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he shifts the discourse to the Egyptians, on whose alliance those from Judah especially depended, at the time when the Babylonians came upon them. And a prophet's voice represents this, saying, woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, those who trust in horses and chariots. And when Nebuchadnezzar campaigned against Judea, for as a side-task of his journey he plundered the eastern cities. And Tyre, being an island, he was unable to take for lack of ships, but having joined it to the mainland by means of a causeway, he crossed on foot and besieged the city. But the Tyrians, fearing what was to come, moved their belongings to the ships, leaving the city deserted. Therefore leaving this, he went and subdued the land of the Egyptians, God delivering it over because of the arrogance which they, the Egyptians, had against Him, who were called by the Jews for assistance, as if God were not able to save them, and they considered their own gods more powerful. Declaring these things, God says to Ezekiel: "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army serve with a great servitude against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled, and there was no wage for him or for his army, in return for the hard servitude with which he served against Tyre. In return for this I have given him the land of Egypt." Wherefore the prophet cries out to it the "Woe." And by "rivers of Ethiopia" he means the seven mouths of the Nile; and by "land beyond the rivers" he names what is now Alexandria, then called On. And some, interpreting Jeremiah, say it was also called Ammon. And it is distant from the last mouth, which is named Heracleion, by about eighty stades in number. Therefore he says, this is "beyond the rivers." And these sailed up and down the Nile, exporting some things, and importing others. Therefore he bewails their merchant ships, indicating through them those who sail in them, that their commerce will be destroyed for them at the time when they will be captured. And he calls the sails the "wings of ships." For like a bird, when the winds fall upon them, the ships pass through. And "hostages by sea" and "papyrus letters" they say thus. Some poets say that Cinyras, having had intercourse with his daughter Myrrha, fathered the boy Adonis. And being ashamed of the deed, he exposed him on a mountain. And mountain nymphs raised him. And having become beautiful in appearance, he pursued hunting. With whom Aphrodite came together, marveling at his beauty; at which Ares, being jealous (for he was her lover), changing himself into a boar, killed him while he was hunting. But Aphrodite, not bearing the suffering, went to Hades 2140 himself to bring up her beloved. But since Pluto's wife also loved him, they agreed with each other, the year being divided in two, to be with the youth for half of it. And when she came up and announced this to her friends, they held a festival for the ascent, just as also a lament for the descent. Both of which prevailed also through the times after this. And indeed in Alexandria such a festival was held until our own times, says the one who related the present exegesis. And impious Jews also took part in such orgies. For Ezekiel says, "And I saw, and behold there women were sitting, weeping for Tammuz, which is Adonis." And those who inhabited the aforementioned city did something like this. Taking a piece of pottery, they would place in it a letter for the women in Byblos to the effect that Adonis had been found. Then having sealed it, they would cast it into the sea, having performed some rites over it, and, as the senders said, it was carried automatically to Byblos, and brought about an end of lamentation for the women there. Woe therefore, he says, to the ships and to those who send hostages in the sea, that is, pledges of unanimity for those who suffer from the same impiety, not with ships, but releasing the pottery upon the back of the sea. Therefore, to those from Israel asking for aid, those beyond the rivers of Ethiopia not only promised, but indeed also sent it, even if they accomplished nothing by sending it. Wherefore the Babylonians, being indignant, came upon the Egyptians. Therefore when these were about to campaign against them, some runners from Judea the

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λόγον ἐπὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους μεθίστησιν, ὧν οἱ ἐξ Ἰούδα μάλιστα τῆς συμμαχίας ἐξήρτηντο, καθ' ὃν αὐτοῖς καιρὸν ἐπῆλθον οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι. Φωνὴ δὲ τοῦτο προφήτου παρίστησιν, οὐαὶ λέγουσα οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐπὶ βοήθειαν, οἱ ἐφ' ἵπποις καὶ ἅρμασι πεποιθότες. Ὅτε δὲ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ κατὰ Ἰουδαίας ἐστράτευσεν, ὁδοῦ πάρεργον γὰρ τῆς ἑῴας ἐληΐζετο πόλεις. Τὴν δὲ Σύρον νῆσον οὖσαν ἀπορίᾳ πλοίων ἑλεῖν μὴ δυνάμενος, μέσῳ χώματι συνάψας πρὸς ἤπειρον πεζῇ διαβὰς ἐπολιόρκει τὴν πόλιν. Τὸ δὲ μέλλον δεδιότες οἱ Τύριοι, μετεσκευάσαντο πρὸς τὰς ναῦς ἐρήμην ἀφέντες τὴν πόλιν. ∆ιὸ ταύτην ἀφεὶς, τὴν Αἰγυπτίων ἐλθὼν ἐχειρώσατο, Θεοῦ παραδόντος διὰ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν, ἣν εἶχον κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων Αἰγύπτιοι πρὸς ἐπικουρίαν ὑπὸ τούτων καλούμενοι, ὡς δὴ τούτους τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ σώζειν ἰσχύοντος, δυνατωτέρους Θεοὺς τοὺς ἰδίους νομίζοντος. Ταῦτα δηλῶν πρὸς Ἰεζεκιήλ φησιν ὁ Θεός· "Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, Ναβουχοδονόσωρ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος κατεδουλώσατο αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν δουλείᾳ μεγάλῃ ἐπὶ Τύρον. Πᾶσα κεφαλὴ φαλάκρωμα, καὶ πᾶς ὦμος μαδὼν, καὶ μισθὸς οὐκ ἐγενήθη αὐτῷ, καὶ τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ, ἀντὶ τῆς δουλείας τῆς σκληρᾶς ἧς ἐδούλευσεν ἐπὶ Τύρῳ. Ἀντὶ τούτου ἔδωκα αὐτῷ γῆν Αἰγύπτου." ∆ιόπερ ὁ προφήτης αὐτῇ ἐπιφωνεῖ τὸ, Οὐαί. Αἰθιοπίας δὲ ποταμοὺς τὰ ἑπτὰ στόματα τοῦ Νείλου δηλοῖ· γῆν δὲ ἐπέκεινα ποταμῶν ὀνομάζει τὴν νῦν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, τότε καλουμένην Ὦν. Καὶ Ἀμὼν δέ φασί τινες ἐξηγησάμενοι τὸν Ἱερεμίαν, ἐλέγετο. Ἀφέστηκε δὲ τοῦ τελευταίου στόματος, ὅπερ Ἡράκλειον ὀνομάζεται, σταδίοις τάχα που τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὀγδοήκοντα. ∆ιὸ ταύτην ἐπέκεινα, φησὶ, ποταμῶν. Οὗτοι δὲ τὸν Νεῖλον ἄνω κάτω διέπλεον, τὰ μὲν ἐξάγοντες, τὰ δὲ κομιζόμενοι. ∆ιὸ ταλανίζει τὰς τούτων ὁλκάδας, δι' αὐτῶν δηλῶν τοὺς ἐμπλέοντας, ὡς διαφθαρησομένης αὐτοῖς, καθ' ὃν ἁλώσονται χρόνον, τῆς ἐμπορείας. Πτέρυγας δὲ πλοίων τὰ ἱστία καλεῖ. Πτηνοῦ γὰρ δίκην ἐμπιπτόντων αὐτοῖς τῶν πνευμάτων αἱ νῆες διέρχονται. Ὅμηρα δὲ διὰ θαλάσσης καὶ βιβλίνας ἐπιστολὰς οὕτω φασί. Κινύραν λέγουσί τινες ποιηταὶ Μύῤῥᾳ τῇ θυγατρὶ συγγενόμενον, παῖδα ποιῆσαι τὸν Ἄδωνιν. Τὴν δὲ πρᾶξιν αἰδεσθεὶς ἐν ὄρει τοῦτον ἐξέθετο. Νύμφαι δὲ τοῦτον ὀρεάδες ἐξέθρεψαν. Εὐπρεπὴς δὲ τὴν ὥραν γενόμενος μετήρχετο κυνηγέσια. Ὧ συνῆλθεν Ἀφροδίτη τὸ κάλλος θαυμάσασα· ἐφ' ᾧ ζηλοτυπήσας Ἄρης (ἦν γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐραστὴς) εἰς σῦν μεταβληθεὶς θηρῶντα τοῦτον ἀπέκτεινε. Τὸ δὲ πάθος Ἀφροδίτη μὴ φέρουσα, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐχώρει τὸν 2140 ᾅδην ἀνοίσουσα τὸν ἐρώμενον. Ὡς δὲ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πλούτωνος ἀντήρα τούτου γυνὴ, συνέθεντο πρὸς ἀλλήλας μερισθέντος εἰς δύο τοῦ ἔτους, πρὸς ἥμισυ συνεῖναι τῷ νέῳ. Ὡς δὲ ἀνελθοῦσα τοῦτο τοῖς φίλοις ἀπήγγειλε, πανήγυριν ἦγον τὴν ἄνοδον, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ θρῆνον τὴν κάθοδον. Ἅπερ ἄμφω καὶ διὰ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνων ἐκράτησεν. Καὶ δὴ καὶ κατ' Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἡ τοιαύτη πανήγυρις ἤγετο μέχρι τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς χρόνων, φησὶν ὁ τὴν ἐξήγησιν τὴν παροῦσαν εἰπών. τῶν τοιούτων ὀργίων καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι δυσσεβοῦντες μετέλαβον. Φησί γ' οὖν Ἰεζεκιὴλ, "Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ γυναῖκες καθήμεναι θρηνοῦσαι τὸν Θαμμοὺζ, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸν Ἄδωνιν." Ἐποίουν δέ τι τοιοῦτον οἱ τὴν εἰρημένην πόλιν οἰκοῦντες. Κέραμον λαβόντες ἐνέβαλλον ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τὰς ἐν βίβλῳ γυναῖκας ὡς εὑρηθέντος Ἀδώνιδος. Εἶτα σφραγίσαντες ἐνέβαλλον τῇ θαλάττῃ, τελετάς τινας ἐπ' αὐτῷ ποιησάμενοι, καὶ, ὡς οἱ πέμποντες ἔλεγον, αὐτομάτως εἰς βίβλον ἀπεκομίζετο, καὶ πέρας θρήνου ταῖς ἐκεῖ γυναιξὶν ἀπειργάζετο. Οὐαὶ τοίνυν, φησὶ, πρὸς τοῖς πλοίοις καὶ τοῖς ἀποστέλλουσιν ἐν θαλάσσῃ ὅμηρα, τοῦτ' ἔστι τῆς ὁμοφροσύνης ἐνέχυρα τοῖς τὴν αὐτὴν νοσοῦσιν ἀσέβειαν, οὐ πλοίοις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ νώτων θαλάττης ἀφιεῖσι τὸν κέραμον. Οἱ οὖν ἐπέκεινα ποταμῶν Αἰθιοπίας αἰτοῦσιν ἐπικουρίαν τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ ἐπηγγείλαντο μόνον, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πεπόμφασιν, εἰ καὶ ὤνησαν οὐδὲν ἀποστείλαντες. ∆ιόπερ ἀγανακτήσαντες ἐπῆλθον Αἰγυπτίοις οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι. Μελλόντων οὖν αὐτοῖς τούτων ἐπιστρατεύειν, δρομαῖοί τινες ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας τὴν