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having been laid beforehand, but it was fulfilled after these things by the will of God. And Scripture has made these things clear. And Josephus in the first book of the Antiquities, that when the prophecy of Isaiah was shown to Cyrus by the captives, having recognized these things, and having found himself called by name two hundred and ten years before, he did what was commanded with great eagerness. CHAP. 45. 1-8. 9Thus says the Lord God to my anointed one, Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, that nations might hearken be 2417 fore him, and I will break the strength of kings. I will open doors before him, and cities shall not be shut9, etc. Whom he also calls anointed, as those chosen by God for kingship were so called among the Hebrews. For kings were accustomed to be anointed with oil by them when they were established in their rule. But Scripture also speaks this way of the saints figuratively. Therefore he called him anointed, as one called by God to rule. And of such a one, he says, I promise to hold his right hand so that he might not be turned aside, nor be conquered by anyone stronger. For this is a sign of assistance, as he says in the Psalms: "You held my right hand, and in your counsel you guided me." And having subjected many to him, I will break all the dominion among the other nations, leaving nothing impassable for him, against whomever he wishes to advance. But even if there is some powerful obstacle, becoming like a mountain, even if it is strong as bronze and iron, I will humble and break all things, so that not even unseen treasures would escape him, which escaped the kings before. But some say treasures are those who, being especially powerful, during Cyrus's attack, hid by slipping into caves. Having learned this, he found the men by lighting torches. But know who I am, by these things that will happen, I who spoke your name so many years before. For I am the God of Israel, whom you should not fail to know. For on his account I have granted you such great power. For he is mine, chosen from all the nations in honor to their fathers. Therefore I accepted you, as one of my own household, even though you did not know me, but were devoted to the idolatry of your fathers. So that you may not think these things were given to you as a reward for pre-existing piety. But even if you did not know before that I alone am God, learn then from what I will do, through which all will know that I alone am God, accomplishing what I see fit even through foreigners and those alien to my religion. And through which, when it was time for discipline for my people, I delivered them to dejection as if by wrath and darkness through discipline. But when it was necessary to save them, having been corrected, I caused light and peace to rise upon them, because of the joy from the release of their bonds. For I am the giver of peace and light, and of darkness and of painful things, which indeed the many are fond of calling evil, of which I am the maker, granting them according to merit for the benefit of those who receive them. But some have said light and darkness are day and night. Who also say, concerning the things brought upon the Babylonians, because of the cruelty they showed against the captives from Israel, as God said through 2420 Zechariah: "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy, and I am angry with a great wrath against the nations that attack together, because while I was a little angry, they themselves joined in for evil." And to Babylon itself he says: "I gave them into your hands. But you did not show them mercy." For which reason he said to Cyrus through Jeremiah: "Go up against her, and against those dwelling in her. Avenge with the sword and destruction, says the Lord, and do according to all that I command you." And again: "The Lord has opened his treasury, and has brought out the vessels of his wrath, for the Lord has a work in the land of the Chaldeans, because her times have come. Open her storehouses, search her, as a cave," and what follows. And through the present prophet it was said: "I will raise up the Medes against you," and what follows this. And the word, having prophesied the future return as good news, again commands the heavenly powers to rejoice, and the rational clouds, which it previously commanded not to rain upon the vineyard,

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προκαταβεβλημένων, ἐπληρώθη δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα βουλήσει Θεοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα δεδήλωκεν ἡ Γραφή. Καὶ Ἰώσηπος ἐν αʹ τῆς Ἀρχαιολογίας, ὡς ἐπιδειχθείσης παρὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τῆς Ἡσαΐου προφητείας τῷ Κύρῳ, ταῦτά τε γνοὺς, καὶ ἐπ' ὀνόματος ἑαυτὸν κεκλημένον εὑρὼν πρὸ δέκα καὶ διακοσίων ἐτῶν, σὺν πολλῇ προθυμίᾳ τὰ προστεταγμένα πεποίηκεν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΕʹ. αηʹ. 9Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ χριστῷ μου Κύρῳ, οὗ ἐκράτησα τῆς δεξιᾶς, ἐπακοῦσαι ἔμ 2417 προσθεν αὐτοῦ ἔθνη, καὶ ἰσχὺν βασιλέων διαῤῥήξω. Ἀνοίξω ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ θύρας, καὶ πόλεις οὐ συγκλεισθήσονται9, κ.τ.λ. Ὃν καὶ χριστὸν καλεῖ, οὕτω παρ' Ἑβραίοις λεγομένων τῶν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ προχειρισθέντων εἰς βασιλείαν. Ἐλαίῳ γὰρ αὐτοῖς οἱ βασιλεῖς εἰώθεσαν χρίεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν καθιστάμενοι. Τροπικῶς δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους οὕτω φησὶν ἡ Γραφή. Χριστὸν οὖν αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς ἐκ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν κεκλημένον. Ὡς δὲ τοιούτου, φησὶν, ἐπαγγέλλομαι κρατῆσαι τῆς δεξιᾶς πρὸς τὸ μὴ παρατρέπεσθαι, μηδὲ νικηθῆναι παρά τινος κρείττονος. Ἀντιλήψεως γὰρ τοῦτο σημεῖον, καθά φησιν ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· "Ἐκράτησας τῆς χειρὸς τῆς δεξιᾶς μου, καὶ ἐν τῇ βουλῇ σου ὡδήγησάς με." Ὑποτάξας δὲ πλείστους αὐτῷ, πᾶσαν διαῤῥήξω τὴν ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι δυναστείαν, οὐδὲν ἄβατον ἐάσας αὐτῷ, καθ' ὧν ἂν ἐθέλῃ χωρεῖν. Ἀλλὰ κἂν ᾖ τι δυνατὸν ἐμποδὼν, ὡς ὄρος γινόμενον, κἂν ἰσχυρὸν ὡς χαλκὸς ᾖ, καὶ σίδηρος, πάντα ταπεινώσω καὶ λύσω, ὡς μηδὲ θησαυροὺς ἀοράτους τοῖς πρὶν βασιλεῦσι τοῦτον διαλαθεῖν. Τινὲς δὲ θησαυρούς φασι τοὺς ὅσοι καὶ μάλιστα δυνατοὶ παρὰ τὴν ἔφοδον Κύρου σπηλαίοις ἐγκαταδύντες ἐλάνθανον. Ὃ δὴ μαθὼν, δᾷδας ἐξάπτων τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀνεύρισκεν. Γνῶθι δὲ τούτων ἐσομένων ὅστις εἰμὶ, ὁ πρὸ τοσούτων χρόνων τὴν σὴν προσηγορίαν εἰπών. Εἰμὶ γὰρ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ὃν μὴ ἀγνόει. ∆ι' αὐτὸν γάρ σοι τοσαύτην δυναστείαν δεδώρημαι. Ἐμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἐκ πάντων ἐκλεγεὶς τῶν ἐθνῶν τῇ πρὸς τοὺς αὐτῶν πατέρας τιμῇ. ∆ιό σε προσεδεξάμην, ὡς ἐμαυτοῦ οἰκεῖον, καίπερ οὐκ ἐγνωκότα με, τῇ δὲ ἐκ πατέρων εἰδωλολατρείᾳ προσκείμενον. Ὡς ἂν μὴ δοκῇς προλαβούσης εὐσεβείας γέρα σοι ταῦτα δεδόσθαι. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἔγνως, ὅτι μόνος εἰμὶ Θεὸς, μάθε γ' οὖν ἐξ ὧν διαπράξομαι, δι' ὧν πάντες εἴσονται Θεὸν εἶναι μόνον ἐμὲ, καὶ δι' ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ξένων θρησκείας, τὰ δοκοῦντα διαπραττόμενον. Καὶ δι' ὧν τὸν ἐμὸν λαὸν, ἡνίκα μὲν παιδείας ἦν καιρὸς, ὥσπερ ὀργῇ καὶ σκότῳ διὰ τῆς παιδείας κατήφειαν παρέδωκα. Ἡνίκα δὲ σώζειν ἔδει διορθωθέντα φῶς καὶ εἰρήνην ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀνατεῖλαι πεποίηκα, διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν δεσμῶν εὐφροσύνην. Καὶ γὰρ εἰρήνης εἰμὶ καὶ φωτὸς χορηγὸς, σκότους τε καὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν, ἃ δὴ καλεῖν κακὰ φίλον ἐστὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὧν ἐγὼ ποιητὴς πρὸς τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτὰ χορηγῶν ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τῶν δεχομένων. Τινὲς δὲ φῶς καὶ σκότος, ἡμέραν εἰρήκασι καὶ νύκτα. Οἳ καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἐπενεχθέντα τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις φασὶ, δι' ἣν ἐπεδείξαντο κατὰ τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἡλωκότων ὠμότητα, ὡς διὰ Ζαχαρίου τὸν Θεὸν εἰρηκέ 2420 ναι· "Ἐζήλωκα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σιὼν ζῆλον μέγαν, καὶ θυμῷ μεγάλῳ ὀργίζομαι ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ συνεπιτιθέμενα, ἀνθ' ὧν ἐγὼ μὲν ὠργίσθην ὀλίγα. Αὐτοὶ δὲ, συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακά." Καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν δὲ Βαβυλῶνά φησιν· "Ἐγὼ δέδωκα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου. Σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς ἔλεος." ∆ι' ὅπερ ἔφη διὰ Ἱερεμίου τῳ Κύρῳ· "Ἐπίβηθι ἐπ'αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἐκδίκησον μάχαιραν καὶ ἀφανισμὸν, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ποίει κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐντέλλομαί σοι." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἤνοιξεν Κύριος τὸν θησαυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξήνεγκε τὰ σκεύη τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἔργον Κυρίῳ ἐν γῇ Χαλδαίων, ὅτι ἐληλύθασιν οἱ καιροὶ αὐτῆς. Ἀνοίξατε τὰς ἀποθήκας αὐτῆς, ἐρευνήσατε αὐτὴν, ὡς σπήλαιον," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ διὰ τοῦ παρόντος δὲ προφήτου ἐῤῥέθη· "Ἐπεγερῶ ὑμῖν τοὺς Μήδους," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Τὴν δὲ μέλλουσαν ἐπάνοδον προθεσπίσας ὁ λόγος ὡς, ἐπ' εὐαγγελίοις χαίρειν αὖθις ἐντέλλεται ταῖς οὐρανίαις δυνάμεσιν, καὶ ταῖς νεφέλαις ταῖς λογικαῖς, ἃς ἐνετείλατο πρότερον ὑετὸν εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα μὴ βρέξαι,