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Sichem is Shechem, which Jacob gave to Joseph; where both the well and the spring of Jacob happen to be, which the Gospel mentions, saying that the Savior visited, and that many of them believed in him. But also after his ascension, the apostles, being in Samaria, performed signs and wonders in it, so that it is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that the Holy Spirit was given to those who inhabit the place, and that great joy came to be there. For it is written that Philip, going down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ to them. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did; and there was a sound of great joy in that city. And next it is said: “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them; who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit;” and it adds: “Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” These things therefore happened in Samaria, fulfilling the promise at hand, which says: “I will be exalted and I will divide Sichem. For to those in Samaria he divided the Holy Spirit after his ascension, and after he was exalted, when “having ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” And these things happened after the disciples of the Savior were persecuted from Jerusalem. For the Scripture says: “And there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad;” and again: “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” Then it is next said how they preached the gospel to those in Samaria, and how the apostles imparted the Holy Spirit to them. It has been shown, therefore, how it is said, “I will be exalted and I will divide Sichem;” for after the Savior was exalted all these things were fulfilled. But another might say, because the place formerly belonged to the Jews, but now after the ascension of our Savior has been given over to Greeks and Samaritans, for this reason it was said, “I will be exalted and I will divide Sichem;” but also “I will measure out the valley of the tents.” Now the prophetic word is accustomed to call the dwelling place of all men a valley; wherefore it is said elsewhere: “He has appointed it in the valley of weeping.” This dwelling place of all men, therefore, and this valley, he says, I will fill with my own churches; which he indeed hints at by saying, “I will measure out of tents.” And Aquila also interpreted this in this manner, “I will measure out the valley of shadows.” Then, just as Gilead, he says, has become mine, and Manasseh was once mine, and Ephraim was once, when he existed, “the strength of my head,” or, according to Symmachus, “the power of my rule;” and likewise just as, Judah was once “my king,” 23.568 or, according to Aquila, “Judah my lawgiver;” in the same way also will be the country and city of the foreigners called Moab; for it will become “the pot of my hope,” or, according to Aquila: “the pot of my washing;” or, “the pot of my security,” according to Symmachus. And he called Ephraim the strength of his head, or the power of his rule; because those from the tribe of Ephraim who were kings once ruled in Samaria over the nine and a half tribes of Israel. And since two sons were born to Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, those of Ephraim, having separated from Jerusalem, established the kingdom in Samaria and in the aforementioned Shechem, which is also Sichem; wherefore it is said: “Ephraim is the strength of my head,” or, “the power of my rule;” but those born from Manasseh possessed Gilead; wherefore it is said: “Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine.” For the place was signified by Gilead, and the inhabitants by Manasseh. Therefore, just as these, he says, have become mine, who

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δέ ἐστι Σίκιμα τῇ Συχὲμ, ἣν ἔδωκεν Ἰακὼβ τῷ Ἰωσήφ· ἔνθα καὶ τὸ φρέαρ καὶ ἡ πηγὴ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ τυγχάνει, ὧν μέμνηται τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, τὸν Σωτῆρα φάσκον ἐπιδεδημηκέναι, πολλούς τε αὐτῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκέναι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάληψιν αὐτοῦ οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ γενόμενοι, σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐποίουν ἐν αὐτῇ, ὡς ἱστορεῖσθαι ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον δεδόσθαι τοῖς τὸν τόπον οἰκοῦσι, χαράν τε μεγάλην γεγονέναι αὐτόθι. Γέγραπται γοῦν, ὅτι Φίλιππος, κατελθὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείας, ἐκήρυσσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Χριστόν. Προσεῖχον δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι τοῖς λεγομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν αὐτοὺς καὶ βλέπειν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει· ἐγένετο δὲ φωνὴ χαρᾶς μεγάλη ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ. Καὶ ἑξῆς εἴρηται· «Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀπόστολοι, ὅτι δέδεκται ἡ Σαμάρεια τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην· οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον·» καὶ ἐπιλέγει· «Τότε ἐπετίθεσαν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐλάμβανον Πνεῦμα ἅγιον.» Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ, πληρουμένης τῆς μετὰ χεῖρας ἐπαγγελίας, φασκούσης· «Ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς Σαμαρείας διεμέρισε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον μετὰ τὴν ἀνάληψιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ὑψωθῆναι αὐτὸν, ὅτε «ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίαν, καὶ ἔδωκε δόματα ἐν ἀνθρώποις.» Καὶ ταῦτα ἐγίνετο μετὰ τὸ διωχθῆναι τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων. Λέγει γοῦν ἡ Γραφή· «Ἐγένετο δὲ διωγμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις· πάντες δὲ διεσπάρησαν·» καὶ πάλιν· «Οἱ μὲν οὖν διασπαρέντες διῆλθον εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν λόγον.» Εἶθ' ἑξῆς εἴρηται ὅπως τοῖς ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ εὐηγγελίζοντο, καὶ ὡς τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μετεδίδοσαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἀπόστολοι. ∆έδεικται τοίνυν ὅπως εἴρηται τὸ, «Ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα·» μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ὑψωθῆναι τὸν Σωτῆρα πάντα ταῦτα ἐπληροῦτο. Ἄλλος δ' ἂν εἴποι, διὰ τὸ πάλαι μὲν τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἶναι τὸν τόπον, νυνὶ δὲ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνάληψιν Ἕλλησι καὶ Σαμαρείταις ἐκδεδόσθαι, τούτου χάριν εἰρῆσθαι τὸ, «Ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα·» ἀλλὰ καὶ «τὴν κοιλάδα τῶν σκηνῶν διαμετρήσω.» Κοιλάδα δὲ εἴωθεν ὀνομάζειν ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος τὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων οἰκητήριον· διὸ λέλεκται ἀλλαχοῦ· «∆ιέθετο εἰς τὴν κοιλάδα τοῦ κλαυθμῶνος.» Τοῦτο δὴ οὖν τὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων οἰκητήριον, καὶ τὴν κοιλάδα ταύτην ἐκκλησιῶν, φησὶν, ἐμαυτοῦ πληρώσω· ὃ δὴ αἰνίττεται λέγων, «Σκηνῶν διαμετρήσω.» Καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας δὲ τοῦτον ἡρμήνευσε τὸν τρόπον, «Κοιλάδα συσκιασμῶν καταμετρήσω.» Εἶθ' ὥσπερ ἐμὸς, φησὶ, γέγονεν ὁ Γαλαὰδ, καὶ ἐμὸς γέγονέ ποτε ὁ Μανασσῆς, καὶ Ἐφραῒμ ἦν ποτε, ὅτε ὑπῆρχε, «κραταίωσις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου,» ἢ, κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, «ἰσχὺς τῆς ἀρχῆς μου·» ὁμοίως τε ὥσπερ, ἦν ποτε «ὁ Ἰούδας βασιλεύς μου,» 23.568 ἢ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, «Ἰούδας ἀκριβαστής μου·» τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἔσται καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων χώρα τε καὶ πόλις ἡ καλουμένη Μωάβ· γενήσεται γὰρ «λέβης τῆς ἐλπίδος μου,» ἢ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· «λέβης λουτροῦ μου·» ἢ, «λέβης ἀμεριμνίας μου,» κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον. Τὸν δὲ Ἐφραῒμ κραταίωσιν τῆς κεφαλῆς ἑαυτοῦ ὠνόμασεν, ἢ ἰσχὺν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἑαυτοῦ· ἐπειδήπερ οἱ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἐφραῒμ βασιλεύσαντες ἦρξάν ποτε ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ τῶν ἐννέα ἥμισυ φυλῶν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. ∆ύο δὲ παίδων γενομένων τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ καὶ τοῦ Μανασσῆ, οἱ μὲν τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ, ἀποσχίσαντες τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τῇ προλεχθείσῃ Συχὲμ τῇ καὶ Σίκιμα συνέστησαν τὸ βασίλειον· διὸ λέλεκται· «Ἐφραῒμ κραταίωσις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου,» ἢ, «ἰσχὺς τῆς ἀρχῆς μου·» οἱ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Μανασσῆ γενόμενοι ἔσχον τὴν Γαλαάδ· διὸ εἴρηται· «Ἐμός ἐστι Γαλαὰδ, καὶ ἐμός ἐστι Μανασσῆς.» Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τόπος ἐκ τοῦ Γαλαὰδ ἐσημαίνετο, οἱ δὲ οἰκήτορες ἐκ τοῦ Μανασσῆ. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὗτοι, φησὶ, γεγόνασιν ἐμοὶ, οἵ