27

he has not yet, at least according to my account, touched the mystical water, whose work is the destruction of the wicked tyrants.

2.130 But let us proceed again to what follows in the account. For the one who has crossed the sea as we have understood it and has seen this contemplated Egyptian dead in it, no longer looks only to Moses, the rod-bearer of virtue, but believes first in God, as the historical account says, and also trusts his servant Moses. This we see happening even now with those who truly cross the water, who, having committed themselves to God, also trust and obey those who minister to the Divine through the priesthood, as the Apostle says. 2.131 A journey of three days follows after the sea, in which, when they encamped at a certain place, the water that was found seemed at first undrinkable because of bitterness. But the wood, having been cast in, made the drink pleasing to the thirsty. 2.132 The history corresponds to what happens; for to the one who has left behind the Egyptian pleasures, to which he was enslaved before crossing the sea, the life separated from pleasures seems at first difficult and unpleasant. But if the wood were cast into the water—that is, if one should receive the mystery of the resurrection, which had its beginning through the wood (and having heard "wood," you certainly understood the cross)—then the life according to virtue becomes sweeter and more drinkable than any sweetness that tickles the sense with pleasure, being sweetened by the hope of things to come. 2.133 The next resting-place on the journey, adorned with palm trees and springs, gives rest to the toil of the travelers. There are twelve springs of water, of a pure and most sweet stream, and seventy palm trees, large and tall, time having raised the trees to a height. What then do we find in these things, as the history proceeds in order? That the mystery of the wood, through which the water of virtue becomes drinkable to the thirsty, brings us to the twelve springs and the seventy palm trees, that is, to the teaching of the Gospel, 2.134 in which the twelve springs are the Apostles, the Lord having chosen that many for this need and having made the word to spring forth through them, so that one of the Prophets also foretold the grace flowing from the Apostles, in which he says: "In the congregations bless God the Lord from the fountains of Israel." And the seventy palm trees would be the apostles appointed throughout the whole world besides the twelve disciples, being so many in number as the history says the palm trees were. 2.135 But it is fitting, I think, to hasten the journey through the account, having made the contemplation of the remaining encampments easy for the more diligent through the few things which we have set forth. And the encampments would be virtues, in which the one following the pillar of cloud, proceeding in order, encamps and rests. Therefore, having passed over in my account the intermediate resting-places, I shall mention the miracle concerning the rock, whose hard and solid nature became a drink for the thirsty, its hardness having been dissolved into the softness of water. 2.136 But it is no trouble to adapt the sequence of the history to the anagogical contemplation. For the one who has left the Egyptian dead in the water and has been sweetened by the wood and has delighted in the apostolic springs, and has rested under the shade of the palm trees, this one now also becomes receptive of God. For the rock, as the Apostle says, is Christ, dry and hard to the unbelieving, but if one should bring to it the rod of faith, He becomes a drink for the thirsty and flows into those who receive him. For "I," he says, "and my Father will come and make our home with him." 2.137 And it is worthwhile not to pass over this unobserved, that after crossing the sea and the water being sweetened for the travelers of virtue and after that luxurious resting-place by the springs and the palm trees

27

οὔπω κατά γε τὸν ἔμον λόγον τοῦ μυστικοῦ ὕδατος ἔθιγεν, οὗ ἔργον ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν πονηρῶν τυράννων ἀπώλεια.

2.130 Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ ἐφεξῆς τοῦ λόγου πάλιν προέλθωμεν. Ὁ γὰρ διελθὼν τὸ νοηθὲν ἡμῖν πέλαγος καὶ ἰδὼν ἐν αὐτῷ νεκρὸν τὸν θεωρηθέντα τοῦτον Αἰγύπτιον, οὐκέτι πρὸς Μωϋσέα μόνον ὁρᾷ τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ῥαβδοῦχον, ἀλλὰ πιστεύει μὲν κατὰ τὸ προηγούμενον τῷ Θεῷ, καθὼς ὁ τῆς ἱστορίας λόγος φησί, πείθεται δὲ καὶ τῷ θεράποντι αὐτοῦ Μωϋσεῖ, ὃ καὶ νῦν βλέπομεν παρὰ τῶν ἀληθῶς τὸ ὕδωρ περαιουμένων γινόμενον, οἳ τῷ Θεῷ ἑαυτοὺς ἀναθέντες καὶ τοῖς θεραπεύουσι διὰ τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὸ Θεῖον πείθονται καὶ ὑπείκουσι, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. 2.131 Ὁδὸς μετὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τριῶν ἡμερῶν διαδέχεται, ἐν ᾗ κατά τινα τόπον στρατοπεδεύσασιν ἄποτον παρὰ τὴν πρώτην ὑπὸ πικρίας τὸ εὑρεθὲν ὕδωρ ἐφάνη. Ἀλλὰ τὸ ξύλον ἐντεθὲν προσηνὲς τοῖς διψῶσι τὸ ποτὸν ἀπειργάσατο. 2.132 Συμβαίνει τοῖς γινομένοις ἡ ἱστορία· τῷ γὰρ καταλελοιπότι τὰς Αἰγυπτίας ἡδονάς, αἷς ἐδούλευε πρὶν διαβῆναι τὴν θάλασσαν, δύσληπτος καὶ ἀηδὴς ὁ βίος ὁ τῶν ἡδονῶν κεχωρισμένος παρὰ τὴν πρώτην δοκεῖ. Ἀλλ' εἰ τὸ ξύλον ἐμβληθείη τῷ ὕδατι, τουτέστιν εἰ τὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεώς τις παραλάβοι μυστήριον, ὃ διὰ τοῦ ξύλου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχε (ξύλον δὲ ἀκούσας τὸν σταυρὸν πάντως ἐνόησας), τότε παντὸς γλυκάσματος τοῦ τὴν αἴσθησιν δι' ἡδονῆς γαργαλίζοντος γλυκύτερός τε καὶ ποτιμώτερος ὁ κατ' ἀρετὴν γίνεται βίος, τῇ ἐλπίδι τῶν μελλόντων ἐφηδυνόμενος. 2.133 Ἡ δὲ ἐφεξῆς τῆς ὁδοιπορίας καταγωγή, φοίνιξι καὶ πηγαῖς ἁβρυνομένη, διαναπαύει τῶν ὁδοιπορούντων τὸν κόπον. Εἰσὶ δὲ δυοκαίδεκα μὲν αἱ τῶν ὑδάτων πηγαί, καθαροῦ τε καὶ ἡδίστου νάματος, ἑβδομήκοντα δὲ οἱ φοίνικες, εὐμεγέθεις τε καὶ ὑψίκομοι, τοῦ χρόνου τὰ δένδρα πρὸς ὕψος ἄραντος. Τί οὖν ἐν τούτοις εὑρίσκομεν, δι' ἀκολούθου προϊούσης τῆς ἱστορίας; Ὅτι τὸ τοῦ ξύλου μυστήριον, δι' οὗ πότιμον τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ ὕδωρ τοῖς διψῶσι γίνεται, προσάγει ἡμᾶς ταῖς δυοκαίδεκα πηγαῖς καὶ τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα φοίνιξι, τουτέστι τῇ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου διδασκαλίᾳ, 2.134 ἐν ᾧ πηγαὶ μέν εἰσι δυοκαίδεκα οἱ Ἀπόστολοι, τοσούτους τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ταύτην ἐκλεξαμένου καὶ πηγάζειν δι' αὐτῶν τὸν λόγον ποιήσαντος, ὡς καί τινα τῶν Προφητῶν προαναφωνῆσαι τὴν ἐκ τῶν Ἀποστόλων βρύουσαν χάριν, ἐν οἷς φησιν· ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν Κύριον ἐκ πηγῶν Ἰσραήλ, ἑβδομήκοντα δ' ἂν εἶεν φοίνικες οἱ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔξω τῶν δώδεκα μαθητῶν ἐπιχειρο τονηθέντες ἀπόστολοι, τοσοῦτοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὄντες, ὅσους εἶναί φησιν ἡ ἱστορία τοὺς φοίνικας. 2.135 Ἀλλ' ἐπισπεύδειν, οἶμαι, προσήκει τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν διὰ τοῦ λόγου, δι' ὀλίγων, ὧν παρεθέμεθα, ῥᾳδίαν τοῖς φιλο πονωτέροις τὴν θεωρίαν ποιήσαντας τῶν λοιπῶν παρεμβολῶν. Ἀρεταὶ δ' ἂν εἶεν αἱ παρεμβολαί, αἷς ὁ τῷ στύλῳ τῆς νεφέλης ἑπόμενος, καθεξῆς προϊών, ἐνστρατοπεδεύει καὶ ἀναπαύεται. Τὰς οὖν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ καταγωγὰς ὑπερβὰς τῷ λόγῳ, τῆς κατὰ τὴν πέτραν θαυματοποιΐας ἐπιμνησθήσομαι, ἧς ἡ φύσις ἡ ἀντιτυπὴς καὶ στερέμνιος ποτὸν τοῖς διψῶσιν ἐγένετο, εἰς ὕδατος μαλακότητα τῆς ἀντιτυπίας ἀναλυθείσης. 2.136 Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς πόνος προσαρμόσαι τῇ κατ' ἀναγωγὴν θεωρίᾳ τὴν τῆς ἱστορίας ἀκολουθίαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καταλιπὼν νεκρὸν τὸν Αἰγύπτιον καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ καταγλυ κανθεὶς καὶ ταῖς ἀποστολικαῖς ἐντρυφήσας πηγαῖς, ὑπό τε τῇ σκιᾷ τῶν φοινίκων ἀναπαυσάμενος, οὗτος ἤδη καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεκτικὸς γίνεται. Ἡ γὰρ πέτρα, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν, ἄνικμός τις καὶ ἀντιτυπὴς τοῖς ἀπίστοις, εἰ δέ τις προσαγάγοι τὴν ῥάβδον τῆς πίστεως, ποτὸν τοῖς διψῶσι γινόμενος καὶ ἐντὸς τῶν εἰσδεχομένων αὐτὸν εἰσρέων· ἐγὼ γάρ, φησί, καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα. 2.137 Ἄξιον δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο παραδραμεῖν ἀθεώρητον, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ διαβῆναι τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ γλυκανθῆναι τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδοιπόροις τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἁβρὰν ἐκείνην καταγω γὴν τὴν κατὰ τὰς πηγὰς καὶ τοὺς φοίνικας