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in the midst of his feast, they used godless and accursed shouts, on the very day of Passover demanding his blood upon themselves and upon their own children; rightly in the midst of the feast the wrath from God came upon them; so that another prophecy was also fulfilled in them, through which it was said: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and your festivals into lamentation. Their kinsmen said in their heart, all together: Let us cause the feasts of God to cease from the earth. All the aforementioned things, he says, your enemies did with an impious purpose; for they both set fire to your sanctuary, and they profaned the tabernacle of your name, and they have dared all the rest; not plotting against men, nor intending to besiege a place; but warring against you, the God, and intending to abolish your feasts. And these things, though they did not speak with their mouth, yet they reasoned in their hearts and in their thoughts. But then the enemies of God, reasoning these things, destroyed the place long ago set apart for God; but the great and mighty God, in place of that one, established churches from the rising of the sun to its setting throughout the whole world among all the nations. And your enemies, he says, and foes set their own signs in high and prominent places, by the very entrances of the temple; so that all who passed by might see their trophies of victory; but we, on whose behalf a suppliant prayer is sent up, We have not seen our signs. But how have we not seen our signs, but because there is no longer a prophet, and he will know us no more? For of old, at every season and in every generation and in the successions of our fathers, prophets were with them when they were besieged and led away into captivity; which was a very great proof and sign that they were not without oversight; for the providential power of the universe, like physicians in the utmost calamities, appointed the prophets for the people of that time; 23.860 and these were the signs of God. But now, when the aforementioned things are happening to us and coming to pass in deeds, We have not seen our signs; for which reason there is no longer a prophet, and he will know us no more. For if the prophets had ceased for a short time, and then afterwards appeared again, it would not have been said, and he will know us no more; but now, since after the things dared against the Savior by them, when the Romans came and desolated the place from its foundations, prophets were nowhere present for those who were besieged; nor have they been in the times after these, nor were they ever to rise again hereafter; wonderfully the prophecy, having said, There is no longer a prophet, added, and he will know us no more. Because it was not fitting to be said either in the times of the Babylonians, or in earlier times. For the succession of prophets flourished among them in every generation, which also lasted until John the prophet. How long, O God, will the enemy reproach, will the adversary provoke your name forever? The phrase, forever, is often said through the prophecy at hand. For in the beginning it was said: Why, O God, have you cast us off forever? then next: Lift up your hands against their pride forever; and thirdly: The adversary provokes your name forever; and again: Why do you turn away your hand and your right hand from the midst of your bosom forever? through which the word signifies the final siege of the place. But inquiring and saying: How long, O God, will the enemy reproach? he desires to be taught how long these things will be, and what will be the limit of the time, and until when the adversary will provoke your name, and if he continues doing this forever. Then, accordingly, he inquires, asking their cause; for which reason he says: Why do you turn away your hand and your right hand from the midst of your bosom forever? And the meaning of the word has this sense: the bosom of God is full of good things, for which reason it has been said: The only-begotten Son who is in the

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ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἑορτῆς αὐτοῦ, βοαῖς τε ἀθέοις καὶ ἐναγέσιν ἐχρήσαντο, ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ τοῦ Πάσχα ἡμέρᾳ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ καθ' ἑαυτῶν καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων ἐξαιτησάμενοι· εἰκότως ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἑορτῆς μετῄει αὐτοὺς ἡ ἐκ Θεοῦ ὀργή· ὡς καὶ ἑτέραν προφητείαν πληροῦσθαι εἰς αὐτοὺς, δι' ἧς εἴρητο· Καὶ μεταστρέψω τὰς ἑορτὰς ὑμῶν εἰς πένθος, καὶ τὰς πανηγύρεις ὑμῶν εἰς θρῆνον. Εἶπαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν αἱ συγγένειαι αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· Καταπαύσωμεν τὰς ἑορτὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. Τὰ προλεχθέντα πάντα δυσσεβεῖ σκοπῷ, φησὶ, διεπράξαντο οἱ ἐχθροί σου· τό τε γὰρ ἁγιαστήριόν σου ἐνεπύρισαν, καὶ τὸ σκήνωμα τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἐβεβήλωσαν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα τετολμήκασιν· οὐκ ἀνθρώποις ἐπιβουλεύοντες, οὐδὲ τόπον πολιορκεῖν προθέμενοι· σοὶ δὲ τῷ Θεῷ πολεμοῦντες, καὶ τὰς ἑορτάς σου καταλῦσαι διανοούμενοι. Ταῦτα δὲ, εἰ καὶ μὴ στόματι ἐλάλουν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν καὶ ταῖς ἐνθυμήσεσι ἐλογίζοντο. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα λογιζόμενοι τὸν πάλαι τῷ Θεῷ ἀφωρισμένον τόπον καθῄρουν· ὁ δὲ μέγας καὶ δυνατὸς Θεὸς ἀνθ' ἑνὸς ἐκείνου τὰς ἀπ' ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσμῶν καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκκλησίας ἐν πᾶσι συνίστη τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐχθροί σου, φησὶ, καὶ πολέμιοι τὰ ἑαυτῶν σημεῖα ἔθηκαν ἐν ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἐπισήμοις τόποις, παρ' αὐτὰς τὰς εἰσόδους τοῦ ἱεροῦ· ὡς ἂν πάντες οἱ διιόντες ὁρῷεν αὐτῶν τὰ νικητήρια· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὧν ἐκ προσώπου ἱκετήριος εὐχὴ ἀναπέμπεται, Τὰ σημεῖα ἡμῶν οὐκ εἴδομεν. Πῶς δὲ οὐκ εἴδομεν ἡμῶν τὰ σημεῖα, ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι προφήτης, καὶ ἡμᾶς οὐ γνώσεται ἔτι; Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ καθ' ἕκαστον καιρὸν καὶ κατὰ γενεὰς καὶ κατὰ διαδοχὰς τῶν ἡμετέρων πατέρων, προφῆται συνῆσαν αὐτοῖς πολιορκουμένοις καὶ εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπαγομένοις· ὅπερ ἦν μέγιστον δεῖγμα καὶ σημεῖον τοῦ μὴ ἀνεπισκόπους αὐτοὺς ὑπάρχειν· ἡ γοῦν προνοητικὴ τῶν ὅλων δύναμις, ὥσπερ ἰατροὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις συμφοραῖς τοὺς προφήτας τῷ τότε λαῷ καθίστη· 23.860 καὶ ταῦτα ἦν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ σημεῖα. Νῦν δὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς γινόμενα ὅτε τὰ προλεχθέντα δι' ἔργων χωρεῖ, Τὰ σημεῖα ἡμῶν οὐκ εἴδομεν· δι' ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι προφήτης, καὶ ἡμᾶς οὐ γνώσεται ἔτι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς καιρὸν βραχὺν διέλιπον οἱ προφῆται, εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀνεφάνησαν, οὐκ ἂν ἐλέγετο. καὶ ἡμᾶς οὐ γνώσεται ἔτι· νῦν δὲ ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τὰ κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τολμηθέντα αὐτοῖς, Ῥωμαίων ἐπιστάντων καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκ βάθρων ἐρημωσάντων, οὐδαμοῦ προφῆται παρῆσαν τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνοις γεγόνασιν, οὐδ' ἤμελλον εἰσαῦθίς ποτε ἀναστήσεσθαι· θαυμαστῶς ἡ πρόῤῥησις φήσασα, Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι προφήτης, ἐπήγαγε, καὶ ἡμᾶς οὐ γνώσεται ἔτι. Ὅτι οὔτ' ἐπὶ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων χρόνων ἥρμοττε λέγεσθαι, οὔτ' ἐπὶ τῶν παλαιοτέρων. Ἤκμαζε γοῦν καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἡ τῶν προφητῶν διαδοχὴ, ἣ καὶ διήρκεσε μέχρις Ἰωάννου τοῦ προφήτου. Ἕως πότε, ὁ Θεὸς, ὀνειδίζει ὁ ἐχθρὸς, παροξύνει ὑπεναντίος τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τέλος; Πολλάκις εἴρηται διὰ τῆς μετὰ χεῖρας προφητείας τὸ, εἰς τέλος. Ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν γὰρ ἐλέγετο· Ἱνατί, ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπώσω εἰς τέλος; εἶθ' ἑξῆς· Ἔπαρον τὰς χεῖράς σου ἐπὶ τὰς ὑπερηφανίας εἰς τέλος· καὶ τρίτον· Παροξύνει ὁ ὑπεναντίος τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τέλος· καὶ αὖθις· Ἱνατί ἀποστρέφεις τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ τὴν δεξιάν σου ἐκ μέσου τοῦ κόλπου σου εἰς τέλος; δι' ὧν ὁ λόγος τὴν τελευταίαν πολιορκίαν τοῦ τόπου σημαίνει. Πυνθανόμενος δὲ καὶ λέγων· Ἕως πότε, ὁ Θεὸς, ὀνειδιεῖ ὁ ἐχθρός; διδαχθῆναι ποθεῖ ἕως πότε ταῦτ' ἔσται, καὶ τίς ἔσται ἡ περιγραφὴ τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ μέχρι τίνος παροξύνει ὁ ὑπεναντίος τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ εἰ διαμένει εἰς τέλος τοῦτο πράττων. Εἶτ' ἀκολούθως πυνθάνεται τὴν τούτων αἰτίαν ἀξιῶν· διό φησιν· Ἱνατί ἀποστρέφεις τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ τὴν δεξιάν σου ἐκ μέσου τοῦ κόλπου σου εἰς τέλος; Ἡ δὲ τοῦ λόγου διάνοια τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν νοῦν· ὁ κόλπος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγαθῶν ἐστι πλήρης, διὸ λέλεκται· Μονογενὴς Υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν