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backward nor forward, neither ever up nor down, nor to the right nor to the left will that which is ever be displaced nor ever be moved about its own center, but rather it will both stand still and will be fitted and standing, having itself always in the same way and likewise.” 11.10.6 And next after other things he adds: “So much for me by way of introduction. But I myself will no longer be represented, nor will I claim to be ignorant of the name of the incorporeal; for in fact it is likely now already to be more pleasant to say than not to say. And indeed I say that its name is this which has 11.10.7 long been sought. But let no one laugh, if I should say that the name of the incorporeal is substance and being. And the cause of its name ‘being’ is its not having come into being nor being about to be destroyed nor admitting any other motion whatsoever nor any change for the better or for the worse, but its being simple and unchangeable and in the same idea and neither willingly departing from its sameness nor being compelled by another. 11.10.8 And Plato also said in the Cratylus that names themselves are given by a likeness to the things. Let it be, then, and let it be decided that that which is is incorporeal.” 11.10.9 Then descending he adds: “I said that which is is incorporeal, and that this is the intelligible. The things said, therefore, as many as I can remember, were at least of such a kind. But I wish to console the inquiring argument, having suggested this much, that if these things do not agree with the doctrines of Plato, one ought to think they belong to some other great man, of great 11.10.10 power, such as Pythagoras. At any rate Plato says—come let me remember how he says it: ‘What is that which always is, but has no becoming? And what is that which is becoming, but never is? The one, indeed, apprehended by thought with reason, but the other, in turn, opined by opinion with irrational sensation, becoming and perishing, but never really being.’ 11.10.11 For he asked, what is that which is, saying that it is ungenerated without dispute. For he said there is no becoming for that which is; for it would be changed; and being changed it was not eternal.” 11.10.12 Then going down he says: “If indeed that which is is in every way and altogether both eternal and unchangeable and in no way anywhere departing from itself, but remains in the same respects and stands in the same way, 11.10.13 this, I suppose, would be that which is apprehended by thought with reason. But if the body flows and is carried along by direct change, it escapes and is not. Whence is it not great madness that this is not indefinite, but opined by opinion alone and, as Plato says, becoming and perishing, but never really being?” 11.10.14 These things then Numenius says, interpreting at once clearly the things of Plato and, much earlier, the things of Moses. It is likely then that that saying is circulated about him, by which he is remembered to have said: “For what is Plato but Moses speaking Attic?” 11.10.15 And consider besides these things if Plutarch, extending the present thought even further, would not run together with the afore-mentioned sayings of the philosophers and with those of the Hebrews set down again in other theologies, through which at one time the oracular god is introduced saying: “Because I am the Lord your God and I have not 11.10.16 been changed;” at another time the prophet, looking to him, declares that all visible things might at some time be turned and changed, “but you are the same and your years will not fail.” Consider, at any rate, if not as in a proposition of him who said in Moses, “I am he who is,” and of “I am the Lord your God and I have not been changed,” and of “but you are the same,” Plutarch in his work On the E at Delphi might seem to sub-interpret the thought, saying these things word for word:

11.11.1 12. FROM PLUTARCH'S TREATISE ENTITLED ON THE E AT DELPHI

“I think, therefore, that the letter signifies neither number nor order nor conjunction nor any other of the deficient parts of speech; but it is a perfect salutation and address to the god, and

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ὀπίσω οὐδὲ πρόσω, οὔτε ἄνω ποτὲ οὔτε κάτω, οὐδ' εἰς δεξιὰ οὐδ' εἰς ἀριστερὰ μεταθεύσεταί ποτε τὸ ὂν οὔτε περὶ τὸ μέ σον ποτε ἑαυτοῦ κινηθήσεται, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἑστήξεται καὶ ἀραρός τε καὶ ἑστηκὸς ἔσται κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἔχον ἀεὶ καὶ ὡσαύτως.» 11.10.6 Καὶ ἑξῆς μεθ' ἕτερα ἐπιλέγει· «Τοσαῦτα μὲν οὖν μοι πρὸ ὁδοῦ. αὐτὸς δ' οὐκέτι σχηματισθήσομαι οὐδ' ἀγνοεῖν φήσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀσωμάτου· καὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύει νῦν ἤδη ἥδιον εἶναι εἰπεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ μὴ εἰπεῖν. καὶ δῆτα λέγω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ 11.10.7 πάλαι ζητούμενον. ἀλλὰ μὴ γελασάτω τις, ἐὰν φῶ τοῦ ἀσωμάτου εἶναι ὄνομα οὐσίαν καὶ ὄν. ἡ δὲ αἰτία τοῦ ὄντος ὀνόματός ἐστι τὸ μὴ γεγονέναι μηδὲ φθαρήσεσθαι μηδ' ἄλλην μήτε κίνησιν μηδεμίαν ἐνδέχεσθαι μήτε μεταβολὴν κρείττω ἢ φαύλην, εἶναι δὲ ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον καὶ ἐν ἰδέᾳ τῇ αὐτῇ καὶ μήτε ἐθελούσιον ἐξίστασθαι τῆς ταὐτότητος μήθ' ὑφ' ἑτέρου προσ11.10.8 αναγκάζεσθαι. ἔφη δὲ καὶ ὁ Πλάτων ἐν Κρατύλῳ τὰ ὀνόματα ὁμοιώσει τῶν πραγμάτων εἶναι αὐτὰ ἐπίθετα. Ἔστω οὖν καὶ δεδόχθω εἶναι τὸ ὂν ἀσώματον.» 11.10.9 Εἶθ' ὑποκαταβὰς ἐπιλέγει· «Τὸ ὂν εἶπον ἀσώματον, τοῦτο δὲ εἶναι τὸ νοητόν. τὰ μὲν οὖν λεχθέντα, ὅσα μνημονεύειν ἔστι μοι, τοιαῦτα γοῦν ἦν. τὸν δ' ἐπιζητοῦντα λόγον ἐθέλω παραμυθήσασθαι, τοσόνδε ὑπειπών, ὅτι ταῦτα τοῖς δόγμασι τοῖς Πλάτωνος εἰ μὴ συμβαίνει, ἀλλ' ἑτέρου γε χρῆν οἴεσθαί τινος ἀνδρὸς μεγάλου, μέγα 11.10.10 δυναμένου, οἵου Πυθαγόρου. λέγει γοῦν Πλάτων φέρ' ἀναμνησθῶ πῶς λέγει· «Τί τὸ ὂν ἀεί, γένεσιν δὲ οὐκ ἔχον; καὶ τί τὸ γινόμενον μέν, ὂν δὲ οὐδέποτε; τὸ μὲν δὴ νοήσει μετὰ λόγου περιληπτόν, τὸ δ' αὖ δόξῃ μετὰ αἰσθήσεως ἀλόγου δοξαστόν, γινόμενον καὶ ἀπολλύμενον, ὄντως δὲ οὐδέποτε ὄν.» 11.10.11 ἤρετο γὰρ δή, τί ἐστι τὸ ὄν, φὰς αὐτὸ ἀγένητον ἀναμφιλέκτως. γένεσιν γὰρ οὐκ ἔφη εἶναι τῷ ὄντι· ἐτρέπετο γὰρ ἄν· τρεπόμενον δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἀΐδιον.» 11.10.12 Εἶτα ὑποβάς φησιν· «Εἰ μὲν δὴ τὸ ὂν πάντως πάντη ἀΐδιόν τέ ἐστι καὶ ἄτρεπτον καὶ οὐδαμῶς οὐδαμῆ ἐξιστάμενον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, μένει δὲ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἕστηκε, 11.10.13 τοῦτο δήπου ἂν εἴη τὸ τῇ νοήσει μετὰ λόγου περιληπτόν. εἰ δὲ τὸ σῶμα ῥεῖ καὶ φέρεται ὑπὸ τῆς εὐθὺ μεταβολῆς, ἀποδιδράσκει καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν. ὅθεν οὐ πολλὴ μανία μὴ οὐ τοῦτο εἶναι ἀόριστον, δόξῃ δὲ μόνῃ δοξαστὸν καί, ὥς φησι Πλάτων, γινόμενον καὶ ἀπολλύμενον, ὄντως δὲ οὐδέποτε ὄν;» 11.10.14 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ Νουμήνιος, ὁμοῦ τὰ Πλάτωνος καὶ πολὺ πρότερον τὰ Μωσέως ἐπὶ τὸ σαφὲς διερμηνεύων. εἰκότως δῆτα εἰς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνο τὸ λόγιον περιφέρεται, δι' οὗ φάναι μνημονεύεται· «Τί γάρ ἐστι Πλάτων ἢ Μωσῆς ἀττικίζων;» 11.10.15 Θέα δὲ πρὸς τούτοις εἰ μὴ τὸν παρόντα νοῦν ἐπὶ πλεῖον καὶ ὁ Πλούταρχος ἐξαπλῶν συντρέχοι ἂν ταῖς τε προκειμέναις φωναῖς τῶν φιλοσόφων καὶ ταῖς αὖθις Ἑβραίων κειμέναις ἐν ἑτέραις θεολογίαις, δι' ὧν τοτὲ μὲν εἰσάγεται λέγων ὁ χρηματίζων θεός· «∆ιότι ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν καὶ οὐκ 11.10.16 ἠλλοίωμαι·» τοτὲ δ' εἰς αὐτὸν ἀφορῶν ὁ προφήτης ἀποτείνεται, ὅτι δὴ τὰ μὲν ὁρατὰ πάντα τραπείη ἄν ποτε καὶ μεταβληθείη, «σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι.» σκόπει γοῦν εἰ μὴ ὡς ἐν προτάσει τοῦ τε παρὰ Μωσεῖ φήσαντος «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὢν» καὶ τοῦ «ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν καὶ οὐκ ἠλλοίωμαι» καὶ τοῦ «σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ» δόξαι ἂν ὁ Πλούταρχος ἐν τῷ Περὶ τοῦ ΕΙ τοῦ ἐν ∆ελφοῖς τὴν διάνοιαν ὑφερμηνεύειν, τάδε λέγων πρὸς λέξιν·

11.11.1 ιβʹ. ΠΛΟΥΤΑΡΧΟΥ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΓΕΓΡΑΜΜΕΝΟΥ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ∆ΕΛΦΟΙΣ ΕΙ

«Οὔτε οὖν ἀριθμὸν οὔτε τάξιν οὔτε σύνδεσμον οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν ἐλλιπῶν μορίων οὐδὲν οἶμαι τὸ γράμμα σημαίνειν· ἀλλ' ἔστιν αὐτοτελὴς τοῦ θεοῦ προσαγόρευσις καὶ