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of the Egyptian polity. It also forbids honey to be offered on the altar; and some say that this is because the bee also settles in unclean places, and gathers the materials for its honey-making from everywhere; but others have said that we are taught to perform the sacrifices from our own labors, according to the exhortation of Solomon that says "honor the Lord from your just labors, and offer first-fruits to him from your fruits of righteousness." But the fruit of the bee, he says, is not our labor; but this argument is not accurate. For beekeeping is also a human industry. For some are concerned with farming, others with sheep-herding; and some with trade, others with beekeeping. I think, therefore, that through the leaven, the oldness of wickedness is signified; and through the honey, pleasure is forbidden. However, he commanded the priests also to offer the first-fruits of these things; for they offer the intercessions for our sins; whence through the prophet he said concerning them: "they will eat the sins of my people." And he commands salt to be cast upon the sacrificial animals, signifying through these things the discernment of the soul. Of this was the sacrifice of Cain deprived, which is why he heard from the God of all: "If you offer correctly, but do not divide correctly." And the divine apostle legislates, saying: "Let your 158 speech always be seasoned with salt." And the Lord said to the apostles: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will it be salted"? And he commands all the sacrifices to be offered unharmed and without blemish, although they are different and are offered in different ways. And he teaches through these things that those in every state of life should be without blemish. And those who embrace virginity are to live according to its laws; those who choose the yoke of marriage are not to corrupt its bond through their fellowship with each other; those who prefer the ascetic life are to preserve the rule of perfection. And, to speak concisely, those in wealth, those in poverty, those in slavery, those in power, are to be unblemished and without blemish in their own stations. Of the things sacrificed, except for the whole burnt offerings, some were offered on the altar, and others were given to the priests; wherefore the divine apostle said that they share with the altar. The rest of the meat was allotted for the use of those offering it. However, upon the whole burnt offerings were placed the things offered in part, such as the kidneys and the fat and the lobe of the liver; and from some victims also the loin, or according to the other interpreters "the tail." Since we who are imperfect use those who are perfect in virtue as intercessors and through them we offer our prayers. And the one offering laid his hands on the victim, as if his own deeds; for the hands are indicative of deeds; and on behalf of these he offered the sacrifice. It commands to abstain from blood and fat, and directs that both be offered to the altar. For the one is the cause of life; the other is indicative of virtue; and it is most just to dedicate both to God. But the high priest who has transgressed some law, it commands to sacrifice a blameless bullock; and to offer to the altar what we have said before; but the meat and the hide with the dung, to burn outside the camp. This shows that sin is alien to the sacred precincts. And when the whole people has dared such a transgression, he has legislated that the 159 same sacrifice be offered, teaching how great is the privilege of the priesthood; for he has made it equivalent to the whole people. But for a ruler who transgressed a law, he directed him to offer not a bullock but a male goat, that is, a one-year-old kid. So far short of the high-priestly dignity is the one entrusted with bodily rule, but for one who is neither a priest nor a ruler, but has sinned, he commanded him to sacrifice a female goat. For the male is suitable for the ruler, and the female for the one who is ruled, as we have said before. And one who has either touched anything unclean of the forbidden things, or heard someone who has sworn and did not rebuke the one who broke the oath, or has himself promised to do something, or to the

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αἰγυπτιακῆς πολιτείας. ἀπαγορεύει καὶ μέλι προσ φέρεσθαι τῷ βωμῷ· καί τινες μέν φασιν, ὡς τῆς μελίττης καὶ ἀκα θάρτοις τόποις ἐφιζανούσης, καὶ πάντοθεν ἀθροιζούσης τῆς μελι τουργίας τὰς ἀφορμάς· τινὲς δὲ διδάσκεσθαι ἡμᾶς εἰρήκασιν, ἐξ οἰ κείων πόνων τὰς θυσίας ἐπιτελεῖν, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σολομῶντος παραί νεσιν τὴν λέγουσαν " τίμα τὸν Κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δι καίων πόνων, καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρ πῶν δικαιοσύνης ". ὁ δὲ τῆς μελίττης καρπὸς οὐχ ἡμέτερος, φησίν, πόνος ἀλλ' οὗτος ὁ λόγος οὐκ ἔχει τὸ ἀκριβές. καὶ γὰρ ἡ μελιτουρ γία τῶν ἀνθρώπων φιλοπονία. οἱ μὲν γὰρ γηπονίας, οἱ δὲ προβατείας φροντίζουσι· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐμπορίας, οἱ δὲ μελιτουργίας. οἶμαι τοίνυν, διὰ μὲν τῆς ζύμης, τὴν παλαιότητα τῆς πονηρίας αἰνίττεσθαι· διὰ δὲ τοῦ μέλιτος, τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀπαγορεύεσθαι. τοῖς μέντοι ἱερεῦσι καὶ τὰς τούτων ἐκέλευσε προσφέρειν ἀπαρχάς· οὗτοι γὰρ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρ τημάτων πρεσβείας προσφέρουσιν· ὅθεν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ἔφη περὶ αὐτῶν· " ἁμαρτίας λαοῦ μου φάγονται ". τοὺς δὲ ἅλας ἐπιβάλλεσθαι τοῖς ἱερείοις κελεύει, τὸ διακριτικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς διὰ τούτων σημαίνων. τούτου ἐστέρητο ἡ τοῦ Κάϊν θυσία διὸ ἤκουσε παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ· " οὐκ ἂν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς ". καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος νομοθετεῖ λέγων· " ὁ λό 158 γος ὑμῶν ἔστω πάντοτε ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος ". καὶ ὁ Κύριος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔφη· " ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἁλισθή σεται "; ἀσινῆ δὲ καὶ ἄμωμα προσφέρειν ἅπαντα κελεύει τὰ θύματα καίτοι διάφορα ὄντα καὶ κατὰ διαφόρους προσφερόμενα τρόπους. διδάσ κει δὲ διὰ τούτων τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῃ πολιτείᾳ τὸ ἄμωμον ἔχειν. καὶ τοὺς παρθενίαν ἀσπαζομένους κατὰ τοὺς ταύτης πολιτεύεσθαι νόμους· τοὺς τοῦ γάμου τὸν ζυγὸν αἱρουμένους, τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους κοινωνίᾳ μὴ διαφ θεῖραι τούτου τὴν ζεύγλην· τοὺς τὴν ἀσκητικὴν βιοτὴν προτιμῶντας, τὸν τῆς τελειότητος διαφυλάττειν κανόνα. καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν, τοὺς ἐν πλούτῳ, τοὺς ἐν πενίᾳ, τοὺς ἐν δουλείᾳ, τοὺς ἐν δυναστείᾳ, ἐν τοῖς οἰ κείοις τάγμασι τὸ ἀλώβητον ἔχειν καὶ ἄμωμον. τῶν δὲ θυομένων, πλὴν τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, τὰ μὲν τῷ βωμῷ προσεφέρετο, τὰ δὲ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἐδίδοτο· διὸ συμμερίζεσθαι αὐτοὺς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ὁ θεῖος εἶπεν ἀπόσ τολος. τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τῶν κρεῶν τῇ τῶν προσφερόντων ἀπενέμετο χρείᾳ. τοῖς μέντοι ὁλοκαυτώμασιν ἐπετίθετο τὰ μερικῶς προσφερόμενα, οἷον οἱ νεφροὶ καὶ ἡ πιμελὴ καὶ ὁ τοῦ ἥπατος λοβός· ἐξ ἐνίων δὲ ἱερείων καὶ ἡ ὀσφύς, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἑρμηνευτὰς " ἡ κέρκος ". ἐπειδὴ τοῖς ἐν ἀρετῇ τελείοις οἱ ἀτελεῖς χρώμεθα πρεσβευταῖς καὶ δι' ἐκείνων τὰς ἡμετέρας προσφέρομεν προσευχάς. ἐπετίθει δὲ ὁ προσφέρων τῷ ἱερείῳ τὰς χεῖρας, οἱονεὶ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ πράξεις· τῶν γὰρ πράξεων αἱ χεῖρες δηλωτικαί· ὑπὲρ δὲ τούτων τὸ θῦμα προσέφερεν. αἵματος δὲ καὶ στέατος ἀπέχεσθαι κελεύει, καὶ ἀμφότερα τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ διαγορεύει προσφέρεσθαι. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ζωῆς αἴτιον· τὸ δὲ ἀρετῆς δηλωτικόν· ἀμφότερα δὲ ἀνατιθέναι τῷ Θεῷ δικαιότατον. τὸν δὲ ἀρχιερέα νόμον τινὰ παραβεβηκότα, μόσχον ἄμωμον ἱερεύειν κελεύει· καὶ τῷ μὲν θυσιαστηρίῳ προσφέρειν ἃ προειρήκαμεν· τὰ δὲ κρέα καὶ τὸ δέρμα σὺν τῇ κόπρῳ, ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς κατακαίειν. τοῦτο δὲ δηλοῖ τὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀλλοτρίαν εἶναι τῶν ἱερῶν περιβόλων. καὶ παντὸς δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ τοιαύτην τινὰ παρανομίαν τετολμηκότος, τὴν 159 ἴσην προσενεχθῆναι θυσίαν νενομοθέτηκε, διδάσκων ἡλίκον τῆς ἱερω σύνης τὸ γέρας· ἀντίρροπον γὰρ αὐτὸ παντὸς τέθεικε τοῦ λαοῦ. τὸν δὲ ἄρχοντα παραβάντα τινὰ νόμον, οὐ μόσχον ἀλλὰ χίμαρον, τουτέστιν ἔριφον ἐνιαυσιαῖον προσενεγκεῖν διηγόρευσε. τοσοῦτον ἀποδεῖ τῆς ἀρ χιερατικῆς ἀξίας ὁ τὴν σωματικὴν πεπιστευμένος ἀρχήν, τὸν δὲ μήτε ἱερέα ὄντα, μήτε ἄρχοντα, ἡμαρτηκότα δὲ χίμαιραν θῦσαι προσέταξε. πρόσφορον γὰρ τῷ μὲν ἄρχοντι τὸ ἄρρεν, τῷ δὲ ἀρχομένῳ τὸ θῆλυ, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἰρήκαμεν. τὸν δέ γε ἢ ἀκαθάρτου τινὸς τῶν ἀπειρημένων ἁψάμενον, ἤ τινος ὀμωμοκότος ἀκούσαντα καὶ τὸν παραβεβηκότα τὸν ὅρκον μὴ διελέγξαντα ἢ αὐτὸν ὑποσχόμενον τὶ πράξειν, ἢ τῷ