49

let the generations of men be enumerated, while we preserve the aforementioned things about the dust, as indicating the corporeal substance, the body being suitable, that is, for the sojourn in paradise. "Having conceived" is said here and it is clear that these were from seeds; and consequently, since she had not entirely removed the account concerning providence, she said: "I have gotten a man through God"; for if they served as parents in the begetting, yet the whole thing was seasoned by the guidance of God. But "through God" must be taken more simply instead of "from God"; for thus also Joseph said: "Is not their interpretation through God?" instead of "from God". "And she added to bear Cain’s brother, Abel". Philo, then, wants them to be twins from one conception; for which reason, he says, to "she bore Cain" is added "she added to bear his brother Abel." Whether this is sound or not, you will test by paying attention, since it is possible for them to have been born separately at different times; for if anyone is pleased to accept 119 the book of the covenant he will find in it also by how much time the one was born before the other. The lover of beauty will know, then, whatever things Philo said in allegorizing this, but nevertheless we must speak on this to the best of our ability. The soul, therefore, when it falls into oversight and error, begets vile offspring, but if soberly, and if the mind, having returned to its senses, should have some conversion, then indeed it begins to push those things away, and to bear an introduction of virtue, which is acceptable; growing little by little in progress it will one day come to perfection, but the opposite is to be prayed against, when virtue has begun, to add vice, the refined reasoning having been turned aside. And it is good that their occupations have also been recorded; for it says "Abel became a shepherd of sheep, but Cain was a worker of the land", which with respect to the history would have a not inconsiderable observation, as we also observe the order. For in the generation he placed Cain first, time compelling this, but in their occupations he places the righteous one first. For the things of Abel were more refined and more honorable than what Cain was zealous for; for animate things differ from inanimate things by the principle of nature. And in this way Philo well said that those who are about to take up rule both of others and of themselves are to be pre-instructed in the shepherd's art. But Cain was not called a farmer, but a worker of the land; for he was not refined like Noah, who is called a farmer, not a worker. And with respect to allegory, Abel is a shepherd of living creatures, that is, of the senses, leading them under knowledge like an excellent herdsman, placing reason as a charioteer and commander over both the spirited and appetitive parts. But Cain, being wrapped up in the earth and earthly things, is not called a farmer—for he would have sought order even concerning these things—but just a worker of the land itself, being 120 a lover of the body, having no reason or order, who would say appropriately to himself: "Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die", unlike the one who does these things with divine knowledge according to what was said, "Whether you eat, or you drink, or you do anything, do all to the glory of God", not being a worker of the land. But these, as has been said before, would be different dispositions of the soul, operating at different times. ιῃ, 3-5. And it came to pass after some days that Cain brought from the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord, and Abel, he also brought from the firstborn of his sheep and from their fat portions. And God looked upon Abel and upon his gifts, but upon Cain and upon his sacrifices he did not pay attention; and it grieved Cain exceedingly and his countenance fell. It is fitting for the virtuous man to be intense and unhesitating, so that he is not only more ready for the practice of virtue, but also, when others hinder him, is willing to risk danger for it, just as both the blessed Susanna and the most courageous Joseph;

49

ἀνθρώπων γενέ[σ]εως ἐξαριθμηθῶσιν, σῳζόντων ἡμῶν τὰ προειρημέ[ν]α [π]ερὶ τοῦ χοῦ, ὡς τῆς σωμα- τικῆς οὐσίας δηλουμένης, κα[ταλ]λήλου δηλαδὴ τῆς ἐν παραδείσῳ διατριβῆς ὄντος το[ῦ σ]ώματος. "6Συλλαβοῦσα"6 δὲ εἴρηται ἐνταῦθα καὶ δῆλον [ὡς ἐ]κ σπερμάτων οὗτοι· ἀκολούθως δέ, ἅτε μὴ πάντη ἐ[ξῃρ]ημένη τὸν περὶ προνοίας λόγον, εἶπεν· "6Ἐκτη- σάμην ἄνθρωπ[ον] διὰ το[ῦ Θεοῦ]"6· εἰ γὰρ ὑπηρέτησαν ὡς γονεῖς τῇ ἀποτέξ[ει], ἀλλ' ἀγω[γῇ] Θεοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἤρτυται. Τὸ δὲ "6διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ"6 ἁπλούστ[ερο]ν ἐκλαβεῖν δεῖ ἀντὶ τοῦ "3παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ"3· οὕτως γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἰωσ[ὴφ] εἶπεν· "6Οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ διασάφησις αὐτῶν ἐστιν;"6 ἀντ[ὶ το]ῦ "3παρὰ Θεοῦ"3. "6Καὶ προσέθηκεν τεκεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κ[άι]ν τὸν Ἄβελ"6. Ὁ Φίλων μὲν οὖν βούλεται διδύμους αὐτοὺς εἶν[αι] ἀπὸ μιᾶς συλλήμψεως· διό, φησίν, πρόσκειται τῷ ἔτεκεν τ[ὸν] Κάιν τὸ προσέθηκεν τεκεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἀβέλ. Π[ό]τερον ὑγιῶς ἔχει ἢ οὔ, ἐπιστήσας δοκιμάσεις, δυνατοῦ ὄντ[ο]ς καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοὺς ἐν διαφό- ροις χρόνοις γεγεννῆσθαι· καὶ γ[άρ], εἴ τῳ φίλον προσέσθαι 119 τὴν βίβλον τῆς διαθήκης εὑρήσει ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ πόσον θάτερ[ο]ς θατέρου τῷ χρόνῳ προσείληφεν. Ὅσα μὲν οὖν Φίλων εἰς τοῦτο ἀλληγορῶν εἶπεν, ὁ φιλόκαλος εἴσεται, λεκτέον δ' ὅμως εἰς τοῦτο τὰ κατὰ δύναμιν. Ἡ ψυχὴ τοίνυν, ὅτε μὲν παροράματι καὶ σφάλματι ὑποπίπτει, ἀπογεννᾷ φαῦλα γεννήματα, ἐὰν δὲ νήματα, ἐὰν δὲ ἀνανήψας ὁ νοῦς ἐπιστροφήν τινα σχῇ, τότε δῆτα ἄρχεται ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἀπωθεῖσθαι, τίκτε̣ι̣ν δὲ εἰσαγωγὴν ἀρετῆς, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀποδεκτόν· κατ' ὀλίγον [δὴ] προκοπῇ αὐξομένη ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον ἥξει ποτέ, τὸ ἀνάπαλιν δὲ ἄπευκτον, ἀρετῆς προκαταρξαμένης, κακίαν προσθεῖναι τ[ο]ῦ ἀστείου λογισμοῦ παρατραπέντος. Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ τὰ ἐπιτηδε[ύμα]τα αὐτῶν ἀναγεγρᾶφθαι· "6<Ὁ> μὲν"6 γὰρ "6Ἄβελ"6 φησὶν "6ἐγένετο πο[ι]μὴν προβάτων, Κάιν δὲ ἦν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν"6, ὅπερ ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἔχοι παρατήρησιν οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον, καὶ τ[ὴ]ν̣ τάξιν ἡμῶν ἐπιτηρούντων. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ γενέσει τὸν Κάιν [προ]έταξεν, τοῦ χρόνου τοῦτ' ἀναγκά- ζοντος, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐπιτη[δεύ]μασιν προτάττει τὸν δίκαιον. Ἀστεῖα γὰρ καὶ τιμιώτερα τ[ὰ το]ῦ Ἄβελ, ὧν ἐσπούδαζεν Κάιν· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔμψυχα τῶν ἀψ[ύχων] τῷ τῆς φύσεως λόγῳ διαφέρει. Καὶ ταύτῃ κ[αλῶς] ὁ Φίλω[ν] τοὺς ἀρχῆς μέλλοντας ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι τῆς τε [ἑτ]έρων κ[αὶ] τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῇ ποιμενικῇ προπαιδεύεσθαι ἔφη. Κάιν δ[ὲ ο]ὐκ ἐρρέθη γεωργός, ἀλλ' ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀ[στε]ῖος κατὰ τὸν Νῶε, ὅστις γεωργός, οὐκ ἐργάτης, εἴρηται. Πρὸς δὲ ἀ[λλ]η̣γορίαν ποιμήν ἐστιν ὁ Ἅβελ ζῴων, ὅ ἐστιν τῶν αἰσθήσ[εω]ν, ὑπὸ ἐπιστήμην ἄγων ταῦτας ὡς νομεὺς ἄριστος, τῷ τ[ε θ]υμικῷ καὶ ἐπιθυμητικῷ ἡνίοχον καὶ ταξίαρχον τὸν λογισ[μὸ]ν ἐπιτιθείς. Ὁ δὲ Κάι̣ν περὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ γήϊνα εἰλ[υ]σ<πώ>μενος οὐ γεωργὸς εἴρηται-ἢ γὰρ ἂν καὶ περὶ αὐτὰ τάξιν [ἐ]ζήτει-, ἀλλ' ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆναὐτὸ μόνον, φιλοσώματός 120 [τι]ς ὤν, μηδένα λόγον ἢ τάξιν ἔχων, ὃς εἴποι ἂν προσφόρως ἑαυτῷ· "6Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν· αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθ[ν]ῄσ- κομεν"6, τοῦ σὺν ἐπιστήμῃ θείᾳ ταῦτα ποιοῦντος κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν "6Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε"6 ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐργάτου γῆς τυγχάνοντος. Οὗτοι δέ, ὡς προείρηται, τρόποι ψυχῆς ἂν εἶεν διάφοροι κατὰ διαφόρους ἐνεργούμενοι χρόνους. ιῃ, 3-5. Καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ' ἡμέρας ἤνεγκεν̣ Κάιν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ Ἄβελ [ἤν]εγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐ[π]ὶ Ἄβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ δὲ Κάιν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυ[σία]ις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν· καὶ ἐλύπησεν τὸν Κάιν λίαν καὶ συνέπεσεν τῷ προσώπῳ. Σύντονον καὶ ἀνενδοίαστον εἶνα[ι] προσήκει τὸν ἐνάρετον, ὡς μὴ μόνον αὐτὸν ἑτοιμότ[ε]ρ̣ο̣ν εἶναι πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐνέργειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ, κω[λυό]ντων ἄλλων, ἐθέλειν αὐτῆς προκινδυνεύειν καθάπ[ερ] ἥ τε μακαρία Σουσάννα καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀνδρειότατος·