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De prophetarum vita et obitu

OF THE HOLY EPIPHANIUS BISHOP OF CYPRUS CONCERNING THE PROPHETS, HOW THEY FELL ASLEEP AND WHERE THEY LIE.

αʹ. Nathan the prophet was in the days of David, of the tribe of Thok. He was from Gabath, and he is the one who taught David the law of the Lord. And Nathan knew that King David had transgressed with Bathsheba. And as he was hastening to go from Gabath to Jerusalem and prevent David from this iniquity, Beliar hindered him because on the way he found a dead man lying naked; and he stayed to bury him there, so that he would not be consumed by wild beasts. And on that night he knew that David had committed the sin, and he returned to Gabath mourning. And when David had killed Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, God sent Nathan and he rebuked David concerning his sin. And David feared the Lord, because he was rebuked for what he had done; and David knew that the Holy Spirit of God was upon Nathan the prophet; and he honored him as a holy one of God; and he himself, having grown very old, died; and was buried in Gabath in his own land.

βʹ. And Ahijah the Shilonite; he was from Shiloh, of 5 the tribe of Judah, where the tent of the ark was in ancient times; from the city of Armathaim of Eli the priest. This prophet said concerning Solomon the son of David, that he would offend God; he also rebuked Jeroboam, that if he became king, he would walk deceitfully with the Lord; for he saw a vision of a yoke of oxen trampling the people and running against the priests; and he told Solomon that women would turn him away from the Lord. And to Jeroboam he said, that through your two calves you will offend the Lord, and your race will be into slavery. And Ahijah died and was buried near the oak that is in Shiloh.

γʹ. Joam the prophet was born in Samaria; this is he whom the lion struck on the road and he died, because he rebuked Jeroboam for his golden calves, which he had made, when he also cursed the sacrifice of Jeroboam, and he stretched out his hand to harm him, and Jeroboam's hand withered. And after these things he was deceived by the false prophet 6 and he compelled him to eat bread and drink water. And when he had gone out, the lion struck him, and it did not harm his donkey. And he was buried in Bethel near the false prophet. And later, when the false prophet was dying, he made the priests swear, that "1bury me with Joam the prophet"2. because "1I deceived him. And in the resurrection we will receive judgment"2. And both lie in one tomb.

δʹ. Azariah the prophet; he was from Symbatha. This is he who turned back the captivity of Judah to Israel through prayers. And having prophesied many things concerning the coming of Christ; he fell asleep in his own country.

εʹ. Elijah the prophet. He was from Tishbe [from the land of the Arabs], of the tribe of Aaron, dwelling in Gilead; because Tishbe was a gift given to the priests; and when his mother gave birth to him, Sobach his father saw a vision; that men in white were addressing him; and that they were swaddling him in fire; and were giving him a flame of fire to eat. And having come to Jerusalem he reported it to the priests. And the oracle said to him: Do not be afraid; for the dwelling of your child will be light and his word a decree, and he will judge 7 Israel with the sword and with fire. This is Elijah who brought down fire from heaven a third time, and the rain by his own

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De prophetarum vita et obitu

ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΦΗΤΩΝ, ΠΩΣ ΕΚΟΙΜΗΘΗΣΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΟΥ ΚΕΙΝΤΑΙ.

αʹ. Ναθὰν ὁ προφήτης ἐγένετο ἐν ἡμέραις ∆αυὶδ ἐκ φυλῆς Θώκ. Οὗτος δὲ ἦν ἐκ Γαβάθ, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ διδάξας τὸν ∆αυὶδ τὸν νόμον τοῦ κυρίου. Καὶ ἔγνω Να- θάν, ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς ∆αυὶδ ἐν τῇ Βηρσαβεὲ παρέβη. Καὶ σπεύδοντα ἐλθεῖν ἐκ Γαβὰθ εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ κωλῦ- σαι τὸν ∆αυὶδ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας ταύτης ἐκώλυσεν αὐτὸν ὁ Βελίαρ ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εὗρε νεκρὸν κείμενον γυμνόν· καὶ ἐπέμεινε τοῦ θάψαι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπὸ θηρίων ἀναλωθῇ. Καὶ τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ ἔγνω, ὅτι ἐποίησε Λαυὶδ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πενθῶν εἰς Γαβάθ. Καὶ ὡς ἀνεῖλε ∆αυὶδ Οὐρίαν τὸν ἄνδρα τῆς Βηρσαβεέ, ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ναθὰν καὶ ἤλεγξε τὸν ∆αυὶδ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐφοβήθη ∆αυὶδ τὸν κύριον, ὅτι ἠλέγχθη ὃ ἐποίησε· καὶ ἔγνω ∆αυίδ, ὅτι πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐπὶ Ναθὰν τὸν προφήτην ἐστί· καὶ ἐτίμησεν αὐτὸν ὡς ὅσιον θεοῦ· καὶ αὐτὸς πάνυ γηράσας ἀπέθανε· καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν Γα- βὰθ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ.

βʹ. Ἀχίας δὲ ὁ Σηλωνίτης· οὗτος ἦν ἀπὸ Σηλὼμ ἐκ 5 φυλῆς Ἰούδα, ὅπου ἦν ἡ σκηνὴ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τὸ παλαιόν· ἐκ πόλεως Ἀρμαθαὶμ Ἠλεὶ τοῦ ἱερέως. Οὗτος ὁ προφήτης εἶπε περὶ Σολομῶν τοῦ υἱοῦ ∆αυίδ, ὅτι προσκρούσει τῷ θεῷ· οὗτος ἤλεγξε καὶ τὸν Ἱεροβοάμ, ὅτι ἐὰν βασιλεύσῃ, δόλῳ πορεύσεται μετὰ κυρίου· εἶδε γὰρ ὀπτασίαν ζεῦγος βοῶν καταπατοῦν τὸν λαὸν καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἱερέων ἐπιτρέχον· καὶ προσεῖπε τῷ Σολομῶν, ὅτι γυναῖκες αὐτὸν ἐκστήσουσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου. Καὶ τῷ Ἱεροβοὰμ εἶπεν, ὅτι διὰ τῶν δύο δαμάλεών σου προσκρούσεις τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ εἰς δουλείαν ἔσται τὸ γένος σου. Ἀπέθανε δὲ Ἀχίας καὶ ἐτάφη σύνεγγυς τῆς δρυὸς τῆς οὔσης ἐν Σηλώμ.

γʹ. Ἰωὰμ ὁ προφήτης ἐγεννήθη ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὃν ἐπάταξεν ὁ λέων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ἀπέθανεν, ὅτι ἤλεγξε τὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ ἐπὶ ταῖς χρυσαῖς δαμάλεσιν αὐτοῦ, ἃς ἐποίησεν, ὅτε καὶ κατηράσατο τὴν θυσίαν Ἱεροβοάμ, καὶ ἐξέτεινε τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ κακῶσαι αὐτόν, καὶ ἐξηράνθη ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ Ἱεροβοάμ. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἠπατήθη ὑπὸ τοῦ ψευδοπροφήτου 6 καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτὸν φαγεῖν ἄρτον καὶ πιεῖν ὕδωρ. Καὶ ἐξελθόντα αὐτὸν ἐπάταξεν ὁ λέων, καὶ τὴν ὄνον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἠδίκησε. Καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν Βεθὴρ σύνεγγυς τοῦ ψευδοπροφή- του. Καὶ ὕστερον ἀποθνήσκων ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης, ὥρκισε τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ὅτι "1μετὰ τοῦ Ἰωὰμ τοῦ προφήτου με θά- ψετε"2. ὅτι "1ἠπάτησα αὐτόν. Καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει δίκας εἰσπραξόμεθα"2. Καὶ ἀμφότεροι κεῖνται ἐν ἑνὶ μνημείῳ.

δʹ. Ἀζαρίας ὁ προφήτης· οὗτος ἦν ἐκ τῆς Συμβαθᾶ. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀποστρέψας τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Ἰούδα εἰς Ἰσραὴλ διὰ προσευχῶν. Πολλὰ δὲ προφητεύσας περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἐκοιμήθη ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ.

εʹ. Ἠλίας ὁ προφήτης. Οὗτος ἦν ἐκ Θεσβῶν [ἐκ γῆς Ἀράβων], ἐκ φυλῆς Ἀαρών, οἰκῶν ἐν Γαλαάδ· ὅτι ἡ Θέσβις δῶμα ἦν τοῖς ἱερεῦσι δεδομένη· καὶ ὅτε ἔτεκεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ, εἶδε Σωβὰκ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ὀπτασίαν· ὅτι ἄνδρες λευκοφανεῖς αὐτῷ προσηγόρευον· καὶ ὅτε ἐν πυρὶ αὐτὸν ἐσπαργάνουν· καὶ φλόγα πυρὸς ἐδίδουν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν. Καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀνήγγειλε τοῖς ἱερεῦσι. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός· μὴ δειλιάσῃς· ἔσται γὰρ ἡ οἴκησις τοῦ παιδός σου φῶς καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ ἀπόφασις καὶ κρινεῖ 7 τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν πυρί. Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἠλίας ὁ τὸ πῦρ τρίτον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατενέγκας, καὶ τὸν ὑετὸν τῇ ἰδίᾳ