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the divine Apostle: "They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins." And while they were obedient to God, they surpassed all human glory. And just as the Jews were confident in the power of the Egyptians, so were the Egyptians in that of the Ethiopians. Whose nation, the Blemmyes, were accurate archers and anointed the points of their arrows with a deadly poison, by which those who were struck perished as if from venomous serpents. And for a period of three years, besieging both of these, the king of the Assyrians subdued their cities one by one, so that the Egyptians marveled that he was able to subdue the Ethiopians as well. Thus it is good to hope in the Lord rather than to trust in man. And cursed is he who 2160 has his hope in man, but blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. And the Lord will be his hope. And he called Egypt an island, which the Nile indeed surrounds on all sides. CHAPTER 21. THE ORACLE OF THE DESERT. 21. 9As a whirlwind might pass through a desert, coming from a desert, from the earth, a terrible and harsh vision was announced to me. The treacherous one deals treacherously. The lawless one acts lawlessly. Upon me are the Elamites, and the envoys of the Persians come against me9. etc. The preceding things are about Babylon, as is shown by: Babylon has fallen. And: Upon me are the Elamites and envoys of the Persians. Or according to Symmachus, Arise, Elam. Besiege, Medes. And the others, and the Hebrew, say, Medes, who also overthrew the rule of the Babylonians. To whom he said above: "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against you." Concerning whom Jeremiah also says: "The Lord stirred up the spirit of the king of the Medes, because his wrath is against Babylon." And again: "Set up [against] Babylon siege engines." And it might also be said according to the Seventy themselves, that the Persians, succeeding the Medes not long after, overthrew the remnants of Babylon. But these things contribute something to the vision of Egypt, although Babylon received its own vision, according to some, in order to persuade the Jews not to be confident in the Babylonians, as they too would be captured. For a certain prophet says: "He called upon Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians." Or exhorting them, concerning the things for which the Assyrians captured the city and the temple. But according to the more accurate interpreters, having spoken about the capture of Egypt by the Assyrians, and of the Ethiopians, he necessarily also teaches what sort of things will happen to the captors. For God, with a just judgment, delivered the Egyptians to the Assyrians, these to the Medes, and those to the Persians, and these to others for the casting down of their boasting. And he calls Babylon a desert, signifying its future desolation. But the Hebrew and the others added "of the sea", as the city formerly surged with multitudes. Concerning which Jeremiah speaks as from the person of God. "And I will dry up her sea." Next, again the same one presents the multitude of the Medes who came against her, saying: "The sea has come up over Babylon." And before these things he said concerning her. "I brought up against her a multitude like locusts." But the parts of the present saying are divided among different persons; and the beginning some say is from the person of Babylon, as having heard the difficult things to come, and saying, "Would that it might pass by," like a wind moving through a desert. For if the hearing of them is frightening, what will the experience be? May it not happen, then, for the rumor to become reality. But according to some, the prophet, when the things that would happen to her concerning the Medes were announced to him from God, says that 2161 thus they will pass through the desert riding on horseback, just as a whirlwind of winds might pass through a desert, raising the dust and somehow throwing everything into confusion. "And it was announced to me," he says this for this reason, since along with the sight he was also taught the outcome of the events. Then he says: The treacherous one deals treacherously. For the audacity of those who are coming on is unrestrained, taking account of neither measure nor mercy. And he also said in the vision against Babylon: Behold, I am bringing upon you the Medes, who do not reckon silver, nor have they need of gold. They will shatter the bows of the young men. Therefore, with this whirlwind advancing upon me, what shall I do, says Babylon, but only groan, consoling myself, I who was formerly haughty, and bringing upon others

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θεῖος Ἀπόστολος· "Περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν." Καὶ ὡς Θεῷ μὲν ἦσαν εὐπειθεῖς πᾶσαν δὲ ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερενήχοντο δόξαν. Ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ τῇ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐθάῤῥουν δυνάμει, οὕτω τὴν τῶν Αἰθιόπων Αἰγύπτιοι. Ὧν ἔθνος οἱ Βλέμμυες εὔστοχοι τοξόται καὶ χρίοντες ὀλεθρίῳ φαρμάκῳ τῶν βελῶν τὰς ἀκίδας, ὑφ' ὧν οἱ βληθέντες ὡς ἑρπετῶν ἰοβόλων ἀπώλλυντο. Τριετῆ δὲ χρόνον τούτοις ἀμφοτέροις περικαθήμενος, κατὰ μέρος ἐχειροῦτο τὰς πόλεις τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὡς θαυμᾶσαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους, εἰ καὶ τοὺς Αἰθίοπας ἐδυνήθη χειρώσασθαι. Οὕτως ἀγαθὸν ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ Κύριον μᾶλλον, ἢ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ ἐπικατάρατος μὲν ὃς 2160 τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον, εὐλογημένος δὲ ὃς πέποιθεν ἐπὶ Κυρίῳ. Καὶ ἔσται Κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ. Νῆσον δὲ τὴν Αἴγυπτον εἴρηκεν, ἣν δὴ περισφίγγει πανταχόθεν ὁ Νεῖλος. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΑʹ. ΤΟ ΡΗΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΗΜΟΥ. αιʹ. 9Ὡς καταιγὶς δι' ἐρήμου διέλθοι, ἐξ ἐρήμου ἐρχομένη ἐκ γῆς, φοβερὸν τὸ ὅραμα καὶ σκληρὸν ἀνηγγέλη μοι. Ὁ ἀθετῶν ἀθετεῖ. Ὁ ἀνομῶν ἀνομεῖ. Ἐπ' ἐμοὶ οἱ Ἐλαμῖται, καὶ οἱ πρέσβεις τῶν Περσῶν ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἔρχονται9. κ.τ.λ. Περὶ Βαβυλῶνος μὲν τὰ προκείμενα, ὡς δηλοῖ τό· Πέπτωκε Βαβυλών. Καὶ τό· Ἐπ' ἐμοὶ οἱ Ἐλαμῖται καὶ πρέσβεις τῶν Περσῶν. Ἢ κατὰ Σύμμαχον, Ἀνάστηθι Ἐλάμ. Πολιορκεῖτε Μῆδοι. Καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ, καὶ τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν, Μῆδοι, φασὶν, οἳ καὶ καθεῖλον τὴν Βαβυλωνίων ἀρχήν. Πρὸς οὓς ἔλεγεν ἄνω· "Ἰδοὺ ἐπεγερῶ ὑμῖν τοὺς Μήδους." Περὶ ὧν καὶ Ἱερεμίας φησίν· "Ἤγειρε Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα βασιλέως Μήδων, ὅτι εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἡ ὀργὴ αὐτοῦ." Καὶ πάλιν· "∆ότε [εἰς] τὴν Βαβυλῶνα βελοστάσεις." Ῥηθείη δὲ καὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα, ὅτι Πέρσαι τοὺς Μήδους οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν διαδεξάμενοι καθεῖλον τῆς Βαβυλῶνος τὰ λείψανα. Πρὸς δὲ τὴν ὅρασιν Αἰγύπτου τι ταῦτα συντείνει καίτοι τῆς Βαβυλῶνος ἰδίας τυχούσης ὁράσεως κατὰ μέν τινας, ἵνα πείσῃ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους μὴ θαῤῥεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις, ὡς καὶ αὐτοῖς ἁλωσομένοις. Φησὶ γάρ τις προφήτης· "Αἴγυπτον ἐπεκαλεῖτο, καὶ εἰς Ἀσσυρίους ἐπορεύθησαν." Ἢ παρακαλῶν αὐτοὺς, ἐφ' οἷς εἷλον τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν ναὸν οἱ Ἀσσύριοι. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ἀκριβεστέρους, περὶ τῆς ὑπ' Ἀσσυρίων ἁλώσεως Αἰγύπτου, καὶ τῶν Αἰθιόπων εἰπὼν, ἀναγκαίως διδάσκει καὶ οἷα τοῖς ἑλοῦσι συμβήσεται. Θεὸς γὰρ κρίσει δικαίᾳ τοὺς μὲν Αἰγυπτίους Ἀσσυρίοις, τούτους δὲ Μήδοις, κἀκείνους Πέρσαις, καὶ τούτους ἑτέροις εἰς καθαίρεσιν τῆς μεγαλαυχίας παρέδωκεν. Ἔρημον δὲ Βαβυλῶνα καλεῖ, τὴν μέλλουσαν ταύτης ἐρημίαν δηλῶν. Τὸ δὲ Ἑβραϊκὸν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τὸ, θαλάσσης προσέθηκαν, ὡς τῆς πόλεως πάλαι κυμαινούσης τοῖς πλήθεσιν. Περὶ ἧς Ἱερεμίας ὡς ἐκ προσώπου λέγει Θεοῦ. "Καὶ ἐρημώσω τὴν θάλασσαν αὐτῆς." Ἑξῆς δὲ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐπελθόντων αὐτῇ Μήδων παρίστησι λέγων· "Ἀνέβη ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα ἡ θάλασσα." Πρὸ δὲ τούτων ἔφη περὶ αὐτῆς. "Ἀνεβίβασα ἐπ' αὐτὴν ὡς ἀκρίδων πλῆθος." Τὰ δὲ τῆς ῥήσεως τῆς παρούσης διαφόροις προσώποις διῄρηται· καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ προσώπου Βαβυλῶνός φασιν, ὡς ἀκουσάσης τὰ μέλλοντα δυσχερῆ, καὶ Εἴθε παρέλθοι, λεγούσης, ὡς πνεῦμα δι' ἐρήμου χωροῦν. Ὧν γὰρ ἡ ἀκοὴ φοβεῖ, τίς ἡ πεῖρα γενήσεται; μὴ οὖν γένοιτο τὴν φήμην εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν. Κατὰ δέ τινας, ὁ προφήτης, ἀναγγελθέντων αὐτῷ παρὰ Θεοῦ τῶν συμβησομένων αὐτῇ περὶ Μήδων, φησὶν ὡς 2161 οὕτω διελεύσονται τὴν ἔρημον καθιππεύοντες, ὡσανεὶ καὶ ἀνέμων καταιγὶς δι' ἐρήμου διέλθοι, τὴν κόνιν ἐξανιστᾶσα καὶ συγχέουσά πως τὸ πᾶν. Ἀνηγγέλη δέ μοι, διατοῦτό φησιν, ἐπείπερ ὁμοῦ τῇ θέᾳ καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἔκβασιν ἐδιδάσκετο. Εἶτά φησιν· Ὁ ἀθετῶν ἀθετεῖ. Ἀνεπίπληκτον γὰρτῶν ἐπιόντων τὸ θράσος μηδὲν μήτε μέτρου μήτε φειδοῦς λογιζόμενον. Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος ὁράσει· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ὑμῖν τοὺς Μήδους, οἳ οὐ λογίζονται ἀργύριον, οὐδὲ χρυσίου χρείαν ἔχουσι. Τοξεύματα νεανίσκων συντρίψουσιν. Τῆς τούτων οὖν καταιγίδος ἐπ' ἐμὲ χωρούσης, τί πράξω, φησὶν, ἡ Βαβυλὼν, ἀλλ' ἢ στενάξω μόνον ἐμαυτὴν παραμυθουμένη, ἡ πρὶν ὑπερήφανος, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπάγουσα