Chapter X.—Simon’s Explanation of the First Two Books of Moses.

The river, therefore, he says, which proceeds out of Edem is divided into four principles, four channels—that is, into four senses, belonging to the creature that is being born, viz., seeing, smelling, taste, and touch; for the child formed in Paradise has these senses only. This, he says, is the law which Moses appointed; and in reference to this very law, each of his books has been written, as the inscriptions evince. The first book is Genesis. The inscription of the book is, he says, sufficient for a knowledge of the universe. For this is (equivalent in meaning with) generation, (that is,) vision, into which one section of the river is divided. For the world was seen by the power of vision. Again, the inscription of the second book is Exodus. For what has been produced, passing through the Red Sea, must come into the wilderness,—now they say he calls the Red (Sea) blood,—and taste bitter water. For bitter, he says, is the water which is (drunk) after (crossing) the Red Sea; which (water) is a path to be trodden, that leads (us) to a knowledge in (this) life of (our) toilsome and bitter lot. Altered, however, by Moses—that is, by the Logos—that bitter (water) becomes sweet. And that this is so we may hear in common from all who express themselves according to the (sentiments of the) poets:—

“Dark at the root, like milk, the flower,

Gods call it ‘Moly,’ and hard for mortal men

To dig, but power divine is boundless.”614    Odyssey, x. 304 et seq. [See Butcher and Lang, p. 163.]

[15] Ὁ οὖν ποταμός, φησίν, ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος ἐξ Ἐδὲμ εἰς τέσσαρας ἀφορίζεται ἀρχάς, [εἰς] ὀχετοὺς τέσσαρας, τουτέστιν εἰς τέσσαρας αἰσθήσεις τοῦ γεννωμένου: ὅρασιν, [ἀκοήν,] γεῦσιν, ὄσφρησιν καὶ ἁφήν. ταύτας γὰρ ἔχει μόνας τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ πλασσόμενον τὸ παιδίον. οὗτος [δέ], φησίν, ἐστὶν ὁ νόμος ὃν ἔθηκε Μωσ(ῆ)ς, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτον αὐτὸν τὸν νόμον γέγραπται τῶν βιβλίων ἕκαστον, ὡς [αἱ] ἐπιγραφαὶ δηλοῦσι. τὸ [γὰρ] πρῶτον βιβλίον Γένεσις: ἤρκει, φησί, πρὸς γνῶσιν τῶν ὅλων ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ τοῦ βιβλίου. αὕτη γάρ, φησίν, ἐστὶν ἡ Γένεσις ὅρασις, εἰς ἣν ἀφορίζεται [τοῦ] ποταμοῦ σχίσις ἡ μία: ἐθεάθη γὰρ ὁ κόσμος ἐν ὁράσει. [ἡ δὲ] ἐπ(ι)γραφὴ βιβλίου δευτέρου Ἔξοδος: ἔδει γὰρ τὸ γεννηθέν, τ(ὴ)ν Ἐρυθρὰν διοδεῦσαν θάλασσαν, ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον_[τὴν] Ἐρυθρὰν δὲ [θάλασσαν] λέγει, φησί, τὸ αἷμα_καὶ γεύσασθαι πικρὸν ὕδωρ. πικρὸν γάρ, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ μετὰ τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁδὸς τῆς κατὰ τὸν βίον γνώσεως, [διὰ] τῶν ἐπιπόνων ὁδευομένη καὶ πικρῶν. στραφὲν δὲ ὑπὸ Μωσέως_τουτέστι τοῦ λόγου_τὸ πικρὸν ἐκεῖνο γίνεται γλυκύ. καὶ ὅτι ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει, κοινῇ πάντων [τῶν ἐθνῶν, φησίν,] ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι κατὰ τοὺς ποιητὰς λεγόντων: ῥίζῃ μὲν μέλαν [ἔσκε], γάλακτι δὲ εἴκελον ἄνθος: μῶλυ δέ μιν καλέουσι θεοί: χαλεπὸν δέ τ' ὀρύσσειν ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι: θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα δύνανται.