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he impresses these things upon their hearing. And it is likely that through these things he also hints to us of the Virgin's womb, through which no one has entered, nor has anyone gone out, except the Lord himself alone. And he commanded the leader, that is the high priest, to enjoy his food beside the gate, and to pass through the porch, both going out and coming in; for this he called the ailam. And when these things were both spoken and shown, again he sees the glory of God at the north gate, and is commanded to speak to the provoking people, or the contentious and quarrelsome; for so also the other interpreters have translated it; to be content with their former lawlessness, which they continually dared, bringing foreigners and uncircumcised into the divine temple; and the greatest of the charges was that not only were they uncircumcised in the flesh, but also, before the flesh, in their mind; so that it is clear that the circumcision of the heart is the achievement of righteousness, while the circumcision of the flesh is a sign and seal of the circumcision of the mind. Therefore the God of all commands that those who are uncircumcised in soul, and of foreign race and stock in body, remain far from the divine precincts, but that the Levites who shared in the lawlessness of the people, and who embraced the worship of idols, should be removed from their own order, and neither serve as gatekeepers, nor slaughter the burnt offering, and the sin offering, nor indeed approach the holy things, but receive dishonor as the fruit of their own impiety; and that only the family of Zadok should remain in their ancestral piety, and minister as priests, and keep watch, and fulfill all the other duties. And it is fitting for them, he says, not to use woolen garments at all, but to be clothed only in linen vestments at the time of the priestly service, and let each one place a turban on his head, and let undergarments be worn underneath; 81.1236 and when they go out to the people, let them take off their liturgical vestments, and putting on others, let them go out of the gates; for it is not lawful for one who is a stranger to the priesthood to approach the priestly vestments. And they shall not shave their heads, for this was the custom for the priests of idols to do; "And they shall not let their locks grow long." But the Hebrew and the Syrian said, they shall not let them grow. For it is fitting for them, he says, neither to be shaved, nor to grow long hair, but to be content with a medium length of cut; for he signified this by saying: "Covering they shall cover their heads." And it is necessary for them to abstain from wine-drinking at the time of the priestly service; and for those wishing to marry, they are not to take a widow, nor a divorced woman, but a virgin. But if a woman who was a priest's wife should be widowed, and someone should wish to marry her, not even such a marriage is unlawful; for the priestly lineage remains pure, as she who was joined to a priest is joined again to a priest. And it is necessary for these again to teach the people the difference between the common and the holy. And let them judge in cases of bloodshed, and let them resolve other disputes, honoring justice everywhere. And let them celebrate the feasts according to the law, and let them honor the Sabbaths with rest and with the other rites. "And they shall not go in to any dead person to be defiled," that is, for a dead body; for so said both the Hebrew and the Syrian; "but only, he says, for a father and mother, son and daughter, brother and sister who has not yet been married." Then he gives instructions how the unclean one must be cleansed, and thus approach the priestly service; not because it was in reality abominable to see the dead; for if it truly caused defilement, the sight of a dead father, or mother, or brother would also have defiled; but through these things, he wished the priest to be more revered among the Jews, who had learned to treat small things with solemnity. Then he exhorts the priest who is about to enter the holy places to also offer the sacrifice for himself; and not to receive a portion with the sons of Israel in the distribution of the land. "For I, he says, am their inheritance and their possession." For the first-born offered to me,

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ἀκοαῖς ταῦτα διατυποῖ. Εἰκὸς δὲ διὰ τούτων ἡμῖν αἰνίττεσθαι καὶ τὴν Παρθενικὴν μήτραν, δι' ἧς οὔτε εἰσελήλυθέ τις, οὔτε ἐξελήλυθεν, ἢ μόνος αὐτὸς ὁ ∆εσπότης. Προσέταξε δὲ παρὰ τὴν θύραν καὶ τὸν ἡγούμενον, τουτέστι τὸν ἀρχιερέα, τῆς τροφῆς ἀπολαύειν, παρ ιέναι δὲ διὰ τοῦ προπυλαίου, καὶ ἀπιόντα, καὶ ἀνιόντα· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν αἰλάμ. Οὕτω δὲ τού των καὶ λαληθέντων καὶ δειχθέντων, πάλιν ὁρᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δόξαν ἐν τῇ πύλῃ τῇ πρὸς βοῤῥᾶν, καὶ εἰ πεῖν κελεύεται τῷ παραπικραίνοντι λαῷ, ἢ προσ εριστῇ καὶ φιλονείκῳ· οὕτως γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμη νευταὶ ἡρμηνεύκασιν· ἀρκεσθῆναι τῇ προτέρᾳ παρα νομίᾳ, ἣν τολμῶντες διετέλεσαν, ἀλλοφύλους καὶ ἀπεριτμήτους εἰς τὸν θεῖον εἰσάγοντες νεών· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τὴν σάρκα ἀπερίτμητον εἶχον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν διάνοιαν· ὡς εἶναι δῆλον, ὅτι τῆς μὲν καρδίας ἡ περιτομὴ δικαιοσύνης κατόρθωσις, ἡ δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς περιτομὴ τῆς κατὰ διάνοιαν περιτομῆς σημεῖόν ἐστι καὶ σφραγίς. Παρεγγυᾷ τοίνυν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, τοὺς μὲν καὶ κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀπεριτμήτους, καὶ κατὰ σῶμα ἀλλογενεῖς καὶ ἀλλοφύλους πόῤῥωθεν τῶν θείων μεῖ ναι περιβόλων, τοὺς δὲ Λευΐτας κοινωνήσαντας τῇ τοῦ λαοῦ παρανομίᾳ, καὶ τῶν εἰδώλων τὴν θεραπείαν ἀσπασαμένους, τῆς οἰκείας τάξεως ἀποστῆναι, καὶ μήτε πυλωρεῖν, μήτε σφάττειν τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν, καὶ τὴν περὶ ἁμαρτίας θυσίαν, μήτε μὴν πελά ζειν τοῖς ἱεροῖς, ἀλλὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἀσεβείας λαβεῖν καρπὸν τὴν ἀτιμίαν· μόνον δὲ τοῦ Σαδοὺκ τὸ γένος ἐπὶ τῆς πατρῴας μεῖναι εὐσεβείας, καὶ ἱερουργεῖν, καὶ φυλάττειν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα πληροῦν. Προσήκει δὲ αὐτοὺς, φησὶ, τοῖς μὲν ἐξ ἐρίων ὑφάσμασι μηδαμῶς κεχρῆσθαι, ἐσθήματα δὲ λινᾶ περιβάλλεσθαι μόνα, κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἱερουργίας καιρὸν, καὶ κίδαριν δὲ ἕκα στος τῇ κεφαλῇ περιτιθέτω, καὶ διαζώματα δὲ ἔνδοθεν 81.1236 περικείσθω· ἐξιόντες δὲ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν, τὰς μὲν λει τουργικὰς ἀποδυέσθωσαν στολὰς, ἑτέρας δὲ ἀμπεχό μενοι τὰς πύλας ἐξίτωσαν· οὔτε γὰρ θέμις τὸν τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀλλότριον ταῖς ἱερατικαῖς πελάζειν στολαῖς. Καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς δὲ οὐ ξυρήσονται, τοῦτο γὰρ ἔθος ἦν ποιεῖν τοῖς τῶν εἰδώλων ἱερεῦσι· "Καὶ τὰς κό μας αὑτῶν οὐ ψιλώσουσιν." Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, καὶ ὁ Σύρος, οὐ θρέψουσιν ἔφασαν. Οὔτε γὰρ ξυρεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς, φησὶ, προσήκει, οὔτε κόμας τρέφειν, ἀλλὰ μεσότητα κουρᾶς ἀγαπῆσαι· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐσήμηνεν εἰρηκώς· "Καλύπτοντες καλύψουσι τὰς κεφαλὰς αὑτῶν." ∆εῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὸν ἱερουργίας καιρὸν οἰνοποσίας ἀπέχεσθαι· γάμῳ δὲ βουλομένους ὁμι λεῖν, μήτε χήραν, μήτε ἐκβεβλημένην γυναῖκα λαμ βάνειν, ἀλλὰ παρθένον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἱερέως τις γενο μένη γυνὴ χηρεύσειε, καὶ βουληθείη τις αὐτὴν γῆ μαι, οὐδὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος γάμος παράνομος ἀνέπαφον γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης μένει τὸ γένος, τῆς ἱερεῖ συναφθείσης τῷ ἱερεῖ πάλιν συναπτομένης. Χρὴ δὲ τούτους πάλιν καὶ τὸν λαὸν ἐκπαιδεύειν τῶν τε κοινῶν καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν τὸ διάφορον. Αὐτοὶ δὲ καὶ ταῖς φονικαῖς δικα σάτωσαν δίκαις, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας δὲ ἀμφιβολίας λυέτω σαν, πανταχοῦ τιμῶντες τὸ δίκαιον. Καὶ τὰς ἑορτὰς δὲ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐπιτελείτωσαν, καὶ τὰ Σάββατα τῇ ἀργίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τιμάτωσαν. "Καὶ ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ εἰσελεύσονται τοῦ μιανθῆναι," τουτέστιν ἐπὶ νεκρῷ· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἑβραῖος καὶ ὁ Σύρος ἔφη· "ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μόνῳ, φησὶ, πατρὶ καὶ μητρὶ, υἱῷ καὶ θυγατρὶ, ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀδελφῇ μηδέπω γημαμένῃ." Εἶτα παρεγγυᾷ, πῶς δεῖ τὸν ἀκάθαρτον καθαρθῆναι, καὶ οὕτω τῇ ἱερουργίᾳ πελάσαι· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τῷ ὄντι μυσαρὸν ἦν τὸ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ὁρᾷν· εἰ γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἐλωβᾶτο, ἐλυμήνατο ἂν καὶ ἡ τοῦ τεθνεῶτος πατρὸς, ἢ μητρὸς, ἢ ἀδελφοῦ θέα· ἀλλὰ διὰ τούτων αἰδεσιμώτερον παρὰ τοῖς τὰ μικρὰ σε μνύνειν μεμαθηκόσιν Ἰουδαίοις τὸν ἱερέα εἶναι βου λόμενος. Εἶτα παρακελεύεται καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ θυσίαν προσενεγκεῖν τὸν ἱερέα μέλλοντα εἰς τὰ ἅγια εἰσιέναι· καὶ μερίδα μὴ λαβεῖν μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῇ διανομῇ τῆς γῆς. "Ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ κληρονομία αὐτῶν καὶ κατάσχεσις αὐτῶν." Τὰ γὰρ ἐμοὶ προσφερόμενα πρωτότοκα,