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later, nor future, nor past, nor older, nor younger; but being one, with the one "now" it has filled eternity; and it alone is that which in itself is truly being, not having become nor about to be, nor 11.11.15 having begun nor about to cease. So therefore one must venerate, embrace, and address it, or even, by Zeus, as some of the ancients did, "You are one." For the divine is not many things, as is each of us, a manifold and festive mixture formed from myriad differences arising in affections; but that which is must be one, just as the one is being; but otherness, a difference from what is, departs into the coming-to-be of what is not.”

11.12.1 ιγʹ. THAT THE DIVINE IS INEFFABLE

Since Moses and all the prophets among the Hebrews teach that the divine is ineffable, and signify the symbol of the ineffable name through the unutterable sign among them, hear what Plato says in agreement with them in these very words in his great Epistle: 11.12.2 “For it is in no way expressible like other subjects of learning, but from much communion and living together concerning the thing itself, suddenly, like a light kindled from a leaping fire, it is born in the soul and from then on nourishes itself.” And another prophet of the Hebrews, anticipating this very paradigm of light, presented it, saying: “The light of your countenance has been signed upon us, O Lord.” and another again: “In your light we shall see light.”

11.13.1 ιδʹ. THAT GOD IS ONE ONLY

When Moses said concerning the God of all things: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one," again Plato, agreeing with this, teaches that God is one as heaven is also one, saying somewhere thus in the Timaeus: 11.13.2 “Have we, then, correctly spoken of one heaven, or would it have been more correct to speak of many and infinite? One, if indeed it is to be created according to its paradigm. For that which contains all intelligible living things could never be a second with another.” 11.13.3 But he is clearly shown to know one God, even if, as is customary with the Greeks, he is accustomed to use the plural name, also from his Epistle to Dionysius in which, giving signs for both the letters written by him with seriousness and those otherwise dashed off, he said that for those having no serious content, he would place the name of the gods first as a sign, but for those composed by him with care, that of God. He speaks then thus, word for word: 11.13.4 “Concerning the sign about the letters, both those I send in earnest and those not, I think you remember, but nevertheless consider it and pay very close attention. For many are those who bid me write, whom it is not easy to refuse openly. Of the serious letter, therefore, 'God' is the beginning, but 'gods' of the less serious.” 11.13.5 And the same man expressly acknowledges that he has learned the doctrine concerning God from the ancients, saying in the Laws: “God, then, as the ancient saying has it, holding the beginning and end and middle of all that is, travels a straight course, revolving according to nature. And ever with him follows Justice, the avenger of those who fall short of the divine law; of whom he that would be happy follows, cleaving to her, humble and orderly; but if any one, exalted by great pride or puffed up with riches or honors or even with beauty of body, together with youth and folly, is inflamed in his soul with insolence, as needing neither ruler nor any guide, but is even capable of guiding others, he is left bereft of God; and being so left, and having taken to himself others of like kind,

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ὕστερον οὐδὲ μέλλον οὐδὲ παρῳχημένον οὐδὲ πρεσβύτερον οὐδὲ νεώτερον· ἀλλ' εἷς ὢν ἑνὶ τῷ νῦν τὸ ἀεὶ πεπλήρωκε· καὶ μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ κατ' αὐτὸ ὄντως ὄν, οὐ γεγονὸς οὐδὲ ἐσόμενον οὐδὲ 11.11.15 ἀρξάμενον οὐδὲ παυσόμενον. οὕτως οὖν αὐτὸ δεῖ σεβομένους ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ προσαγορεύειν ἢ καὶ νὴ ∆ί', ὡς ἔνιοι τῶν παλαιῶν, «εἶ ἕν.» οὐ γὰρ πολλὰ τὸ θεῖόν ἐστιν ὡς ἡμῶν ἕκαστος, ἐκ μυρίων διαφορῶν ἐν πάθεσι γινομένων ἄθροισμα παντοδαπὸν καὶ πανηγυρικὸν μεμιγμένον· ἀλλ' ἓν εἶναι δεῖ τὸ ὄν, ὥσπερ ὂν τὸ ἕν· ἡ δὲ ἑτερότης, διαφορὰ τοῦ ὄντος, εἰς γένεσιν ἐξίσταται τοῦ μὴ ὄντος.»

11.12.1 ιγʹ. ΟΤΙ ΑΡΡΗΤΟΝ ΤΟ ΘΕΙΟΝ

Μωσέως καὶ τῶν παρ' Ἑβραίοις προφητῶν ἁπάντων ἄρρητον εἶναι τὸ θεῖον διδασκόντων καὶ τῆς ἀρρήτου προσηγορίας τὸ σύμβολον διὰ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀνεκφωνήτου σημειώσεως ὑποφαινόντων, τούτοις καὶ ὁ Πλάτων συμφώνως αὐτοῖς ῥήμασιν ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ Ἐπιστολῇ οἷά φησιν ἄκουε· 11.12.2 «Ῥητὸν γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἐστιν ὡς ἄλλα μαθήματα, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλῆς συνουσίας γιγνομένης περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα αὐτὸ καὶ τοῦ συζῆν ἐξαίφνης οἷον ἀπὸ πυρὸς πηδήσαντος ἐξαφθὲν φῶς τῇ ψυχῇ γενόμενον αὐτὸ ἑαυτὸ ἤδη τρέφει.» Καὶ τόδε δὲ τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ παράδειγμα προλαβὼν ἄλλος Ἑβραίων προφήτης παρέστησεν εἰπών· «Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, κύριε.» καὶ ἄλλος πάλιν· «Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς.»

11.13.1 ιδʹ. ΟΤΙ ΘΕΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΕΣΤΙ ΜΟΝΟΣ Μωσέως περὶ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ φήσαντος· «Ἄκουε, Ἰσραήλ, κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, κύριος εἶς ἐστι,» πάλιν ὁ Πλάτων τούτῳ συντρέχων ἕνα θεὸν εἶναι ὡς καὶ οὐρανὸν ἕνα διδάσκει, ὧδέ πη λέγων ἐν Τιμαίῳ· 11.13.2 «Πότερον οὖν ὀρθῶς ἕνα οὐρανὸν προσειρήκαμεν ἢ πολλοὺς καὶ ἀπείρους λέγειν ἦν ὀρθότερον; ἕνα, εἴπερ κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμα δεδημιουργημένος ἔσται. τὸ γὰρ περιέχον πάντα, ὁπόσα νοητὰ ζῷα, μεθ' ἑτέρου δεύτερον οὐκ ἄν ποτε εἴη.» 11.13.3 ∆ῆλος δέ ἐστιν ἕνα θεὸν εἰδώς, εἰ καὶ συνήθως Ἕλλησι τῇ τῶν πλειόνων εἴωθε χρῆσθαι προσηγορίᾳ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς ∆ιονύσιον Ἐπιστολῆς ἐν ᾗ σύμβολα διδοὺς τῶν τε διὰ σπουδῆς αὐτῷ γραφομένων ἐπιστολῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλως ἀπερριμμένων, τῶν μὲν μηδὲν ἐχουσῶν σπουδαῖον σημεῖον τὸ τῶν θεῶν ὄνομα προτάξειν ἔφησε, τῶν δὲ πεφροντισμένως αὐτῷ συνταττομένων τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. λέγει δ' οὖν ὧδε κατὰ λέξιν· 11.13.4 «Περὶ δὲ δὴ τοῦ ξυμβόλου τοῦ περὶ τὰς ἐπιστολάς, ὅσας τε ἂν ἐπιστέλλω σπουδῇ καὶ ὅσας μή, οἶμαι μέν σε μεμνῆσθαι, ὅμως δ' ἐννόει καὶ σφόδρα πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν· πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ κελεύοντες γράφειν, οὓς οὐ ῥᾴδιον φανερῶς διωθεῖσθαι. τῆς μὲν οὖν σπουδαίας ἐπιστολῆς ὁ θεὸς ἄρχει, θεοὶ δὲ τῆς ἧττον.» 11.13.5 ∆ιαρρήδην δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς ὁμολογεῖ ἐκ παλαιῶν τὸ περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ δόγμα μεμαθηκέναι, λέγων ἐν τοῖς Νόμοις· «Ὁ μὲν δὴ θεός, ὡς καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς λόγος, ἀρχὴν καὶ τελευτὴν καὶ μέσα τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων ἔχων, εὐθείᾳ περαίνει κατὰ φύσιν περιπορευόμενος. τῷ δ' αἰεὶ ξυνέπεται δίκη, τῶν ἀπολειπομένων τοῦ θείου νόμου τιμωρός· ἧς ὁ μὲν εὐδαιμονήσειν μέλλων ἐχόμενος ξυνέπεται ταπεινὸς καὶ κεκοσμημένος· εἰ δέ τις ἐξαρθεὶς ὑπὸ μεγαλαυχίας ἢ χρήμασιν ἐπαιρόμενος ἢ τιμαῖς ἢ καὶ σώματος εὐμορφίᾳ ἅμα νεότητι καὶ ἀνοίᾳ φλέγεται τὴν ψυχὴν μεθ' ὕβρεως, ὡς δὴ οὔτε ἄρχοντος οὔτε τινὸς ἡγεμόνος δεόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλοις ἱκανὸς ὢν ἡγεῖσθαι, καταλείπεται ἔρημος θεοῦ, καταλειφθεὶς δὲ καὶ ἔτι ἄλλους τοιούτους προσλαβὼν