Stay in tent = firmness in holiness; eighth day Moses yields to Aaron
Cyril: What sort of manner at least upon each of the sacrifices has come to be, a word sufficient for us has shown very well. Therefore leaving off thin-speaking at least in these, let us go upon this. The law does not allow those who have enriched a sacred and choice lot, and already perfected unto needing to priest, to be carried somewhere outside the holy tent, but unto a seventh day to sit within, and all but nails them to the doors, not overstepping the threshold, setting the sitting in holy places as a symbol, I think somehow, of firmness and remaining of the in sanctification. For we must be fixed-through and hold unshaken unto virtue necessarily, we who at least have been ordered to sit-near God, not going outside of the fitting manner and running out of a priest-fitting mind; but near as always and dwelling beside God, according at least to what has been said through a prophet’s voice: ‘Seeking seek, and beside me dwell.’ (Leviticus 8:33–35) And unto seven days Moses ordered to do this; and that in every season one must sit-near God… concerning your sin, and your whole-burnt-offering, and propitiate concerning yourself, and your house, and do the gifts of the people, and propitiate concerning them, just as Lord commanded.’ Thin, O Palladius, casting the mind into the sacred Letters you will observe very well also in this the mystery of Christ clear.
Palladius: In what manner?
Cyril: For on an eighth day Moses as it were ceases from the priesting. And Aaron at least begins, (Leviticus 9:1–7) (Leviticus 8:35) (Leviticus 9:1)
Greek
Ὁποῖος μὲν οὖν ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ τῶν θυσιῶν γέγονε τρόπος, ἀποχρῶν ἡμῖν εὖ μάλα διέδειξε λόγος. Τοιγάρτοι μεθέντες τὸ ἔν γε τούτοις ἰσχνομυθεῖν, ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἴωμεν. Οὐκ ἐφίησιν ὁ νόμος τοὺς ἱερὸν καὶ ἀπόλεκτον καταπλουτήσαντας κλῆρον, τετελειωμένους τε ἤδη πρὸς τὸ ἱερᾶσθαι δεῖν, ἔξω που φέρεσθαι τῆς ἁγίας σκηνῆς, ἀλλ' εἰς ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν εἴσω τε καθίζειν, καὶ μονονουχὶ προσηλοῖ ταῖς θύραις, οὐχ ὑπεραίροντας τὸν οὐδὸν, τὴν ἐν τόποις ἁγίοις κάθισιν σύμβολον, οἶμαί που, τιθεὶς ἑδραιότητος καὶ διαμονῆς τῆς ἐν ἁγιασμῷ. Διερηρεῖσθαι γὰρ δεῖ καὶ ἀκλονήτως ἔχειν εἰς ἀρετὴν ἀναγκαῖον ἡμᾶς, τοὺς οἵγε τετάγμεθα προσεδρεύειν Θεῷ, οὐκ ἔξω φοιτῶντας τοῦ καθήκοντος τρόπου καὶ γνώμης ἐκτρέχοντας ἱεροπρεποῦς· ἀγχοῦ δὲ ὥσπερ ἀεὶ καὶ οἰκοῦντας παρὰ Θεῷ, κατά γε τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ φωνῆς προφήτου· «Ζητῶν ζήτει, καὶ παρ' ἐμοὶ οἴκει.» Εἰς ἑπτὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἡμέρας ποιεῖν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Μωσῆς· τὸ ἐν παντὶ δὲ χρῆναι καιρῷ Θεῷ προσεδρεύειν ἐπείγεσθαι, τοῦ ἑπτὰ σημαίνοντος, οἱονεὶ γάρ πως τὸ διόλου καὶ διὰ παντὸς φησίν. Εἴσω δὲ ὄντας σκηνῆς ἐντέλλεται τηρεῖν τὰ φυλάγματα Κυρίου, τῆς παρὰ Θεῷ προσεδρείας καρπὸν, τὸ εὐπειθὲς ὑποφαίνων, καὶ τὸ δρᾷν ἐθέλειν ἅπερ ἂν ἕλοιτο νομοθετεῖν. Προσεδρευτέον ὧδε τῷ πάντων Δεσπότῃ, πρὸς αὐτό που τὸ λοῖσθον τῶν κακῶν τῆς ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς ῥᾳθυμίας ἐκτελευτώσης ἀεί· προσεπήνεγκε γὰρ ὁ Μωσῆς ταύτῃ τοι, καθάπερ ἐγᾦμαι, τὸ, «Ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνητε.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὀρθῶς ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τετελειωμένος δὲ ἤδη πρὸς ἱερουγρίαν ὁ Ἀαρὼν ἄρχεται πληροῦν τὰ νενομισμένα. Καὶ τίνα δὴ τρόπον, φέρε δὴ λέγωμεν. Γέγραπται γὰρ πάλιν ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ· «Καὶ ἐγενήθη τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ἐκάλεσε Μωσῆς Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν γερουσίαν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς πρὸς Ἀαρών· Λάβε σεαυτῷ μοσχάριον ἐκ βοῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ κριὸν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα, ἄμωμα, καὶ προσένεγκε αὐτὰ ἔναντι Κυρίου. Καὶ τῇ γερουσίᾳ Ἰσραὴλ λάλησον, λέγων· Λάβετε χίμαρον ἐξ αἰγῶν ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ μοσχάριον, καὶ ἀμνὸν ἐνιαύσιον εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, ἄμωμα, καὶ μόσχον, καὶ κριὸν εἰς θυσίαν σωτηρίου ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ σεμίδαλιν πεφυραμένην ἐν ἐλαίῳ, ὅτι σήμερον Κύριος ὀφθήσεται ἐν ὑμῖν. Καὶ ἔλαβον, καθὸ ἐνετείλατο Μωσῆς ἀπέναντι τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ προσῆλθεν πᾶσα συναγωγὴ, καὶ ἔστησαν ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς· Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα, ὃ εἶπε Κύριος, ποιήσατε, καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἐν ὑμῖν ἡ δόξα Κυρίου. Καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς τῷ Ἀαρών· Πρόσελθε πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ποίησον τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας σου, καὶ τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμά σου, καὶ ἐξίλασαι περὶ σεαυτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου, καὶ ποίησον τὰ δῶρα τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἐξίλασαι περὶ αὐτῶν, καθάπερ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος.» Λεπτὸν, ὦ Παλλάδιε, τοῖς ἱεροῖς Γράμμασι τὸν νοῦν ἐνιεὶς περιαθρήσεις εὖ μάλα κἀν τῷδε διαφανὲς τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Τίνα τρόπον;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ ὀγδόῃ καταλήγει μὲν ὥσπερ τοῦ ἱερᾶσθαι Μωσῆς. Ἄρχεταί γε μὴν ὁ Ἀαρὼν,
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 11 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 11 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 11 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 11)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 11)
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.