Chapter XI.—Simon’s Explanation of the Three Last Books of the Pentateuch.

What is spoken by the Gentiles is sufficient for a knowledge of the universe to those who have ears (capable) of hearing. For whosoever, he says, has tasted this fruit, is not the only one that is changed by Circe into a beast; but also, employing the power of such a fruit, he forms anew and moulds afresh, and re-entices into that primary peculiar character of theirs, those that already have been altered into beasts. But a faithful man, and beloved by that sorceress, is, he says, discovered through that milk-like and divine fruit. In like manner, the third book is Leviticus, which is smelling, or respiration.  For the entire of that book is (an account) of sacrifices and offerings. Where, however, there is a sacrifice, a certain savour of the fragrance arises from the sacrifice through the incense-offerings; and in regard of this fragrance (the sense of) smelling is a test. Numbers, the fourth of the books, signifies taste, where the discourse is operative.  For, from the fact of its speaking all things, it is denominated by numerical arrangement. But Deuteronomy, he says, is written in reference to the (sense of) touch possessed by the child that is being formed. For as touch, by seizing the things that are seen by the other senses, sums them up and ratifies them, testing what is rough, or warm, or clammy, (or cold); so the fifth book of the law constitutes a summary of the four books preceding this.

All things, therefore, he says, when unbegotten, are in us potentially, not actually, as the grammatical or geometrical (art). If, then, one receives proper instruction and teaching, and (where consequently) what is bitter will be altered into what is sweet,—that is, the spears into pruning-hooks, and the swords into plough-shares,615    Isa. ii. 4.—there will not be chaff and wood begotten for fire, but mature fruit, fully formed, as I said, equal and similar to the unbegotten and indefinite power. If, however, a tree continues alone, not producing fruit fully formed, it is utterly destroyed. For somewhere near, he says, is the axe (which is laid) at the roots of the tree. Every tree, he says, which does not produce good fruit, is hewn down and cast into fire.616    Matt. iii. 10; Luke iii. 9.

[16] Ἀρκεῖ, φησί, [τὸ] λεχθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν τῶν ὅλων τοῖς ἔχουσιν ἀκο(ὰς) (ὑ)πακοῆς: τούτου γάρ, φησίν, ὁ γευσάμενος τοῦ καρποῦ [οὐ μόνον] ὑπὸ τῆς Κίρκης οὐκ ἀπεθηριώθη μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἤδη τεθηριωμένους, τῇ δυνάμει χρώμενος τοῦ τοιούτου καρποῦ, εἰς τὸν πρῶτον ἐκεῖνον, τὸν ἴδιον αὐτῶν ἀνέπλασε καὶ ἀνετύπωσε καὶ ἀνεκαλέσατο χαρακτῆρα. πιστὸς γὰρ ἁνὴρ καὶ ἀγαπώμενος ὑπὸ τῆς φαρμακίδος ἐκείνης διὰ τὸν γαλακτώδη καὶ θεῖον ἐκεῖνον καρπόν, φησίν, εὑρίσκεται. Λευϊτικὸν ὁμοίως τὸ τρίτον βιβλίον, ὅπερ ἐστίν, [φησίν,] ἡ ὄσφρησις [καὶ] ἀναπνοή. θυσιῶν γάρ ἐστι καὶ προσφορῶν ὅλον ἐκεῖνο τὸ βιβλίον: ὅπου δέ ἐστι θυσία, ὀσμή τις εὐωδίας ἀπὸ τῆς θυσίας διὰ τῶν θυμιαμάτων γίνεται: περὶ ἣν εὐωδίαν [τὴν] ὄσφρησίν [φησιν] εἶνα(ι) δ(οκ[ί]μ)ιον. Ἀριθμοὶ [δὲ] τὸ τέταρτον τῶν βιβλίων: γεῦσιν, [φησί,] λέγει, ὅπο(υ) [ὁ] (λ)όγος ἐνεργεῖ: διὰ γὰρ τὸ λαλεῖν πάντα [τῇ τῶν] ἀριθμῶν τάξει [οὕτως] κ(α)λεῖται. Δευτερονόμιον δὲ [τὸ πέμπτον βιβλίον, ὅπερ,] φησίν, ἐστὶ πρὸς τὴν ἁφὴν τοῦ πεπλασμένου παιδίου γεγραμμένον. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἁφὴ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων αἰσθήσεων ὁραθέντα θιγοῦσα ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται καὶ βεβαιοῖ, σκληρὸν ἢ γλίσχρον, ἢ θερμὸν [ἢ ψυχρὸν] δοκιμάσασα, οὕτως τὸ πέμπτον βιβλίον τοῦ νόμου ἀνακεφαλαίωσίς ἐστι τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ γραφέντων τεσσάρων. Πάντα οὖν, φησί, τὰ ἀγέννητά ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν δυνάμει, οὐκ ἐνεργείᾳ, [οὕτως] ὡς ἡ γραμματικὴ [ἢ] ἡ γεωμετρική. ἐὰν [μὲν] οὖν τύχῃ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ προσήκοντος καὶ διδασκαλίας, [καὶ] στραφήσεται τὸ πικρὸν εἰς γλυκύ_τουτέστιν, [φησίν,] «αἱ ζιβύναι εἰς δρέπανα καὶ αἱ μάχαιραι εἰς ἄροτρα»_, [καὶ] οὐκ ἔσται ἄχυρα καὶ ξύλα, τὰ γεννώμενα πυρί, ἀλλὰ καρπὸς τέλειος ἐξεικονισμένος, ὡς ἔφην, ἴσος καὶ ὅμοιος τῇ ἀγεννήτῳ καὶ ἀπεράντῳ δυνάμει. ἐὰν δὲ μείνῃ δ(έ)νδρον μόνον, καρπὸν μὴ ποιοῦν ἐξεικονισμένον, ἀφανίζεται. «ἐγγὺς γάρ που», φησίν, «ἡ ἀξίνη παρὰ τὰς ῥίζας τοῦ δένδρου: πᾶν δένδρον», φησί, «μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται».