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they have used licentious words and deeds, openly fighting against the law. But on the fifteenth, he legislates to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles, not up to the seventh day, as in the case of the other feasts, but also commands to add the eighth to the seven; "for the eighth day," he says, "shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall offer burnt offerings to the Lord; it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no servile work." But the "solemn assembly" signifies the end of the feasts; and the feast of Tabernacles, was a reminder of the sojourn in the desert. 184 For in legislating this he also said: "that I made the sons of Israel dwell in tents when I brought them out of the land of Egypt." For this reason he commanded to adorn the houses with branches of trees; and he enumerated with the other branches also the chaste tree, as indicative of temperance, and an extinguisher of pleasure. For they say it, both when eaten and when spread beneath, extinguishes the flame of pleasures. But he did not command to use these branches of the chaste tree medicinally, but through its name instilling the memory of temperance. XXXIII How is this to be understood: "Whoever curses God, shall bear his sin, but he who names the name of the Lord shall be put to death"? Someone was caught blaspheming the God of all, but a law concerning blasphemy had not yet been written; for this reason the lawgiver commanded this man to be kept in custody. And on the next day Moses asked the Lord God what the wretch should suffer. And He commanded that he be stoned, with those who had heard the blasphemy casting the first stones. And he set down the law concerning blasphemy. And he called the false god "god" homonymously; but the one who reviled this [god] he said sins, but he did not judge him worthy of punishment. The pious man does not sin by blaspheming the false god, but the one who believes in that one, but reviles him; for he blasphemes what he worships. Therefore he called such blasphemy a sin, not on account of the worth of the one being blasphemed, but on account of the assumption of the one blaspheming; for not as a false one, but as a true God does he blaspheme. However, the one who blasphemes the true God he commanded to be killed with stones. And very reasonably to the laws concerning blasphemy he also joined 185 the one concerning murder; since the blasphemer also, being unable to kill, strikes the Creator with his tongue. XXXIV Why "an eye to be struck out for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," and such like things did he command? He did not legislate these things so that they might suffer them, but so that they might not do them. For the fear of the suffering prevented the action. XXXV Why in the seventh year does he forbid to sow the land? Their greed he chastises with the law. For since, desiring more, they sowed continuously, and the land, not being rested, bore faded fruits, he commanded to leave the land unsown in the seventh year; and what grew of itself he forbade to gather or reap, teaching them philanthropy. For he commanded along with them also widows and orphans and sojourners to partake of the fruits from them. And in addition to these things he also contrives another; for also a release of debts occurred in this year, and freedom for the serving Hebrews. For this very reason he also legislated for the jubilee to be a time of rest; and the name signifies freedom and release. And they call the fiftieth year jubilee; "For seven," he says, "weeks of years you shall count, and you shall proclaim with the sound of a trumpet in all your land on the tenth day of the month on the day of atonement"; on which day, he says, I am gracious to you, and I forgive your trespasses. 186 on this day announce the year of release. Then he commands in this year, also for the one who had sold it to take back his field, and the houses in the fields, and for cancellations of debts to take place, and freedom for Hebrew children. And since it was likely for some to trouble the debtors, as the year of release was approaching, he forbade this also to be done by them. But so that they might not be in doubt concerning necessary food, since indeed they were not cultivating the land in the years of release, he encouraged them with generous promises. For he promised in the sixth year not

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ἀκολάστοις ῥήμασι καὶ πράγμασι κέχρηνται, ἄντικρυς τῷ νόμῳ μαχόμενοι. τῇ δὲ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ, τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν Σκηνῶν ἑορτάσαι νομοθετεῖ, οὐ μέχρι τῆς ἑβδόμης, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἑορτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὀγδόην ταῖς ἑπτὰ προσθεῖναι κελεύει· " καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα, γάρ φησιν, ἡ ὀγδόη κλητὴ ἁγία ἔσται ὑμῖν, καὶ προσάξετε ὁλοκαυ τώματα τῷ Κυρίῳ· ἐξόδιόν ἐστι· πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε ". τὸ δὲ ἐξόδιον τὸ τέλος ση μαίνει τῶν ἑορτῶν· ἡ δὲ τῶν Σκηνῶν ἑορτή, τῆς ἐν ἐρήμῳ διαγωγῆς ἀνε 184 μίμνησκεν. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ νομοθετῶν ἔφη· " ὅτι ἐν σκηναῖς κα τῴκισα τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῷ ἐξαγαγεῖν με αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ". τούτου χάριν κλάδοις δένδρων τὰς οἰκίας κοσμεῖν διηγόρευσε· συνηρίθμησε δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις κλά δοις καὶ τὸν ἄγνον, ὡς σωφροσύνης δηλωτικόν, καὶ ἡδονῆς σβεστικόν. φασὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐσθιόμενον καὶ ὑποστρωννύμενον σβεννύναι τὴν φλόγα τῶν ἡδονῶν. ἀλλὰ τούτοις οὐκ ἰατρικῶς χρήσασθαι τοῖς τοῦ ἄγνου προσέταξε κλάδοις, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐνιεὶς τῆς σωφροσύνης τὴν μνήμην. XXXIII Πῶς νοητέον τό· " ὃς ἂν καταράσηται Θεόν, ἁμαρ τίαν λήψεται, ὀνομάζων δὲ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου θανάτῳ θανατούσθω "; Ἥλω τις βλασφημήσας τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν, οὐδέπω δὲ περὶ βλασφημίας ἐγέγραπτο νόμος· τούτου χάριν ὁ νομοθέτης, τοῦτον μὲν φυλαχθῆναι προσέταξεν. ἤρετο δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ Μωϋσῆς τὸν δεσπότην Θεὸν τί χρὴ παθεῖν τὸν ἀλάστορα. ὁ δὲ τὸν μὲν καταλευσθῆναι προσέταξε, τῶν ἀκη κοότων τῆς βλασφημίας πρώτων ἀφιέντων τοὺς λίθους. ἔθηκε δὲ τὸν περὶ τῆς βλασφημίας νόμον. καὶ θεὸν μὲν ὁμωνύμως ἐκάλεσε τὸν ψευδώ νυμον· τὸν δὲ τούτῳ λοιδορούμενον ἁμαρτάνειν μὲν ἔφη, κολάσεως δὲ οὐκ ἔκρινεν ἄξιον. ἁμαρτάνει μὲν οὐχ ὁ εὐσεβὴς τὸν ψευδώνυμον βλασ φημῶν θεόν, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐκείνῳ πιστεύων μέν, λοιδορούμενος δέ· βλασφημεῖ γὰρ ὃ σέβει. ἁμαρτίαν τοίνυν τὴν τοιαύτην ἐκάλεσε βλασφημίαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ βλασφημουμένου ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ βλασφημοῦντος ὑπό ληψιν· οὐ γὰρ ὡς ψευδώνυμον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀληθῆ Θεὸν βλασφημεῖ. τὸν μέντοι τὸν ἀληθινὸν βλασφημοῦντα Θεὸν λίθοις ἀναιρεῖσθαι προσέταξε. μάλα δὲ εἰκότως τοῖς περὶ τῆς βλασφημίας νόμοις καὶ τὸν περὶ τοῦ φόνου συνῆ 185 ψεν· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ βλασφημῶν ἀνελεῖν μὴ δυνάμενος, τῇ γλώττῃ βάλλει τὸν ποιητήν. XXXIV ∆ιὰ τί " ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ἐκκόπτεσθαι, καὶ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος ", καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα προσέταξεν; Οὐχ ἵνα πάσχωσι ταῦτα νενομοθέτηκεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ πράττωσι. τοῦ γὰρ πάθους τὸ δέος τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐκώλυσεν. XXXV ∆ιὰ τί τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει σπεῖραι τὴν γῆν ἀπαγορεύει; Τὸ ἄπληστον αὐτῶν κολάζει τῷ νόμῳ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦ πλείονος ἐφιέ μενοι διηνεκῶς ἔσπειρον, μὴ διαναπαυομένη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐξιτήλους ἔφερε τοὺς καρπούς, τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει ἄσπαρτον ἐᾶσαι τὴν γῆν διηγόρευσε· τὰ δὲ αὐτομάτως φυόμενα τρυγᾶν ἢ θερίζειν ἐκώλυσε, φιλανθρωπίαν ἐκπαι δεύων αὐτούς. ἐκέλευσε γὰρ σὺν αὐτοῖς καὶ χήρας καὶ ὀρφανοὺς καὶ προσ ηλύτους ἐξ αὐτῶν μεταλαβεῖν τῶν καρπῶν. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἕτερον πραγματεύεται· καὶ γὰρ ἄφεσις ὀφλημάτων κατὰ τόδε τὸ ἔτος ἐγίνετο, καὶ τῶν δουλευόντων ἑβραίων ἐλευθερία. διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τὸν ἰοβη λαῖον ἀργεῖν ἐνομοθέτησεν· ἐλευθερίαν δὲ καὶ ἄφεσιν σημαίνει τὸ ὄνομα. ἰοβηλαῖον δὲ τὸ πεντηκοστὸν προσαγορεύουσιν ἔτος· " ἑπτά, γάρ φησιν, ἑβδομάδας ἐτῶν ἀριθμήσεις, καὶ διαγ γελεῖτε σάλπιγγος φωνῇ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ ὑμῶν τῇ δεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ ἐξιλασμοῦ "· ἐν ᾗ φησίν, ἡμέρᾳ ἱλεοῦμαι ὑμῖν, καὶ τὰ πεπλημμελημένα ὑμῖν ἀφίημι. 186 ἐν ταύτῃ μηνύσατε τὸ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἔτος. εἶτα κελεύει ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει, καὶ τὸν ἀγρὸν ἀναλαμβάνειν τὸν πεπρακότα, καὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς οἰκίας καὶ χρεῶν ἀποκοπὰς γενέσθαι, καὶ παίδων ἑβραίων ἐλευθερίας. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰκὸς ἦν τινας ἐνοχλεῖν τοῖς ὀφείλουσιν, ὡς τοῦ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἔτους πελά ζοντος, ἀπηγόρευσε καὶ τοῦτο γίνεσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν. ὥστε δὲ περὶ τῆς ἀναγκαίας μὴ ἐνδοιάζειν τροφῆς, ἅτε δὴ μὴ γεωργοῦντας τὴν γῆν ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀφέσεως ἔτεσι, ταῖς φιλοτίμοις ἐψυχαγώγησεν ὑποσχέσεσιν. ἐπηγ γείλατο γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἕκτῳ ἔτει οὐ