ὄντων 7.22.64 αὐτὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἀναιρετικὸν ὑπάρχειν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ ἀντικειμένου λόγον. οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστί τι αὑτῷ ἀντικείμενον· τὰ γὰρ ἀντικείμενα ἑτέροις ἀντικεῖσθαι πέφυκεν. οἷον τὸ λευκὸν αὐτὸ ἑαυτῷ οὐκ ἀντίκειται, πρὸς δὲ τὸ μέλαν ἀντικείμενον λέγεται· καὶ τὸ φῶς ὁμοίως ἑαυτῷ μὴ ἀντικεῖσθαι δείκνυται, πρὸς δὲ τὸ σκότος οὕτως ἔχον φαίνεται, καὶ ἄλλα γοῦν ὁμοίως πλεῖστα ὅσα. εἰ τοίνυν καὶ ὕλη μία τις ἦν, οὐκ ἂν αὐτὴ ἑαυτῇ ἀντέκειτο. οὕτως δὲ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἐχόντων τὸ μὴ εἶναι τὴν ὕλην δείκνυται.» Τοσαῦτα καὶ ὁ προδηλωθεὶς συγγραφεύς. αὐτάρκη δὲ περιγραφὴν εἰληφότος τοῦ λόγου ἐπὶ τὸν ὄγδοον τῆς Εὐαγγελικῆς Προπαρασκευῆς μεταβάντες τὰ λείποντα τῷ προκειμένῳ σκέμματι, σύμμαχον ἐπικαλεσάμενοι τὸν θεόν, ἀναπληρώσομεν.

8.Pin.t Η ΤΑ∆Ε ΤΟ ΟΓ∆ΟΟΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΕΙ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΚΥΗΣ 8.Pin.1 αʹ. Περὶ τοῦ κατὰ Μωσέα θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος βʹ. Ἀρισταίου περὶ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τῶν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις γραφῶν γʹ. Ἐπιστολὴ ∆ημητρίου τοῦ Φαληρέως πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Αἰγύπτου βασιλέα δʹ. Ἐπιστολὴ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς Ἐλεάζαρον τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀρχιερέαεʹ. Ἐπιστολὴ Ἐλεαζάρου τοῦ ἀρχιερέως πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν βασιλέα ʹ. Φίλωνος περὶ τῆς ἀπ' Αἰγύπτου τῶν Ἰουδαίων πορείας ζʹ.