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De theophania Just as in our own example, the invisible and unseen mind in us, which no one among men has ever known what it is or what sort of substance it has, but like a king established within his secret chambers, he plans what must be done, and a only-begotten word proceeds from him, as if born from the father's inmost sanctuary, who indeed is first established as the messenger of the father's thoughts to all, and proclaims openly the things planned in secret by the father, and by deeds accomplishes the plans, proceeding to the hearing of all, then some partake of the benefits from the word, but the unseen and invisible mind, the father of the word, no one has ever seen with eyes; in the same way, indeed, but rather beyond all image and example, the perfect Word of the all-sovereign God, as the only-begotten Son of the Father, not consisting in uttered power, nor constructed in nature from syllables of nouns and verbs, nor signified in a voice through struck air, but being a living and active Son, the Word of the God over all, and subsisting in essence as "the power of God and the wisdom of God," proceeds from the Father's divinity and kingdom, being a good offspring of a good Father; and as the common savior of all, he channels to all things ..... 2 Who else ever of those from of old who were helped was known and proclaimed from above through prophetic voices countless years ago by the ancient God-loving children of the Hebrews, as this one who is spoken of as God among us? Who also, having foreknown the place of his divine manifestation and the times of his arrival and the manner of his life and his powers and words and achievements, recorded them in sacred books. 3 But lest my discourse now be extended to great length concerning all his mighty works, let his death be set forth before your eyes, which indeed is acknowledged by all that the interpreter, the covering of the divine Word, the revealed image, underwent. And this proclaimed death itself partakes of much wonder, not having been common to other men. For not being destroyed by disease, nor by a noose, nor by fire, nor indeed by being cut by the sword at the trophy of the cross itself like other evildoers, nor at all having suffered from any man any of the things that are accustomed to kill, did he endure a violent end, but as he alone willingly surrendered his own instrument to those who plotted against him, it was immediately raised up from the earth, and he, having cried out with a loud voice and said that he commended his spirit to the Father, freely of himself made his departure from the body. Wherefore indeed, before his death he delivered this very thing to his own acquaintances, teaching and saying: "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and again I have authority to take it up." And again: "I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me" and "I lay down my life for the sheep." And he sets forth the reason for his death in a few words, saying: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Providing then such proofs concerning his death, freely of himself he made his departure from the body. Then when his body was taken by his acquaintances and given a fitting burial, on the third day he who had previously departed willingly took it back again. And again he shows himself incarnate, embodied, that very same one as he was at first, to his own disciples, with whom also having spoken for a short while and having spent some time, he goes up from whence he came, his journey and ascent into the heavens before their eyes

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De theophania ὥσπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς παραδείγματος ὁ μὲν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀφανὴς ἐν ἡμῖν νοῦς, ὃν ὅστις ποτὲ καὶ ὁποῖος ὢν τὴν οὐσίαν ὑπάρχει οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἀνθρώπων ἔγνω, βασιλεὺς δ' οἷα ἐν ἀπορρήτοις εἴσω τοῖς αὐτοῦ ταμείοις καθιδρυμένος τὰ πρακτέα βουλεύεται, λόγος δ' ἐξ αὐτοῦ πρόεισι μονογενής, οἷα πατρὸς ἐξ ἀδύτων μυχῶν γεγεννημένος, ὃς δὴ καὶ πρῶτος τῶν πατρικῶν τοῖς πᾶσι καθίσταται νοημάτων ἄγγελος εἰς φανερόν τε κηρύττει τὰ ἐν ἀπορρήτοις τῷ πατρὶ βεβουλευμένα, ἔργοις τε ἐπιτελεῖ τὰ βουλεύματα προϊὼν εἰς τὰς πάντων ἀκοάς, εἶθ' οἱ μὲν τῆς ἐκ τοῦ λόγου μεταλαμβάνουσιν ὠφελείας, τὸν δ' ἀφανῆ καὶ ἀόρατον νοῦν, τὸν τοῦ λόγου πατέρα, οὐδεὶς πώποτε εἶδεν ὀφθαλμοῖς· κατὰ ταὐτὰ δὴ μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπέκεινα πάσης εἰκόνος καὶ παραδείγματος ὁ τοῦ παμβασιλέως θεοῦ τέλειος λόγος, οἷα μονογενὴς πατρὸς υἱός, οὐ προφορικῇ δυνάμει συνεστώς, οὐδ' ἐκ συλλαβῶν ὀνομάτων τε καὶ ῥημάτων τὴν φύσιν κατεσκευασμένος, οὐδ' ἐν φωνῇ δι' ἀέρος πληττομένου σημαινόμενος, θεοῦ δὲ τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων ζῶν καὶ ἐνεργὴς ὑπάρχων υἱὸς λόγος, κατ' οὐσίαν τε ὑφεστὼς οἷα «θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία», πρόεισι μὲν τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητός τε καὶ βασιλείας, ἀγαθοῦ δὲ πατρὸς ἀγαθὸν τυγχάνων γέννημα · κοινός τε ἁπάντων σωτὴρ ἐποχετεύει τὰ σύμπαντα ..... 2 τίς ἄλλος πώποτε τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος βοηθέντων ὡς οὗτος ὁ παρ' ἡμῖν θεολογούμενος προφητικαῖς ἄνωθεν πρὸ μυρίων χρόνων ἐγνώσθη τε καὶ προεκηρύχθη φωναῖς παρὰ τοῖς πρόπαλαι θεοφιλέσιν Ἑβραίων παισίν; οἳ καὶ τὸν τόπον τῆς θεοφανείας αὐτοῦ καὶ χρόνους τῆς ἀφίξεως καὶ τρόπον τοῦ βίου καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ λόγους καὶ κατορθώματα αὐτοῦ προλαβόντες βίβλοις ἱεραῖς ἐγκατέθεντο. 3 ἀλλ' ἵνα μή μοι τὰ νῦν ὁ λόγος εἰς μακρὰν ἐκτείνοιτο ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ μεγαλουργήματα αὐτοῦ, ὑπ' ὄψεσιν ἐκκείσθω ὁ αὐτοῦ θάνατος, ὃν δὴ ὑποστῆναι ὁ ἑρμηνεὺς τὸ τοῦ θείου λόγου περίβλημα τὸ ἀποκαλυφθὲν ἄγαλμα παρὰ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀνωμολόγηται. καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ βοώμενος θάνατος πολλοῦ μετέχει τοῦ θαύματος, οὐ κοινὸς τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀνθρώποις γεγενημένος. οὐ γὰρ νόσῳ διαφθαρεὶς οὐδὲ βρόχῳ οὐδὲ πυρὶ οὐδὲ μὴν κατ' αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ τρόπαιον ὁμοίως τοῖς λοιποῖς κακούργοις ὑποτμηθεὶς σιδήρῳ, οὐδ' ὅλως πρός τινος ἀνθρώπων παθών τι τῶν ἀναιρεῖν εἰωθότων βιαίαν ὑπέμεινε τελευτήν, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτὸ μόνον ἑκὼν παρεδίδου τὸ αὐτοῦ ὄργανον τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσι, τὸ μὲν ἀπὸ γῆς ἀνωρθοῦτο αὐτίκα, ὁ δὲ φωνήσας μέγα καὶ τῷ πατρὶ τὸ πνεῦμα παρατίθεσθαι εἰπὼν ἄφετος αὐτὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἀναχώρησιν ἐποιεῖτο. διὸ δὴ πρὸ τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς αὐτοῦ γνωρίμοις τοῦτο αὐτὸ παρεδίδου διδάσκων καὶ λέγων· «οὐδεὶς αἴρει τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ. ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτὴν καὶ πάλιν ἐξουσίαν ἔχω λαβεῖν αὐτήν.» καὶ πάλιν· «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς καὶ γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ καὶ γινώσκουσί με τὰ ἐμὰ» καὶ «τὴν ψυχήν μου τίθημι ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων». τὴν δὲ τοῦ θανάτου αἰτίαν ἐν βραχέσι παρίστησι λέγων· «ἐὰν μὴ ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου πεσὼν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποθάνῃ, αὐτὸς μόνος μένει, ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει». τεκμήρια γοῦν τοιαῦτα παρέχων ἐπὶ τοῦ θανάτου, ἄφετος αὐτὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἀναχώρησιν ἐποιεῖτο. εἶτα δὲ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ληφθέντος πρὸς τῶν γνωρίμων καὶ τῇ προσηκούσῃ παραδοθέντος ταφῇ, τριταῖος αὖθις ἀπελάμβανε τοῦτο αὐτὸς ὁ πρὶν ἀναχωρήσας ἑκών. καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἔνσαρκον, ἔνσωμον αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον οἷος καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἦν τοῖς οἰκείοις μαθηταῖς δείκνυσιν, οἷς καὶ ἐπὶ βραχὺ ὁμιλήσας καί τινα συνδιατρίψας χρόνον, ἄνεισιν ὅθεν καὶ παρῆν, ὑπ' ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς πορείαν καὶ ἄνοδον