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to be allotted to Benjamin. But Simeon, according to the prophecy of his father, received his inheritance scattered; 283 for it says, "his inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah." Then, after listing the cities, he added: "This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, because the portion of the inheritance of the sons of Judah was too large for them; and the sons of Simeon inherited in the midst of their inheritance." XVIII. For what reason did the most divine Jesus, after distributing the land to the others, not assign an inheritance to himself, but received Timnath-serah from the people? In this too he imitates the modesty of the Master. "Learn from me," he says, "for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." And he pursued the utmost poverty, so as not even to have a house. "For the Son," he says, "of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Since, therefore, Jesus his namesake was a type of him, he did not assign an inheritance to himself, but accepted what was offered; teaching those entrusted with any authority not to care for their own service, but for the benefit of their subjects. XIX. Why indeed did he assign the cities to the priests in the tribe of Judah, and in Benjamin, and in Simeon? Even when making their journey in the wilderness they were yoked with the tribe of Judah. For both the priests and the tribe of Judah were allotted the eastern section; and here again they were allotted together with the tribe of Judah, since there was also an intermingling of these 284 tribes. For Aaron the first high priest married the daughter of Amminadab; and Jehoiada the all-praised high priest, the sister of Ahaziah. And the Lord God permitted these tribes to intermingle, since he who sprang from Judah according to the flesh was not only a king, but also was declared a high priest. It was necessary for them also to dwell in the tribe of Benjamin; since the divine temple was also to be built in their tribe. And they received some cities also from the tribe of Simeon; since their inheritance also was near the temple. For just as he assigned the tithes of the fruits of the earth and of the cattle to the priests and the Levites; so also he commanded, as it were, tithes of the cities to be given to them. However, the patriarch Jacob had promised to give these tithes to God. "For of all," he said, "that you give me, I will give a tenth to you." The people, therefore, paid a paternal debt, they did not offer a gift. And in addition to this, he also held their portion of the land. However, when the war had ceased and the division had been made, those who had received their inheritances beyond the river were sent away, but before crossing the river, they built a very great altar. But the nine tribes, ignorant of the purpose of the building, and supposing the building to be a beginning of impiety, wished to march against them with the whole people, preferring piety to kinship; but the all-wise Jesus and Eleazar sent Phinehas, as one who had shown zeal against impiety in the wilderness; so as both to remind them of their ancestors and of the God-given goods, and to put a stop to the transgression that had been dared. But when they went and learned that the innovation had not been dared for the sake of worship, but they understood that the altar that had been built was to be called a memorial of the fellowship in piety; so that their descendants might have this to show for a reproof of those who tried to keep them away from the divine festivals, 285 they returned rejoicing and praising God for the piety of their brothers and for the common peace of all. This the Jews of today ought to both know and say, that their altar was not the true place of sacrifice, but prefigured the true one. However, when the prophet was about to depart this life, he called everyone together and exhorted them with fitting words, that they should make no intermarriage with the natives, as such intermingling provides occasions for impiety; and he also added threats to his exhortation: "For if," he says, "you do this, know that the Lord will no longer destroy these nations from before you; and they will be to you for snares and for scandals in your sides

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τῷ Βενιαμὶν κληρωθῆναι. ὁ δέ γε Συμεὼν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς πρόρρησιν διεσπαρ 283 μένον ἔσχε τὸν κλῆρον· " ἐγενήθη, γάρ φησιν, ἡ κληρονομία αὐτοῦ ἀνὰ μέσον κλήρου υἱῶν Ἰούδα ". εἶτα τὰς πό λεις εἰπών, ἐπήγαγεν· " αὕτη ἡ κληρονομία φυλῆς υἱῶν Συμεών, ὅτι ἐγενήθη ἡ μερὶς τῆς κληρονομίας υἱῶν Ἰούδα μείζων αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐκληρονόμησαν υἱοὶ Συμεὼν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ κλήρου αὐτῶν ". XVIII Τίνος ἕνεκα τοῖς ἄλλοις διανείμας τὴν γῆν ὁ θειότατος Ἰησοῦς, οὐκ ἀπένειμεν ἑαυτῷ κλῆρον, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν Θαμνασαχὰρ ἐκομίσατο; Μιμεῖται κἀν τούτῳ τοῦ δεσπότου τὴν μετριότητα. " μάθετε, γάρ φησιν, ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ". καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην δὲ μετῆλθε πενίαν, ὡς μηδὲ οἰκίας εὐπορῆσαι. " ὁ γὰρ υἱός, φησί, τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἔχει ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλῖναι ". ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τύπος ἦν αὐτοῦ ὁ ὁμώνυμος Ἰησοῦς, οὐκ ἀπένειμεν ἑαυτῷ κλῆρον, τὸν δὲ προσενεχθέντα ἐδέξατο· διδάσκων τοὺς ἀρχήν τινα πεπιστευμένους, μὴ τῆς οἰκείας θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν ὑπηκόων ὠφελείας φροντίζειν. XIX Τί δήποτε τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἐν τῇ Ἰούδα φυλῇ, καὶ τῇ Βενιαμὶν καὶ τῇ Συμεὼν τὰς πόλεις ἀπένειμεν; Κἀν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὴν πορείαν ποιούμενοι τῇ Ἰούδα φυλῇ συνεζεύχθησαν. τὸ γὰρ ἑῷον ἔλαχον τμῆμα καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ἡ Ἰούδα φυλή· καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν συνεκληρώθησαν τῇ Ἰούδα φυλῇ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐπιμιξία τούτων ἐγέ 284 νετο τῶν φυλῶν. Ἀαρὼν γὰρ ὁ πρῶτος ἀρχιερεὺς τὴν τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ ἠγάγετο θυγατέρα· καὶ Ἰωδαὲ ὁ πανεύφημος ἀρχιερεὺς τοῦ Ὀχοζίου τὴν ἀδελφήν. συνεχώρησε δὲ τὰς φυλὰς ταύτας ὁ δεσπότης ἐπιμιγῆναι Θεὸς, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα κατὰ σάρκα βλαστήσας, οὐ βασιλεὺς μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐχρημάτισεν. ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐν τῇ Βενιαμίτιδι φυλῇ κατοικεῖν· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ θεῖος νεὼς ἐν τῇ ἐκείνων ἔμελλεν οἰκοδομεῖσθαι φυλῇ. ἔλαβον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς συμεωνίτιδος φυλῆς ἐνίας πόλεις· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ τούτων κλῆρος ἐπέλαζε τῷ νεῴ. καθάπερ γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς καρπῶν καὶ τῶν βοσκημάτων τὰς δεκάτας τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς λευΐταις ἀπένει μεν· οὕτω καὶ τῶν πόλεων οἱονεὶ δεκάτας αὐτοῖς δοθῆναι προσέταξε. ταύτας μέντοι δώσειν τῷ Θεῷ τὰς δεκάτας ὁ πατριάρχης Ἰακὼβ ἐπηγ γείλατο. " πάντων, γὰρ ἔφη, ὧν ἐάν μοι δῷς, δεκάτην ἀποδεκατώσω αὐτά σοι ". χρέος τοίνυν πατρῷον ἐξέτισεν ὁ λαός, οὐ δῶρον προσέφερε. πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ κατεῖχεν αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν κλῆ ρον τῆς γῆς. παυσαμένου μέντοι τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῆς διαιρέσεως γενομέ νης, ἀπελύθησαν μὲν οἱ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοὺς κλήρους εἰληφότες, πρὶν δέ γε διαβῆναι τὸν ποταμόν, βωμὸν ᾠκοδόμησαν μέγιστον. τὸν δὲ τῆς οἰκοδομίας ἠγνοηκότες σκοπὸν οἱ τῶν ἐννέα φυλῶν, ἀσεβείας δὲ ἀρχὴν τὴν οἰκοδομίαν τοπάσαντες, πανδημεὶ στρατεῦσαι κατ' αὐτῶν ἠβουλήθησαν, τῆς συγγενείας προτιμήσαντες τὴν εὐσέβειαν· ἀλλ' οἱ πάνσοφοι Ἰησοῦς καὶ Ἐλεάζαρ τὸν Φινεὲς ἀπέστειλαν, ὡς τῷ ζήλῳ κατὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ χρησάμενον· ὥστε καὶ τῶν προγόνων, καὶ τῶν θεοσδότων ἀγαθῶν ἀναμνῆσαι καὶ τὴν τολμηθεῖσαν παῦσαι παρανο μίαν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπελθόντες ἔγνωσαν οὐ θρησκείας χάριν τολμηθεῖσαν τὴν καινοτομίαν, ἀλλὰ τῆς περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν κοινωνίας μνημεῖον κλη θῆναι τὸν γεγενημένον συνεῖδον βωμόν· ἵν' ἔχοιεν οἱ ἀπόγονοι δεικνύναι τοῦτον εἰς ἔλεγχον τῶν ἀπείργειν αὐτοὺς τῶν θείων πανηγύρεων πειρω 285 μένων, ἀνέστρεψαν γεγηθότες καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνοῦντες ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀδελ φῶν εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ τῇ κοινῇ πάντων εἰρήνῃ. τοῦτο ἐχρῆν καὶ τοὺς νῦν ἰουδαίους εἰδέναι τε καὶ λέγειν, ὡς ὁ βωμὸς αὐτῶν οὐ τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἦν θυσιαστήριον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀληθινὸν προετύπου. μέλλων μέντοι τὸν βίον ὁ προφήτης ὑπεξιέναι, συνεκάλεσε ἅπαντας καὶ τὰ εἰκότα παρῄνεσεν αὐτοῖς, ὥστε μηδεμίαν πρὸς ἐγχωρίους ἐπιγαμίαν ποιήσασθαι, ὡς τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιμιξίας τὰς τῆς ἀσεβείας παρεχούσης προφάσεις· προστέθεικε δὲ καὶ τῇ παραινέσει ἀπειλάς· " ἐάν, γάρ φησι, τοῦτο ποιήση τε, γινώσκετε ὅτι οὐ μὴ προσθῇ Κύριος ἐξολο θρεῦσαι τὰ ἔθνη ταῦτα ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν· καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν εἰς παγίδας καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλα ἐν ταῖς πλευραῖς