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he had this power; but having turned aside into impiety, he fell from authority. And he promised to give to these, who keep the commandments and the law. LX Why did God command the tabernacle to be made? The Master, God Himself, has declared the reason; for he said thus: "And you shall make me a sanctuary, and I will appear among you. And you shall make it according to all that I show you on the mountain, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of its vessels." For since he had given the law on Mount Sinai—and it was likely for some to suppose the divine to be circumscribed—he commanded a tabernacle to be made, so that from there, making his own appearance, he might instruct the people in piety, for just as when they had received their promised land he commanded a temple to be made and legislated that the divine services should take place there, so that by not doing this without fear, they might fall into the error of the wicked demons, so too for those journeying 140 and crossing the desert, he commanded to make a tabernacle, one that was able to be moved; so that they might offer both prayers and sacred rites in it. And these things were done for the sake of their need. For since the great Moses spent many days on the mountain, they said to Aaron: "Make for us gods who will go before us"; and having fashioned the image of the calf, they shouted, dancing: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." God commanded this tabernacle to be made and decreed that it should lead when they departed, and stand still when they encamped; so that the priests might also perform the sacrifices in it; and it had the image of creation. For just as the Master God, having created the heaven and the earth, again stretched out the firmament in the middle, and separated the things above from the things below; so he commanded one tabernacle to be made, having a length of thirty cubits, and a width of ten; and in the middle, having stretched out the veil, in the type of the firmament, he divided it in two and the part by the door he called the Holy Place, but the part within the veil, he named the Holy of Holies. And just as David says, "The heaven of heaven is the Lord's, but the earth he has given to the sons of men." so the part outside the veil was accessible to the priests; but the parts within were untouchable and inaccessible and a sanctuary. For it was the law for the high priest alone to enter once a year. And there were the images of the cherubim, having the type of the bodiless powers; and in the midst of these lay the ark, having the tablets of the law, and the pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron that had budded. And upon this was the mercy seat, overshadowed by the wings 141 of the cherubim; and in this the God of all made His own appearance. For since the divine nature is without form and unshaped, both invisible and incomprehensible, and to fashion an image of such a substance is altogether among the impossible things, he commanded the symbols of his greatest gifts to be placed within. For the tablets signified the legislation, the rod, the priesthood, and the manna, the food in the desert and the bread not made with hands; and the mercy seat was a symbol of prophecy; for from there the prophecies were given. For just as "from the greatness and beauty of created things their original author is seen by analogy," so through these things the great Giver was known. The things within the tabernacle, therefore, had the type of the heavenly things, for which reason it was also named the Holy of Holies. And that this is true, the divine apostle is a witness, saying thus: "For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." And again, discoursing on the divine hope, he also added these things: "which we have as an anchor, both safe and firm, and entering into the inner part of the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek." Therefore, the things inside the veil had the image of the heavenly things; and the things outside, of the earthly things; for which reason also to the priests continually

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ταύτην εἶχε τὴν δυναστείαν· ἀπο κλίνας δὲ εἰς ἀσέβειαν, τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐξέπεσε. καὶ τούτοις δὲ δώσειν ἐπηγ γείλατο, τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὸν νόμον φυλάττουσιν. LX Τὴν σκηνὴν τί δήποτε προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς γενέσθαι; Αὐτὸς ὁ δεσπότης Θεὸς τὴν αἰτίαν δεδήλωκεν· ἔφη δὲ οὕτω· " καὶ ποιήσεις μοι ἁγίασμα, καὶ ὀθφήσομαι ἐν ὑμῖν. καὶ ποιήσεις κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐγὼ δείκνυμί σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει, τὸ παράδειγμα τῆς σκηνῆς, καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα τῶν σκευῶν αὐτῆς ". ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Σινᾶ ὄρει τὸν νόμον ἐδεδώκει- εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν τινας ὑποτοπῆσαι περιγεγράφ θαι τὸ θεῖον-ἐκέλευσε γενέσθαι σκηνήν· ἵν' ἐκεῖθεν τὴν οἰκείαν ποιούμενος ἐπιφάνειαν, ἐκπαιδεύῃ τὸν λαὸν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ὥσπερ γὰρ τὴν ἐπηγ γελμένην αὐτῶν ἀπειληφότων γῆν νεὼν γενέσθαι προσέταξε καὶ τὰς θείας ἐκεῖ γίνεσθαι λειτουργίας ἐνομοθέτησεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀδεῶς τοῦτο δρῶν τες, τῇ τῶν ἀλιτηρίων δαιμόνων περιπέσωσι πλάνῃ, οὕτως ὁδοιποροῦσι 140 καὶ τὴν ἔρημον διαβαίνουσι, σκηνὴν ποιῆσαι προσέταξε, μεταβῆναι καὶ αὐτὴν δυναμένην· ἵνα καὶ τὰς προσευχὰς καὶ τὰς ἱερουργίας ἐν ταύτῃ προσφέρωσι. καὶ ταῦτα δὲ τῆς αὐτῶν ἕνεκα γεγένηται χρείας. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῦ μεγάλου Μωϋσέως πλείους διατρίψαντος ἡμέρας, πρὸς τὸν Ἀαρὼν ἔφασαν· " ποίησον ἡμῖν θεοὺς οἳ προ πορεύσονται ἡμῶν "· καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ μόσχου κατασκευά σαντες, ἐβόων χορεύοντες· " οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ἰσραήλ, οἱ ἐξαγαγόντες σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ". τὴν σκηνὴν ταύτην γενέσθαι προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἀπαιρόντων ἡγεῖσθαι νενομο θέτηκε, καὶ αὐλιζομένων ἵστασθαι· ὥστε καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς θυσίας ἐπιτελεῖν· εἶχε δὲ αὐτὴ τῆς κτίσεως τὴν εἰκόνα. ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν δημιουργήσας ὁ δεσπότης Θεός, μέσον πάλιν ἐξέτεινε τὸ στερέωμα, καὶ διώρισε τὰ ὑπερῷα τῶν κάτω· οὕτω μίαν μὲν γενέσθαι προσέταξε τὴν σκηνήν, τριάκοντα μὲν πήχεων τὸ μῆκος, δέκα δὲ τὸ εὖρος ἔχουσαν· ἐν μέσῳ δὲ τὸ παραπέτασμα διατείνας, ἐν τύπῳ τοῦ στερεώμα τος διχῇ διεῖλεν αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ μὲν παρὰ τὴν θύραν μέρος ἐκάλεσεν ἅγια, τὸ δὲ τοῦ παραπετάσματος ἔνδον, ἅγια ἁγίων ὠνόμασε καὶ ὥσπερ λέγει ∆αβὶδ " ὁ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ, τὴν δὲ γῆν ἔδωκε τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ". οὕτως ἔξω μὲν τοῦ καταπετάσματος εἰσιτητὸς ἦν τοῖς ἱερεῦσι· τὰ δὲ ἔνδον ἄψαυστα ἦν καὶ ἄδυτα καὶ ἀνάκτορα. τὸν ἀρχιερέα γὰρ μόνον ἅπαξ τοῦ ἔτους νό μος ἦν εἰσιέναι. ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ τὰ τῶν χερουβὶμ εἰκάσματα, τύπον τῶν ἀσω μάτων δυνάμεων ἔχοντα· ἐν μέσῳ δὲ τούτων ἡ κιβωτὸς ἔκειτο, τὰς πλά κας ἔχουσα τοῦ νόμου, καὶ τὴν στάμνον τοῦ μάννα, καὶ τὴν ῥάβδον Ἀα ρὼν τὴν βλαστήσασαν. ἐπέκειτο δὲ ταύτῃ τὸ ἱλαστήριον, ταῖς πτέρυξι 141 τῶν χερουβὶμ σκιαζόμενον· ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπι φάνειαν ἐποιεῖτο. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ θεία φύσις ἀνείδεός τε καὶ ἀσχημάτιστος, ἀόρατός τε καὶ ἀπερίληπτος, καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης οὐσίας εἰκόνα τεκτήνασθαι παντάπασι τῶν ἀδυνάτων, τὰ σύμβολα τῶν μεγίστων αὐτοῦ δωρεῶν ἔνδον κεῖσθαι προσέταξεν. αἱ μὲν γὰρ πλάκες τὴν νομοθεσίαν ἐδήλουν, τὴν δὲ ἱερωσύνην ἡ ῥάβδος, τὸ δὲ μάννα τὴν ἐν ἐρήμῳ τροφὴν καὶ τὸν ἀχειροποίητον ἄρτον· τὸ δέ γε ἱλαστήριον τῆς προφητείας σύμβολον ἦν· ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ αἱ προρρήσεις ἐγίνοντο. ὥσπερ γὰρ " ἐκ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται ", οὕτω διὰ τούτων ὁ μεγαλόδωρος ἐγνω ρίζετο. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἔνδον τῆς σκηνῆς τῶν ἐπουρανίων εἶχε τὸν τύ πον, διὸ καὶ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων ὠνόμαστο. καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο ἀληθές, μάρτυς ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος οὑτωσὶ λέγων· " οὐ γὰρ εἰς χει ροποίητα ἅγια εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀντίτυ πα τῶν ἀληθινῶν· ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρα νόν, νῦν ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ". καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῆς θείας ἐλπίδος διαλεγόμενος καὶ ταῦτα προστέθεικεν· " ἣν ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν, καὶ εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτε ρον τοῦ καταπετάσματος, ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς γενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ ". οὐκοῦν τὰ μὲν ἔνδον τοῦ καταπε τάσματος τὴν τῶν ἐπουρανίων εἶχεν εἰκόνα· τὰ δὲ ἐκτὸς τῶν ἐπιγείων· διὸ καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι διηνεκῶς