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the seventy called "epomis"; but in the books of Kings we find it named "ephod" according to the language of the Hebrews. 144 This had on each shoulder two precious stones, having the names of the tribes inscribed, and on the chest the so-called "logion," covering the rational heart. And this also had twelve stones attached, having different colors; and through these was signified, when war was joined, either victory or defeat; and the history of the books of Kings teaches this; for when the foreigners made war against Israel, Saul did not dare to join battle before he saw the signs of victory; "Bring forth," for he says, "the ephod." Then, having learned of the victory, he added, "Withdraw the ephod." and thus he armed the people. For this reason, the God of all said: "And you shall put the oracle of judgment on the breast of Aaron and you shall attach it to the epomis," He added: "And you shall put on it the declaration and the truth." And He called "declaration" the messages from there; and "truth," the infallibility of the messages. It must be understood, however, that since those at that time were rather dull and unable to grasp intelligible things, the all-wise Lord brought about their benefit through physical symbols. But we understand, through the oracle, the contemplation of intelligible things; and through the epomis, the practice of virtue, and we take the harmony and connection of the oracle and the epomis for the accord of faith and good action. And that the epomis is put on first, and then the oracle is attached to it, means that good action is the foundation of contemplation. LXI Why did the priests, placing their hands on the sacrificial animals, sacrifice in this way? 145 Not on all the sacrificial animals, but on those offered for themselves and especially those for sin. On the others, the offerers themselves laid their hands. And this was a symbol of the sacrificial animal filling the place of the one offering, receiving the slaughter on his behalf. It is fitting to note that a bullock was offered for the high priest; and for all the people, again a bullock; and for the ruler, a male goat; and for each man, a female goat. For the male is fitting for the ruler, and the female for the one ruled. Since God also subjected the woman to Adam from the beginning. The bullock sacrificed for sin was burned outside the camp. For this reason also the Lord Christ, as the divine apostle says, "suffered outside the gate," and has placed the reality upon the type. And the fat was offered at the altar. For it says this: "the fat that is on the belly, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and the lobe of the liver," which the other interpreters called "appendage." And these are riddles of the passions within us; for the fat covering the belly signifies the disease of gluttony; the kidneys, the pleasures below the belly; and the lobe of the liver, the spirited part. For the gall bladder is connected to it. And it commands to consecrate these things, and, as it were, to render their evil activities dead. Of the ram of consecration, it ordained to offer the right shoulder, commanding to offer practical virtue, which is on the right and best, to God. The bread and the wafer, and the libation of wine, signify the fruits that grow from the earth, of which it is holy to offer the firstfruits to God. 146 LXII What is, "for a fragrant aroma, it is an offering to the Lord"? It teaches divine things through human things. For since we are delighted by sweet smells, He called the sacred rite performed according to the law a fragrant aroma; for that one must not attend to the bare letter, the nature of God also teaches, for He is incorporeal; and the bad smell of burning bones, for what is more foul-smelling than those? However, the other interpreters have put "pleasing" instead of "fragrant." LXIII For what reason did it ordain that the priest receive the right shoulder and the breast from each sacrifice offered for salvation? Through the breast, the rational and the contemplative

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ἑβδομήκοντα " ἐπωμίδα " ἐκάλεσαν· ἐν δὲ ταῖς βασιλείαις εὑρίσκομεν " ἐφοὺδ " αὐτὴν κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἑβραίων γλῶτταν ὠνομασμέ 144 νην. αὕτη εἶχεν ἐφ' ἑκατέρου μὲν ὤμου δύο λίθους πολυτελεῖς, ἔχοντας τῶν φυλῶν τὰς προσηγορίας ἐγγεγραμμένας, ἐν δὲ τῷ στήθει τὸ καλούμενον " λόγιον ", τὴν λογικὴν συγκαλύπτον καρδίαν. εἶχε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δυοκαί δεκα λίθους προσηρμοσμένους, διάφορον ἔχοντας χροιάν· διὰ δὲ τούτων ἐδηλοῦτο πολέμου συγκροτηθέντος ἢ νίκη ἢ ἧττα· καὶ τοῦτο τῶν βασι λειῶν ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει· ἐπιστρατευσάντων γὰρ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τῷ Ἰσραήλ, οὐ πρότερον ἐτόλμησεν ὁ Σαοὺλ παρατάξασθαι, ἕως εἶδε τὰ τῆς νίκης μηνύματα· " προσάγαγε, γάρ φησι, τὸ ἐφούδ ". εἶτα τὴν νίκην μαθὼν ἐπήγαγε· " συνάγαγε τὸ ἐφούδ ". καὶ οὕτως ἐξώπλισε τὸν λαόν. διὰ τοῦτο εἰρηκὼς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός· " καὶ ἐπιθήσεις τὸ λόγιον τῆς κρίσεως ἐπὶ τὸ στῆ θος Ἀαρὼν καὶ συνάψεις αὐτὸ πρὸς τὴν ἐπωμί δα ", ἐπήγαγε· " καὶ ἐπιθήσεις αὐτῷ τὴν δήλωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ". καὶ δήλωσιν μὲν ἐκάλεσε τὰ ἐκεῖθεν μηνύ ματα· ἀλήθειαν δὲ τῶν μηνυμάτων τὸ ἀψευδές. ἰστέον μέντοι, ὡς παχυ τέροις οὖσι τοῖς τηνικαῦτα καὶ τῶν νοητῶν ἐφίκεσθαι μὴ δυναμένοις, διὰ τῶν σωματικῶν συμβόλων τὴν ὠφέλειαν ὁ πάνσοφος δεσπότης ἐπραγ ματεύετο. ἡμεῖς δὲ νοοῦμεν, διὰ μὲν τοῦ λογίου, τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν νοητῶν· διὰ δὲ τῆς ἐπωμίδος, τὴν ἐργασίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ λογίου καὶ τῆς ἐπωμίδος ἁρμονίαν τε καὶ συνάφειαν εἰς τὴν τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ἀγαθῆς πράξεως λαμβάνομεν συμφωνίαν. τὸ δὲ πρώτην ἐπιτίθεσθαι τὴν ἐπωμίδα. εἶθ' οὕτω ταύτῃ τὸ λόγιον συνάπτεσθαι, τὸ τὴν ἀγαθὴν πρᾶξιν ὑπο βάθραν εἶναι τῆς θεωρίας. LXI ∆ιὰ τί οἱ ἱερεῖς τοῖς ἱερείοις τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιτιθέντες οὕτως ἱέρευον; 145 Οὐ πᾶσι τοῖς ἱερείοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν προσφερομένοις καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας. τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις αὐτοὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐπετίθεσαν οἱ προσ φέροντες. ἦν δὲ τοῦτο σύμβολον τοῦ τὸ ἱερεῖον τὸν τόπον πληροῦν τοῦ προσφέροντος τὴν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ δεχόμενον σφαγήν. ἐπισημήνασθαι δὲ προσήκει, ὡς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως προσεφέρετο μόσχος· ὑπὲρ δὲ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ πάλιν μόσχος· ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ ἄρχοντος χίμαρος· ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου δὲ ἀνδρὸς χίμαιρα. πρόσφορον γὰρ τῷ μὲν ἄρχοντι τὸ ἄρρεν, τῷ δὲ ἀρ χομένῳ τὸ θῆλυ. ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ Ἀδὰμ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπέταξεν ὁ Θεός. ὁ δὲ μόσχος ὁ περὶ ἁμαρτίας θυόμενος ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς κατε καίετο. τούτου χάριν καὶ ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός, ᾗ φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόσ τολος, " ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν ", καὶ τῷ τύπῳ τὴν ἀλή θειαν ἐπιτέθεικε. τῷ δὲ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεφέρετο τὸ ἐπίπλουν. τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει, " τὸ στέαρ τὸ ἐπὶ κοιλίας, καὶ οἱ δύο νεφροὶ καὶ τὸ στέαρ τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ τοῦ ἥπατος λοβός ", ὅπερ οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ " περιττὸν " προ σηγόρευσαν. αἰνίγματα δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν παθημάτων· τὸ μὲν γὰρ στέαρ τὸ τὴν κοιλίαν καλύπτον, σημαίνει τῆς γαστριμαργίας τὴν νόσον· οἱ δὲ νεφροὶ τὰς ὑπογαστρίους ἡδονάς· ὁ δὲ λοβὸς τοῦ ἥπατος τὸ θυμοειδές. ἐκείνῳ γὰρ συνῆπται τὸ χοληδόχον ἀγγεῖον. ταῦτα δὲ καθιεροῦν κε λεύει, καὶ οἱονεὶ νεκρὰς αὐτῶν ἀποφαίνειν τὰς πονηρὰς ἐνεργείας. τοῦ δὲ τῆς τελειώσεως κριοῦ τὸν βραχίονα τὸν δεξιὸν προσενεγκεῖν διηγόρευσε, τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν δεξιὰν οὖσαν, καὶ ἀρίστην τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρειν κελεύων. ὁ δὲ ἄρτος καὶ τὸ λάγανον, καὶ ἡ τοῦ οἴνου σπονδή, τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς φυομένους δηλοῦσι καρπούς, ὧν τὰς ἀπαρχὰς προσφέρειν ὅσιον τῷ Θεῷ. 146 LXII Τί ἐστιν, " εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας κάρπωμά ἐστι Κυ ρίῳ ; ∆ιὰ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τὰ θεῖα διδάσκει. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ταῖς εὐοσμίαις τερπόμεθα, τὴν κατὰ νόμον γενομένην ἱερουργίαν, ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας ὠνόμα σεν· ὅτι γὰρ οὐ δεῖ γυμνῷ προσέχειν τῷ γράμματι, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ φύσις διδάσκει, ἀσώματος γάρ· καὶ ἡ δυσοσμία τῶν καιομένων ὀστῶν, τί γὰρ ἐκείνων ἐστὶ δυσωδέστερον; οἱ μέντοι ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ " εὐαρεστή σεως " ἀντὶ εὐωδίας τεθείκασιν. LXIII Τίνος χάριν ἐξ ἑκάστης θυσίας ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας προσφερομένης, τὸν ἱερέα λαμβάνειν τὸν βραχίονα τὸν δεξιὸν καὶ τὸ στηθύνιον διηγόρευσεν; ∆ιὰ τοῦ στηθυνίου τὸ λογικὸν καὶ τὸ θεωρητικὸν