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with palisades and iron walls, so that we might not mingle with any of the other nations in any way, being pure in body and in soul, freed from vain opinions, worshipping the one 8.9.12 and mighty God above all creation. Whence the leading priests of the Egyptians, having delved into many things and participated in affairs, call us men of God. A thing which does not belong to the others, unless one worships the true God; but they are men of food and drink 8.9.13 and shelter; for their whole disposition flees to these things. But among us these things are reckoned as nothing, but their thought throughout their whole life is concerning the dominion of God. Therefore, so that we might not be defiled by anyone, nor by associating with evil men receive perversions, He fenced us in on all sides with purities 8.9.14 and by means of foods and drinks and things touched and heard and seen, according to the law. For in general all things have been made similar according to the natural reason, being ordered by one power, and in each single thing there is a deep reason, for those things from which we abstain 8.9.15 in use and those which we employ. But for the sake of an example, I will briefly run over one or two things and point them out to you. For do not fall into the base reasoning, that it was on account of mice and weasels or such things that Moses legislated these things out of petty scrupulosity, but for the sake of pure contemplation and an excellent perfecting 8.9.16 of character for the sake of justice have all things been solemnly ordained. For of the birds which we use, all are tame and distinguished by their cleanliness, using wheat and legumes for their food, such as doves, turtledoves, francolins, partridges, and also geese and other such things; but concerning the birds which are forbidden, you will find them wild and carnivorous and oppressing the others by their own power, and taking their food by unjustly consuming the aforesaid tame birds. Not only these things, but they also seize lambs and kids 8.9.17 and they injure men, both dead and living. Therefore he set a symbol through these things, calling them unclean, that it is necessary for those for whom the legislation is ordained, in respect to the soul, to practice justice and to oppress no one, trusting in their own strength, nor take anything away, but to govern the affairs of life justly, just as the aforesaid tame birds consume the legumes that grow on the earth and do not oppress for the destruction 8.9.18 of either their inferiors or their kin. Through such things, therefore, the lawgiver handed down for the intelligent to take note to be just and to accomplish nothing by violence, nor, trusting in their own strength, to oppress 8.9.19 others. For where it is not proper even to touch the aforesaid things on account of the disposition inherent in each, how must we not guard our ways in every way from being broken down 8.9.20 to this? Therefore, he has set forth all that is permitted to us concerning these and the cattle, speaking allegorically. For the parting of the hoof and the dividing of the claws of the hoof 8.9.21 is a symbol of discriminating each of our actions toward what is right. For the strength of the whole body with its energy has its support upon the shoulders and legs. Therefore, by what is signified through these things, he compels us to perform all things with discrimination towards justice, and also because we are distinguished from all other 8.9.22 men. For most of the rest defile themselves by mixing together, committing great injustice, and whole countries and cities pride themselves on these things. For not only do they have intercourse with males, but they also defile mothers and even 8.9.23 daughters. But we are separated from these things. And this aforementioned type of discrimination he has also characterized as being one of memory. For all that parts the hoof and chews the cud, clearly sets forth to those who understand the matter of memory. For chewing the cud is nothing else than 8.9.24 a remembrance of life and constitution. For he considers that life is constituted through food. wherefore
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χάραξι καὶ σιδηροῖς τείχεσιν, ὅπως μηδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἐπιμισγώμεθα κατὰ μηδέν, ἁγνοὶ καθεστῶτες κατὰ σῶμα καὶ κατὰ ψυχήν, ἀπολελυμένοι ματαίων δοξῶν, τὸν μόνον 8.9.12 θεὸν καὶ δυνατὸν σεβόμενοι παρ' ὅλην τὴν πᾶσαν κτίσιν. ὅθεν Αἰγυπτίων οἱ καθηγεμόνες ἱερεῖς ἐγκεκυφότες εἰς πολλὰ καὶ μετεσχηκότες πραγμάτων ἀνθρώπους θεοῦ προσονομάζουσιν ἡμᾶς. ὃ τοῖς λοιποῖς οὐ πρόσεστιν, εἰ μή τις σέβεται τὸν κατ' ἀλήθειαν θεόν· ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ἄνθρωποι βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν 8.9.13 καὶ σκέπης· ἡ γὰρ πᾶσα διάθεσις αὐτῶν ἐπὶ ταῦτα καταφεύγει. τοῖς δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν ἐν οὐδενὶ ταῦτα λελόγισται, περὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυναστείας δι' ὅλου τοῦ ζῆν ἡ σκέψις αὐτοῖς ἐστιν. ὅπως οὖν μηδενὶ συναλισγούμενοι μηδὲ ὁμιλοῦντες φαύλοις διαστροφὰς λαμβάνοιμεν, πάντοθεν ἡμᾶς περιέφραξεν ἁγνείαις 8.9.14 καὶ διὰ βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν καὶ ἁφῶν καὶ ἀκοῆς καὶ ὁράσεως νομικῶς. τὸ γὰρ καθόλου πάντα πρὸς τὸν φυσικὸν λόγον ὅμοια καθέστηκεν, ὑπὸ μιᾶς δυνάμεως οἰκονομούμενα, καὶ καθ' ἓν ἕκαστον ἔχει λόγον βαθύν, ἀφ' ὧν ἀπεχό8.9.15 μεθα κατὰ τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ οἷς συγχρώμεθα. χάριν δὲ ὑποδείγματος ἓν ἢ δεύτερον ἐπιδραμών σοι σημανῶ. μὴ γὰρ εἰς τὸν καταπεπτωκότα λόγον ἔλθῃς, ὅτι μυῶν καὶ γαλῆς ἢ τῶν τοιούτων χάριν περιεργίας ποιούμενος ἐνομοθέτει ταῦτα Μωσῆς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἁγνὴν ἐπίσκεψιν καὶ τρόπων ἐξαίρετον 8.9.16 ἐξαρτισμὸν δικαιοσύνης ἕνεκεν σεμνῶς πάντα ἀνατέτακται. τῶν γὰρ πετεινῶν οἷς χρώμεθα πάντα ἥμερα καθέστηκε καὶ διαφέρει καθαριότητι, πυροῖς καὶ ὀσπρίοις χρώμενα πρὸς τὴν τροφήν, οἷον περιστεραί, τρυγόνες, ἀττακοί, πέρδικες, ἔτι δὲ χῆνες καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα τοιαῦτα· περὶ ὧν δὲ ἀπηγόρευται πετεινῶν, εὑρήσεις ἄγριά τε καὶ σαρκοφάγα καὶ καταδυναστεύοντα τῇ περὶ αὐτὰ δυνάμει τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ τὴν τροφὴν ἔχοντα τὴν δαπάνησιν τῶν προειρημένων ἡμέρων μετὰ ἀδικίας. οὐ μόνον δὲ ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄρνας καὶ ἐρίφους ἁρπάζουσι 8.9.17 καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δὲ ἀδικοῦσι, νεκρούς τε καὶ ζῶντας. παράσημον οὖν ἔθετο διὰ τούτων, ἀκάθαρτα προσονομάσας, ὅτι δέον ἐστὶ κατὰ ψυχὴν οἷς ἡ νομοθεσία διατέτακται, δικαιοσύνῃ συγχρῆσθαι καὶ μηδένα καταδυναστεύειν πεποιθότας ἰσχύϊ τῇ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς μηδ' ἀφαιρεῖσθαι μηδέν, ἀλλ' ἐκ δικαίου τὰ τοῦ βίου κυβερνᾶν, ὡς τὰ τῶν προειρημένων πετεινῶν ἥμερα ζῷα τὰ φυόμενα τῶν ὀσπρίων ἐπὶ γῆς δαπανᾷ καὶ οὐ καταδυναστεύει πρὸς τὴν ἐπαναίρεσιν 8.9.18 οὔτε τῶν ὑποβεβηκότων οὔτε τῶν συγγενικῶν. διὰ τῶν τοιούτων οὖν παρέδωκεν ὁ νομοθέτης σημειοῦσθαι τοῖς συνετοῖς εἶναι δικαίους τε καὶ μηδὲν ἐπιτελεῖν βίᾳ μηδὲ τῇ περὶ αὐτοὺς ἰσχύϊ πεποιθότας ἑτέρους καταδυνα8.9.19 στεύειν. ὅπου γὰρ οὐδ' ἅψασθαι καθῆκε τῶν προειρημένων διὰ τὴν περὶ ἕκαστα διάθεσιν, πῶς οὐ φυλακτέον παντάπασι τοὺς τρόπους εἰς τοῦτο κατα8.9.20 κλασθῆναι; πάντα οὖν τῆς συγχωρήσεως ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τούτων καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν τροπολογῶν ἐκτέθειται. τὸ γὰρ διχηλεύειν καὶ διαστέλλειν ὁπλῆς ὄνυχας 8.9.21 σημεῖόν ἐστι τοῦ διαστέλλειν ἕκαστα τῶν πράξεων ἐπὶ τὸ καλῶς ἔχον. ἡ γὰρ ἰσχὺς τῶν ὅλων σωμάτων μετ' ἐνεργείας ἀπέρεισιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους ἔχει καὶ τὰ σκέλη. μετὰ διαστολῆς οὖν ἅπαντα ἐπιτελεῖν πρὸς δικαιοσύνην ἀναγκάζει τῷ σημειοῦσθαι διὰ τούτων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ διότι παρὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους διεστάλ8.9.22 μεθα. οἱ γὰρ πλείονες τῶν λοιπῶν ἑαυτοὺς μολύνουσιν ἐπιμισγόμενοι, συντελοῦντες μεγάλην ἀδικίαν, καὶ χῶραι καὶ πόλεις ὅλαι σεμνύνονται ἐπὶ τούτοις. οὐ μόνον γὰρ πρὸς ἄρσενας προσάγουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τεκούσας, ἔτι δὲ 8.9.23 καὶ θυγατέρας μολύνουσιν. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπὸ τούτων διεστάλμεθα. περὶ ὃν δέ ἐστιν ὁ προειρημένος τῆς διαστολῆς τρόπος, περὶ τοῦτον εἶναι καὶ τὸν τῆς μνήμης κεχαρακτήρικεν. πάντα γὰρ ὅσα διχηλεῖ καὶ μηρυκισμὸν ἀνάγει, σαφῶς τοῖς νοοῦσιν ἐκτίθεται τὸ τῆς μνήμης. ἡ γὰρ ἀναμηρύκισις οὐδὲν ἕτερον 8.9.24 ἀλλ' ἢ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ συστάσεως ὑπόμνησίς ἐστι. τὸ γὰρ ζῆν διὰ τῆς τροφῆς συνεστάναι νομίζει. διὸ