Chapter XVII.

With what virtuous feelings the fathers of old hid the sacred fires when on the point of going into captivity.

98. Let us consider, again, that deed done at the time of the captivity, which has attained the highest degree of virtue and glory. Virtue is checked by no adversities, for it rises up among them, and prevails here rather than in prosperity. ’Mid chains or arms, ’mid flames or slavery (which is harder for freemen to bear than any punishment), ’midst the pains of the dying, the destruction of their country, the fears of the living, or the blood of the slain,—amidst all this our forefathers failed not in their care and thought for what is virtuous. Amidst the ashes and dust of their fallen country it glowed and shone forth brightly in pious efforts.

99. For when our fathers were carried away into Persia,684    2 Macc. i. 19. certain priests, who then were in the service of Almighty God, secretly buried in the valley the fire taken from the altar of the Lord. There was there an open pit, with no water in it, and not accessible for the wants of the people, in a spot unknown and free from intruders. There they sealed the hidden fire with the sacred mark and in secret. They were not anxious to bury gold or to hide up silver to preserve it for their children, but in their own great peril, thinking of all that was virtuous, they thought the sacred fire ought to be preserved so that impure men might not defile it, nor the blood of the slain extinguish it, nor the heaps of miserable ruins cover it.

100. So they went to Persia, free only in their religion; for that alone could not be torn from them by their captivity. After a length of time,685    2 Macc. i. 20 ff. indeed, according to God’s good pleasure, He put it into the Persian king’s heart to order the temple in Judea to be restored, and the regular customs to be again rebuilt at Jerusalem. To carry out this work of his the Persian king appointed the priest Nehemiah. He took with him the grandchildren of those priests who on leaving their native soil had hidden the sacred fire to save it from perishing. But on arriving, as we are told in the history of the fathers, they found not fire but water. And when fire was wanting to burn upon the altars, the priest Nehemiah bade them draw the water, to bring it to him, and to sprinkle it upon the wood. Then, O wondrous sight! though the sky had been overcast with clouds, suddenly the sun shone forth, a great fire flamed forth, so that all, wonder-stricken at such a clear sign of the favour of the Lord, were filled with joy. Nehemiah prayed; the priests sang a hymn of praise to God, when the sacrifice was completed. Nehemiah again bade the remainder of the water to be poured upon the larger stones. And when this was done a flame burst forth whilst the light shining from off the altar shone more brightly yet.

101. When this sign became known, the king of Persia ordered a temple to be built on that spot where the fire had been hidden and the water afterwards found, to which many gifts were made. They who were with holy Nehemiah called it Naphthar,686    2 Macc. i. 36.—which means cleansing—by many it is called Nephi. It is to be found also in the history of the prophet Jeremiah,687    2 Macc. ii. 1 ff. that he bade those who should come after him to take of the fire. That is the fire which fell on Moses’ sacrifice and consumed it, as it is written: “There came a fire out from the Lord and consumed upon the altar all the whole burnt-offering.”688    Lev. ix. 24. The sacrifice must be hallowed with this fire only. Therefore, also, fire went out from the Lord upon the sons of Aaron who wished to offer strange fire, and consumed them, so that their dead bodies were cast forth without the camp.689    Lev. x. 2.

101. Jeremiah coming to a spot found there a house like a cave, and brought into it the tabernacle, the ark, and the altar of incense, and closed up the entrance. And when those who had come with him examined it rather closely to mark the spot, they could not discover nor find it. When Jeremiah understood what they wanted he said: “The spot will remain unknown until God shall gather His people together and be gracious to them. Then God shall reveal these things and the majesty of the Lord shall appear.”690    2 Macc. ii. 5.

132 CAPUT XVII.

Quanto honestatis studio antiqui patres in captivitatem abituri, sacrum ignem occuluerint.

98. Consideremus aliud quod in captivitate gestum, summum tenuit honestatis decorem. Nullis enim adversis 0172D honestas impeditur, quae in his eminet, et magis praecellit quam in prosperis. Inter vincula itaque, inter arma, flammas, servitutem, quae liberis omni supplicio gravior est, inter poenas morientium, excidia patriae, vivorum formidinem, sanguinem peremptorum, non excidit tamen cura honestatis majoribus nostris: sed inter eversae patriae cineres 0173A et favillas in affectibus piis resplenduit et refulsit.

99. Nam cum in Persidem ducerentur patres nostri, qui tunc Dei omnipotentis cultores erant, acceptum ignem de altari sacerdotes Domini occulte in valle absconderunt. Erat illic velut patens puteus, aquae secessu infrequens, nec populari usui patens, ignoto et ab arbitris remoto loco: ibi obsignaverunt indicio sacro pariter ac silentio ignem reconditum (II Mach. I, 19 et seq.). Non illis studio fuit aurum defodere, argentum abscondere, quod servarent posteris suis: sed inter extrema sua honestatis curam habentes, sacrum ignem servandum putarunt; ne eum vel impuri contaminarent, vel defunctorum sanguis exstingueret, vel deformium ruinarum acervus aboleret.

0173B 100. Abierunt itaque in Persidem sola religione liberi; quoniam sola illis per captivitatem extorqueri nequivit. Post vero plurimum temporis, quando placuit Deo, dedit hanc mentem regi Persarum, ut restaurari in Judea templum, et legitimos reparari Hierosolymis ritus juberet. Cujus gratia muneris Neemiam sacerdotem rex Persarum direxit. At ille secum deduxit sacerdotum illorum nepotes, qui profecturi de patrio solo, sacrum ne periret ignem absconderant. Venientes autem, ut patrum sermone est proditum, non invenerunt ignem, sed aquam. Et cum deesset ignis, quo adolerent altaria, haurire eos aquam Neemias sacerdos, sibique deferre, et aspergere super ligna jussit. Tunc, visu mirabile! cum esset coelum intextum nubibus, sol repente illuxit, 0173C accensus est magnus ignis; ita ut omnes in tam evidenti Domini gratia factum stupentes, laetitia perfunderentur. Orabat Neemias, psallebant sacerdotes hymnum Deo. Utque consumptum est sacrificium, jussit iterum Neemias residua aqua majores perfundi lapides: quo facto flamma accensa est, lumen autem refulgens ab altari consummatum illico est.

101. Hoc patefacto indicio, rex Persarum eo loco in quo ignis fuerat absconditus, et postea reperta est aqua, templum fieri mandavit, cui 133 inferebantur dona plurima. Appellaverunt autem illud qui erant cum sancto Neemia, ephthar, quod interpretationem habet purificationis: a plurimis nephthe vocatur. Invenitur autem in descriptionibus Hieremiae prophetae, quod jusserit accipere de igne eos qui 0173D postea essent futuri. Hic est ignis qui cecidit super 0174A sacrificium Moysi, et consumpsit illud, sicut scriptum est: Quia exivit ignis a Domino, et consumpsit universa quae erant super altare holocausta (Levit. IX, 24). Hoc igne oportebat sanctificari sacrificium; ideoque et in filios Aaron qui alienum ignem inferre voluerunt, exivit iterum ignis a Domino et consumpsit eos, ita ut mortui extra castra projicerentur (Levit. X, 1 et seq.).

101*. Veniens autem Hieremias in locum, invenit domum in modum speluncae, et tabernaculum et arcam, et altare incensi intulit illuc, et obstruxit ostium: quod cum hi qui simul venerant, curiosius perscrutarentur, ut notarent sibi locum; nequaquam comprehendere atque invenire potuerunt. Ut autem cognovit Hieremias quod affectassent, dixit: Ignotus erit locus, 0174B donec congreget Deus congregationem populi, et propitius fiat. Tunc Deus ostendet haec, et apparebit majestas Domini (II Mach. II, 5 et seq.).