Twelve breastpiece stones; construction of oracle; why ‘oracle of judgments’
Cyril: …four-rowed stone.’ Then having composed the names of the stones, he adds again, ‘And the stones will be from the names of the sons of Israel twelve, according to their names, engravings of seals of each according to their names will be unto the twelve tribes.’ (Exodus 28:17–21) And next after a few: ‘And Aaron will take,’ (1 Corinthians 13:12) he says, ‘the names of the sons of Israel upon the oracle of the judgment, upon the chest when entering into the Holy, a memorial opposite Lord God.’ (Exodus 28:29)
Palladius: How deep the matter of the oracle, and altogether hard-to-reach even the manner of the construction seems to me to be.
Cyril: So then one must go upon them, and as very near the truth, even if the steepness does not perhaps allow to reach it altogether. For to see the very unclear things even at least in a mirror, I myself would say differs from the other—I mean from not having been thought at all. So then I will say, as possible and as I would have according to mind. He has ordered two little shields to come to be from pure gold, broader than according to a circle of a coin, yet in the same form; for circular is the coin; then two tassels mixed in flowers from pure gold. And we say the tassels are chains, having the sight as in colors having been varied. For he said flowers the colors. And linen then was also purple these, and a golden thread, and indeed also hyacinth, and the scarlet twist. And in addition to this at least he says a square weave must come to be, and as in form of a cube, span-measured, equal-sided everywhere. And he says the twelve stones must be woven in it very well, and lying three each, as in four whole rows with the tribes having been carved in them by name. So then from the shoulder-piece, the little shields having been hung with golden and many-formed chains were sitting under gently, seeming both high and to be upon the shoulders themselves. And they were touching the chests and already were hanging upon the breasts themselves; and from at least the little shields with other chains the oracle of the judgments well fastened was floating upon the chest, with tassels having been hung. And the matter was not unmarvelous for those seeing, translucent with stones and gold and with the good-colors of the other materials having been worked all-gloriously. And this again will be unto remembrance for the sons of Israel, opposite Lord when Aaron enters into the Holy. So then is the shape of the craft-works clear for you as possible now?
Palladius: And very much. And instead of what then the name oracle of the judgments for the craft-work?
Cyril: For have we not also said etymologizing that the upper has been called shoulder-piece, through having been stretched upon both shoulders?
Palladius: Yes. What then is this at least?
Cyril: That again etymologically and proportionally the as (Exodus 28:13–21)
Greek
λίθον τετράστιχον.» Εἶτα τῶν λίθων συνθεὶς τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν, προσεπάγει πάλιν, «Καὶ οἱ λίθοι ἔστωσαν ἐκ τῶν ὀνομάτων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ δώδεκα, κατὰ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν, γλυφαὶ σφραγίδων ἑκάστου κατὰ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἔστωσαν εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλάς.» Καὶ ἑξῆς μετ' ὀλίγα· «Καὶ λήψεται,» φησὶν, «Ἀαρὼν τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ τοῦ λογίου τῆς κρίσεως, ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους εἰσιόντι εἰς τὸ Ἅγιον, μνημόσυνον ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὡς βαθὺ τοῦ λογίου τὸ χρῆμα, δυσέφικτός τε κομιδῆ καὶ αὐτὸς εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ τῆς κατασκευῆς ὁ τρόπος.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἰτέον δὴ οὖν ἐπ' αὐτὰ, καὶ ὡς ἀγχοῦ δὴ μάλα τῆς ἀληθείας, εἰ καὶ μὴ εἰσάπαν αὐτῆς ἐφικέσθαι τυχὸν ἐπιτρέπει τὸ ἄναντες. Τὰ γάρτοι λίαν ἀσυμφανῆ κἂν γοῦν ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ βλέπειν, φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε θατέρου διενεγκεῖν, τοῦ μηδ' ὅλως ἐννενοῆσθαι λέγω. Ἐρῶ δὴ οὖν, ὡς οἷόν τε καὶ ὡς ἂν ἔχοιμι κατὰ νοῦν. Ἀσπιδίσκας δύο προστέταχε γενέσθαι ἐκ χρυσίου δὴ καθαροῦ, εὐρυτέρας μὲν ἢ κατὰ νομίσματος κύκλον, ἐν εἴδει γε μὴν τῷ αὐτῷ· κυκλοτερὲς γὰρ τὸ νόμισμα· εἶτα δύο κροσσωτὰ μεμιγμένα ἐν ἄνθεσιν ἐκ χρυσίου καθαροῦ. Σειρὰς δὲ εἶναί φαμεν τὰ κροσσωτὰ, ἐκπεποικιλμένην ἐχούσας τὴν ὡς ἐν χρώμασιν ὄψιν. Ἄνθη γὰρ ἔφη τὰ χρώματα. Βύσσος δὲ ἦν ἄρα καὶ πορφύρα ταυτὶ, καὶ νῆμα χρυσοῦν, καὶ μὴν καὶ ὑάκινθος, καὶ κλῶσμα τὸ κόκκινον. Καὶ πρός γε δὴ τούτῳ χρῆναι γενέσθαι φησὶ τετράγωνον ὕφασμα, καὶ ὡς ἐν εἴδει κύβου, σπιθαμιαῖον, ἰσόπλευρον πανταχῆ. Ἐνυφαίνεσθαι δὲ δεῖν αὐτῷ τὰς δυοκαίδεκα λίθους εὖ μάλα φησὶ, καὶ ἀνὰ τρεῖς κειμένας, ὡς ἐν τέσσαρσιν ὅλοις στίχοις ἐντετορευμένων αὐταῖς ὀνομαστὶ τῶν φυλῶν. Οὐκοῦν ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἐπωμίδος, χρυσαῖς καὶ πολυειδέσιν αἱ ἀσπιδίσκαι σειραῖς ἐκκεκρεμασμέναι ὑπεκάθηντο μέντοι ἠρέμα, τὸ ὑψοῦ τε δοκεῖν καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς εἶναι τοῖς ὤμοις. Ἥπτοντο δὲ τῶν στέρνων καὶ αὐτοῖς ἤδη ἐπῃώρηντο τοῖς μαστοῖς· ἀπὸ δέ γε τῶν ἀσπιδισκῶν σειραῖς ἑτέραις τὸ τῶν κρίσεων λόγιον εὖ μάλα προσηρτημένον ἐπενήχετο τῷ στέρνῳ, κροσσωτῶν ἐκκεκρεμασμένων. Καὶ ἦν οὐκ ἀθαύμαστον τοῖς ὁρῶσι τὸ χρῆμα, λίθοις καὶ χρυσῷ διαφανὲς καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἑτέρων ὑλῶν εὐχροίαις πανδόξως ἐξειργασμένον. Ἔσεσθαι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν εἰς ἀνάμνησιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, ἔναντι Κυρίου εἰσιόντος Ἀαρὼν εἰς τὸ Ἅγιον. Ἆρά σοι σαφὲς ὡς ἔνι λοιπὸν τῶν τεχνημάτων τὸ σχῆμα;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ μάλα. Ἀνθ' ὅτου δὲ δὴ τὸ λόγιον τῶν κρίσεων ὄνομα τῷ τεχνήματι;
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἐπωμίδα κεκλῆσθαι τὸ ἀνωτέρω, διὰ τὸ ἀμφοῖν ἐπιτετᾶσθαι τοῖν ὤμοιν, ἐτυμολογοῦντες εἰρήκαμεν;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ναί. Τί οὖν τοῦτό γε;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὅτι πάλιν ἐτύμως τε καὶ ἀναλόγως τὸ ὡς
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.