Jonah sign = resurrection; almond rod = watchfulness; lamp oil and twelve loaves begin
Cyril: …being able to finish without toil and easily every one of the things beyond the likely and word, was saying to those asking the sign: ‘This generation is wicked; it asks a sign, and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster three days and three nights, so will the Son of the human be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.’ (Matthew 12:39–40) So then a truly famous and conspicuous sign, and sufficient unto faith for those at least truly well-minded, that the Son is God according to nature and has been born from God Father, is the abolishing of death and corruption, and blooming again toward life. ‘For he himself has become firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep, and firstborn from the dead.’ (1 Corinthians 15:20) And the sign has been given to the sons of the disobedient, that they might know that by vote of God and Father Christ has become high priest upon us, ‘holy, without-evil, undefiled, having been separated from the sinners, and having become higher than the heavens,’ (Colossians 1:18) according to what has been written.
Palladius: But Aaron’s rod has blossomed for us; for this just now the sacred word has shown us; and it blossomed almonds; and what then the riddle is, I am not able to think.
Cyril: Especially, O Palladius, nothing unlikely to suspect that the rod has been taken from an almond-tree. And it was in custom for the ancients to use also such scepters. And if indeed we must also fit a word fitting the contemplations, I would say again that which has somehow been noised about, and seems to some also acceptable as in faith, that the almond rod is not unable to produce sleeplessness, if it should lie toward someone’s head, perhaps somehow working the matter by natural powers according to God’s will. And the one knowing all things, and Craftsman of the wholes, will somehow also confirm us unto this saying toward Jeremiah: ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ (Psalm 3:5) And he saying ‘An almond staff’ (Leviticus 24:2–5); and then toward this God: ‘You have seen uprightly,’ he says, ‘because I am awake upon my words, to do them.’ (Hebrews 7:26) So then the almond rod would reasonably be thought a symbol of sleeplessness. And as a waking from sleep has come to be the living-again of Christ from dead ones. Therefore also through the Psalmist’s lyre he says: ‘I lay down and slept, I was raised, because Lord has taken hold of me.’ (Jeremiah 1:11–12)
Palladius: True is the word.
Cyril: And concerning lamp and table, the one at least in the first tent, it has been written again thus: ‘And Lord spoke toward Moses saying: Charge the sons of Israel, and let them take pure oil, crushed unto light, to burn a lamp continually, outside the veil in the tent of the testimony; and Aaron and his sons will burn it from evening until morning before Lord continually, an age-long lawful thing unto your generations. Upon the pure lampstand you will burn the lamps opposite Lord until unto the morning. And you will take fine flour, and you will make it twelve
Greek
πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν ὑπέρ γε τὸ εἰκὸς καὶ λόγον ἀποπεραίνειν ἀμογητὶ καὶ εὐκόλως δυνάμενος, τοῖς τὸ σημεῖον αἰτοῦσιν ἔφασκεν· «Ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη πονηρά ἐστι· σημεῖον αἰτεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ, εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.» Οὐκοῦν διαβόητον ἀληθῶς καὶ περιφανὲς σημεῖον, καὶ ἀρκοῦν εἰς πίστιν τοῖς γε ὡς ἀληθῶς εὐγνώμοσι, τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν εἶναι Θεὸν καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς πεφυκέναι τὸν Υἱὸν, τὸ καταργῆσαι τὸν θάνατον καὶ φθορὰν, καὶ ἀναθάλαι πρὸς ζωήν. «Γέγονε γὰρ αὐτὸς ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων, καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν.» Καὶ δέδοται τὸ σημεῖον τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνηκόων, ὡς ἂν εἰδεῖεν ὅτι ψήφῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἀρχιερεὺς γέγονεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς, «ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος,» κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀλλ' ἐξήνθησε μὲν ἡμῖν ἡ ῥάβδος ἡ Ἀαρών· τουτὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀρτίως ὁ ἱερὸς ὑπέδειξε λόγος· ἐξήνθησε δὲ κάρυα· καὶ τί δὴ τὸ αἴνιγμα, νοεῖν οὐκ ἔχω.
{ΚΥΡ.} Μάλιστα μὲν, ὦ Παλλάδιε, τὸ ἀπεικὸς οὐδὲν, ἐκ καρύας εἰλῆφθαι τὴν ῥάβδον ὑπονοεῖν. Καὶ ἦν ἐν ἔθει τοῖς πάλαι τὸ καὶ τοιοῖσδέ τισιν ἀποκεχρῆσθαι σκήπτροις. Εἰ δὲ δὴ καὶ λόγον ἡμᾶς ἐφαρμόσαι δεῖ τὸν τοῖς θεωρήμασι πρέποντα, φράσαιμ' ἂν ἐκεῖνο πάλιν, ὃ ἐκτεθρύλληταί πως, δοκεῖ δὲ εἶναί τισι καὶ ὡς ἐν πίστει δεκτὸν, τὸ μὴ ἀνικάνως ἔχειν τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν καρυΐνην ἀϋπνίαν ἐμποιεῖν, εἰ πρός γε τὸ κάρα κέοιτό τινων, τάχα που δυνάμεσι φυσικαῖς ἐνεργοῦσαν τὸ χρῆμα κατὰ θέλησιν Θεοῦ. Πιστώσεται δέ πως εἰς τοῦτο ἡμᾶς καὶ αὐτὸς λέγων πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν ὁ πάντα εἰδὼς, καὶ τῶν ὅλων Δημιουργός· «Τί σὺ ὁρᾷς, Ἱερεμία; «Ὁ δὲ, Βακτηρίαν» λέγων «καρυΐνην· καὶ δὴ πρὸς τοῦτο Θεός; «Ὀρθῶς ἑώρακας,» φησὶν «ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐγρήγορα ἐπὶ τοὺς λόγους μου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτούς.» Ἀϋπνίας οὖν ἄρα σύμβολον νοοῖτ' ἂν εἰκότως ἡ ῥάβδος ἡ καρυΐνη. Γρηγόρησις δὲ ὥσπερ ἐξ ὕπνου γέγονεν ἡ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Ψάλλοντος λύρας φησίν· «Ἐγὼ ἐκοιμήθην καὶ ὕπνωσα, ἐξηγέρθην, ὅτι Κύριος ἀντελάβετό μου.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος.
{ΚΥΡ.} Λύχνου δὲ καὶ τραπέζης πέρι, τῆς ἔν γε τῇ πρώτῃ σκηνῇ, γέγραπται πάλιν ὡδί· «Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωσῆν λέγων· Ἔντειλαι τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ λαβέτωσαν ἔλαιον καθαρὸν, κεκομμένον εἰς φῶς, καῦσαι λύχνον διαπαντὸς, ἔξωθεν τοῦ καταπετάσματος ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου· καὶ καύσουσιν αὐτὸ Ἀαρὼν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ ἑσπέρας ἕως πρωῒ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ἐνδελεχῶς, νόμιμον αἰώνιον εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν. Ἐπὶ τῆς λυχνίας τῆς καθαρᾶς καύσετε τοὺς λύχνους ἐναντίον Κυρίου ἕως εἰς τὸ πρωΐ. Καὶ λήψεσθε σεμίδαλιν, καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτὴν δώδεκα
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 10 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 10 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 5 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 10)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 10)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.