Levites coworkers; bishops/presbyters/deacons typed; separate Levi census
Cyril: …Levites have been distributed as somehow coworkers and as it were helpers for the sacred-workers, for they will keep his watches—clear that of Aaron—and all the vessels of the tent of the witness, and the keepings of the sons of Israel. And unto these is the manner of their coworking. And he sets upon the tent both Aaron and the sons with him, and ‘They will keep,’ (Numbers 3:14–17) he says, ‘their own priesthood and all according to the altar, and the inward of the veil,’ (Hebrews 3:6) that is the unspeakable and more mystical things, and as many as it is custom for those sitting-near the divine altar to do; and purely as unto Christ is the type, whom the Father set upon his house, of which house we are. And not unclearly would those priesting-with Aaron mark the holy and admirable chorus of the holy apostles, as it were coworking and co-liturgizing with Christ. For they have become coworkers of God, stewards and managers of mysteries of God, and indeed also ministers, through whom we have believed. And if someone should choose also to investigate carefully the order of the Church, the pre-typing in law, he would reasonably marvel. For to bishops, as those allotted then to lead, and indeed to those managing upon the middle rank—presbyters I mean—the altar has been entrusted, and the things inside the veil, for whom it would also be fitting to be said: ‘And they will keep their priesthood’ (1 Corinthians 3:9); and to deacons at least the, ‘They will keep the watches of the tent, and all its vessels, and the keepings of the people.’ (1 Corinthians 4:1) Or do not they themselves order crying out in churches, sometimes that peoples must hymn what is fitting, and stand in good-order, and often be quiet, and they raise unto prayers, and with the bloodless sacrifice being finished, they themselves bring near the more sacred of the vessels, and make fine oversight upon all the necessary things?
Palladius: And very much.
Cyril: So then those outstanding priest, and the Levites take-part-with of the order of the church priesthood, with the legal writing pre-voicing. And the popular is shut out from every sacred deed, and the word concerning the last things has been hung upon those snatching the honor. For he will die, he says, if some volunteer should come upon it, not having the divine vote upon himself.
Palladius: True.
Cyril: So then unarranged with the enrollments of the others is the Levitical, yet enrolled specially and in a book of God; ‘For the Lord spoke,’ (Numbers 18:7) he says, ‘toward Moses in the desert Sinai saying: Visit the sons of Levi according to houses of their patriarchies, according to their peoples, according to their kinships. Every male from a month-old and upward, visit them; and Moses and Aaron visited them through a voice of Lord, in which manner the Lord arranged for them. And these were the sons of Levi from their names, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; these the names of the
Greek
Λευῗται, συνεργάται τρόπον τινὰ καὶ οἱονεὶ συλλήπτορες τοῖς ἱερουργοῖς ἐκνενέμηνται, φυλάξουσι γὰρ τὰς φυλακὰς αὐτοῦ, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τοῦ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ τὰ φυλάγματα τῶν υἱῶν. Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ μέχρι τούτων αὐτοῖς τῆς συνεργείας ὁ τρόπος. Ἐφίστησι δὲ τῇ σκηνῇ τόν τε Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ, καὶ «Φυλάξουσι» γὰρ, φησὶ, «τὴν ἱερατείαν ἑαυτῶν καὶ πάντα κατὰ τὸν βωμὸν, καὶ τὰ ἐσώτερα τοῦ καταπετάσματος,» τοῦτ' ἔστι τὰ ἀπόῤῥητά τε καὶ μυστικώτερα, καὶ ὅσα δρᾷν ἔθος τοὺς τῷ θείῳ προσεδρεύοντας θυσιαστηρίῳ· καὶ ἔστι μὲν ἀκραιφνῶς ὡς εἰς Χριστὸν ὁ τύπος, ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ Πατὴρ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, οὗ οἶκός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς. Κατασημήνειαν δ' οὐκ ἀσυμφανῶς οἱ τῷ Ἀαρὼν συνιερατεύοντες, τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων τὸν ἐναγῆ τε καὶ ἀξιάγαστον χορὸν, συνεργαζομένων ὥσπερ καὶ συλλειτουργούντων τῷ Χριστῷ. Θεοῦ γὰρ γεγόνασι συνεργοὶ, ταμίαι τε καὶ οἰκονόμοι μυστηρίων Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴν καὶ διάκονοι, δι' ὧν πεπιστεύκαμεν. Εἰ δέ τις ἕλοιτο καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὴν τάξιν πολυπραγμονεῖν, τὴν ἐν νόμῳ προανατύπωσιν, καταθαυμάσειεν ἂν εἰκότως. Ἐπισκόποις μὲν γὰρ, ἅτε δὴ τότε καθηγεῖσθαι λαχοῦσιν, καὶ μὴν τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν μείω διέπουσι τάξιν, πρεσβυτέροις δέ φημι, πεπίστευται τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ τὰ ἔσω τοῦ καταπετάσματος, οἷς ἂν πρέποι καὶ λέγεσθαι· «Καὶ φυλάξουσι τὴν ἱερατείαν αὐτῶν·» διακόνοις γε μὴν, τὸ, «Φυλάξουσι τὰς φυλακὰς τῆς σκηνῆς, καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτῆς, καὶ τὰ φυλάγματα τοῦ λαοῦ.» Ἢ οὐκ αὐτοὶ προστάττουσι διακεκραγότες ἐν ἐκκλησίαις, ποτὲ μὲν ὑμνολογεῖν ὅτι προσήκει λαοῖς, καὶ ἐν κόσμῳ μὲν ἑστάναι, κατηρεμεῖν δὲ πολλάκις, καὶ διανιστᾶσιν εἰς προσευχὰς, καὶ τῆς ἀναιμάκτου θυσίας ἐπιτελουμένης, αὐτοὶ προσκομίζουσι τὰ τῶν σκευῶν ἱερώτερα, καὶ λεπτὴν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ποιοῦνται τὴν ἐπιτήρησιν;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ μάλα.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν ἱερατεύουσι μὲν οἱ προὔχοντες, συλλαμβάνονται δὲ οἱ Λευῗται τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἱερατείας τὴν τάξιν, τοῦ νομικοῦ προαναφωνοῦντος γράμματος. Ἐξείργεται δὲ τὸ δημοτικὸν παντὸς ἱεροῦ πράγματος, καὶ ὁ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐπήρτηται λόγος τοῖς ἁρπάζουσι τὴν τιμήν. Τεθνήξεται γὰρ, φησὶν, ἢν αὐτόμολός τις ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἔλθῃ, τὴν θείαν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ ψῆφον οὐκ ἔχων.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν ἀσύντακτον μὲν ταῖς τῶν ἄλλων ἀπογραφαῖς τὸ Λευϊτικόν, πλὴν ἀνάγραπτον ἰδικῶς καὶ ἐν βίβλῳ Θεοῦ· «Καὶ ἐλάλησεν» γὰρ, φησὶ, «Κύριος πρὸς Μωσῆν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Σινᾶ λέγων· Ἐπίσκεψαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Λευῒ κατ' οἴκους πατριῶν αὐτῶν, κατὰ δήμους αὐτῶν, κατὰ συγγενείας αὐτῶν. Πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν ἀπὸ μηνιαίου καὶ ἐπάνω, ἐπίσκεψαι αὐτούς· καὶ ἐπεσκέψαντο αὐτοὺς Μωσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν διὰ φωνῆς Κυρίου, ὃν τρόπον συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς Κύριος. Καὶ ἦσαν οὗτοι οἱ υἱοὶ Λευῒ ἐξ ὀνομάτων αὐτῶν, Γεδσὼν, Καὰθ, καὶ Μεραρί· ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 13 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 13 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 13 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 13)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 13)
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.