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he will surely do so. Here, he says, is wisdom: let him calculate the name of the beast, and through its number find it. For I will not speak, he says, of a strange and unfamiliar number, nor one named with concealment and duplicity, but a number familiar and known to men, which adds up to the number six hundred and sixty-six. And indeed this number signifies many other names, both proper and common, and it signifies also these: as proper names, Lampetis, Benedictus, Titan. For Titan is written with an iota, but it is also possible to write it with a diphthong. For if 158 Teitan is from *teisis* (stretching), and the verb is *teinō* (I stretch), and the future is *tenō*, it is reasonable to write it with a diphthong, just as *phtheirō* comes from *phtherō*, and *speirō* from *sperō*; and as common names, 'the conqueror', for perhaps he will have named himself thus, from which time he will uproot the three horns, that is, the kings, having defeated them in war. See what Daniel says about these things in his eighth vision: I was considering, he says, its horns, that is, of the fourth beast, and behold, another little horn came up among them, and three of the horns that were before it were plucked up by the roots from before it; and behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things. Then 'the unsteady one', 'evil guide', 'truly harmful', 'ancient slanderer', 'unjust lamb'; for perhaps he would be called by these names by those who oppose him. But he will not only not be ashamed to be called these things, but will even rejoice in such appellations so as not to be ashamed to call himself so. Slapping down such wicked and God-hated purposes, the wise apostle says: Whose glory is in their shame. Therefore, since many names have been found, he who wishes has the authority to apply the more fitting one to the accursed one. And I looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him one hundred forty-four thousand, having the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters and like the voice of loud thunder, and I heard a voice like the voice of harpists playing on their harps. And they 159 sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, who have been redeemed from the earth. These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these were redeemed from among men as the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found. They are blameless. The Lord in the Gospels is recorded addressing the lawless people of the Jews: Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For they were no longer worthy of the divine visitation after their madness at the cross. How then is the Lord now shown, as if out of repentance, standing through the vision on Mount Zion? That their city and the temple and the whole nation have been left desolate, the Romans clearly showed, by burning the temple, and setting fire to the cities, and devastating all their land and enslaving the metropolis itself. But the fact that the Lord is now shown having set foot upon Mount Zion demonstrates the conversion of Israel through faith in the last times, and how the Lord will make them his own and receive them. For this is the good news they have been told through Isaiah, who says, The Redeemer will come from Zion and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, says the Lord. Both the prophet and the apostle happen to be in agreement with Isaiah, the one singing, That you will make them turn their back; among your remnants you will prepare their face, and the other writing, When the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel will be saved. And with him, he says, were one hundred forty-four thousand, having the name of his Father written on their foreheads. In the preceding 160 passages he said that there were one hundred forty-four thousand from Israel who had believed, twelve thousand for each single tribe. Therefore, is he speaking about these now as well? I do not think so;

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μὴν ἐκποιήσει. ᾧδέ φησίν ἐστιν ἡ σοφία ψηλαφησάτω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θηρίου, καὶ διὰ τῆς ψήφου εὑρέτω αὐτό. οὐ γὰρ ψῆφον ἐρῶ φησι ξένην καὶ ἀήθη, οὐδὲ μετὰ ἐπικρύψεως καὶ διπλόης ὀνομαζομένην, ἀλλὰ ψῆφον ἐντριβῆ καὶ ἐγνωσμένην ἀνθρώποις, ἥτις συνάγει ἀριθμὸν ἑξακοσιοστὸν ἑξηκοστὸν ἕκτον. σημαίνει δέ γε οὗτος ὁ ἀριθμὸς καὶ ἄλλα μὲν πολλὰ κύριά τε καὶ προσηγορικὰ ὀνόματα, σημαίνει δὲ καὶ ταῦτα· κύρια μὲν Λαμπέτις, Βενέδικτος, Τιτάν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ Τιτὰν διὰ τοῦ ῗ γράφεται, ἔνι δὲ καὶ δίφθογγον αὐτὸ γράψαι. εἰ 158 γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς τείσεως ὁ Τειτάν, ἔστι δὲ τὸ ῥῆμα, τείνω, καὶ ὁ μέλλων, τενῶ, εἰκότως δίφθογγον γραπτέον αὐτό, ὡς τὸ φθείρω ἀπὸ τοῦ φθερῶ, καὶ σπείρω ἀπὸ τοῦ σπερῶ· προσηγορικὰ δὲ ὁ νικητής, ἴσως γὰρ οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ὠνόμασεν, ἐξ οὗ τὰ τρία κέρατα ἤτοι τοὺς βασιλεῖς καταπολεμήσας ἐκριζώσει. ὅρα τί φησιν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ περὶ τούτων ἐν τῇ ὀγδόῃ αὐτοῦ ὀπτασίᾳ· προσενόουν φησὶν τοῖς κέρασιν αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι τοῦ τετάρτου θηρίου, καὶ ἰδοὺ κέρας ἕτερον μικρὸν ἀνέβαινεν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ τρία κέρατα τῶν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἐξερριζώθη ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὀφθαλμοὶ ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῷ κέρατι τούτῳ, καὶ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα. εἶτα ὁ ἐπίσαλος, κακὸς ὁδηγός, ἀληθὴς βλαβερός, πάλαι βάσκανος, ἀμνὸς ἄδικος· τούτοις γὰρ ἴσως ἂν τοῖς ὀνόμασιν ἐπικληθείη ἐκ τῶν ἐναντιουμένων αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐντραπήσεται ταῦτα καλούμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπευφρανθήσεται ταῖς τοιαύταις προσηγορίαις ὡς μὴ αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ ἑαυτὸν οὕτω καλεῖν. τὰς τοιαύτας μοχθηρὰς καὶ θεοστυγεῖς προαιρέσεις ἐπιρραπίζων, ὁ σοφὸς ἀπόστολός φησιν· ᾧν ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν ἐστι. πολλῶν τοίνυν εὑρεθέντων ὀνομάτων, ἐξουσία τῷ βουλομένῳ τὸ ἁρμοδιώτερον ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ καταράτῳ. καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ ἀρνίον ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος Σιών, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες ἔχουσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένον ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων αὐτῶν. καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ ὡς φωνὴν βροντῆς μεγάλης, καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν κιθαριζόντων ἐν ταῖς κιθάραις αὐτῶν. καὶ ᾄδου 159 σιν ὠδὴν καινὴν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν τεσσά ρων ζώων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἠδύνατο μαθεῖν τὴν ὠδὴν εἰ μὴ ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες, οἱ ἠγορασμένοι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. οὗτοί εἰσιν οἳ μετὰ γυναικῶν οὐκ ἐμολύνθησαν, παρθένοι γάρ εἰσιν οὗτοι οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες τῷ ἀρνίῳ ὅπου ἂν ὑπάγῃ· οὗτοι ἠγοράσθησαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀν θρώπων ἀπαρχὴ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῷ ἀρνίῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν οὐχ εὑρέθη ψεῦδος. ἄμωμοί εἰσιν. ὁ Κύριος ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ἀναγέγραπται τῷ παρανόμῳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων προσφωνῶν λαῷ· ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι θείας ἐπιφοιτήσεως ἦσαν ἄξιοι μετὰ τὴν ἐν σταυρῷ μανίαν. πῶς οὖν νῦν ὥσπερ ἐκ μεταμελείας ὁ Κύριος δείκνυται; διὰ τῆς θεωρίας ἑστηκὼς ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος Σιών. ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐγκαταλέλειπται ἡ πόλις αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ ναὸς καὶ τὸ φύλον ἅπαν ἔρημον, σαφῶς ἔδειξαν Ῥωμαῖοι, τόν τε ναὸν ἐμπρήσαντες, καὶ πόλεις πυρπολήσαντες, καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν δηώσαντες τὴν γῆν καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν μητρόπολιν ἀνδραποδισάμενοι. τὸ δὲ νῦν δείκνυσθαι τὸν Κύριον ἐπιβεβηκότα τῷ ὄρει Σιὼν τὴν ἐπ' ἐσχάτων διὰ πίστεως ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ παραδείκνυσι, καὶ ὡς ὁ Κύριος αὐτοὺς οἰκειώσηται καὶ προσλάβοι. τοῦτο γάρ εἰσιν εὐηγγελισμένοι διὰ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λέγοντος ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβ, εἶπε Κύριος. σύμφωνοι τυγχάνουσι τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ ὅ τε προφήτης καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος, ὁ μὲν ψάλλων, ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς νῶτον, ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου ἑτοιμάσεις τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν, ὁ δὲ γράφων ὅταν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται. καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ φησιν ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες, ἔχουσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένον ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων αὐτῶν. ἐν τοῖς 160 φθάσασιν ἑκατὸν τεσσαρακοντατέσσαρας χιλιάδας εἶναι ἔφη τὰς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ πεπιστευκυῖας δώδεκα χιλιάδας κατὰ μίαν ἑκάστην φυλήν. ἆρα οὖν περὶ τούτων καὶ νῦν λέγει; οὐκ οἶμαι·