Wash before holy things; laver from fasting women’s mirrors
Cyril: …signify. And to us who have practiced this it is allowed both to enter into the more inward tent, and to bring forward spiritual sacrifices to God, and as in an order of incense to consecrate somehow the good smell of the Gospel way of life. And he usefully recommends that those wanting to drive into the Holies of holies, and caretakers of the holy works, must wash off, that they may not die. For it is a slippery and truly damaging matter to draw near to God not having been cleansed. Therefore also wise Paul enjoins us, if we should wish to share the mystical blessing, to prove ourselves, and thus thereafter to come forward. And that the careless in these things is also full of danger, he uncovers saying: ‘Because of this many among you are weak and sick, and enough sleep. For if we were judging ourselves, we would not be judged. And being judged by the Lord, we are trained, that we may not be condemned with the world.’ (1 Corinthians 11:28–32)
Palladius: So then it has been fitted that the holy laver was showing beforehand for us the grace through holy baptism.
Cyril: Thus it holds; for do not hesitate altogether. And having looked around at the manner of its construction, you will be, I think, even more amazed. For it has been written thus concerning Bezalel, who crafted the things in the tent: ‘This one made the bronze laver, and its base bronze, from the mirrors of the women who fasted, who fasted beside the doors of the tent of the testimony, on which day he pitched it… as the Lord arranged for Moses.’ (Exodus 38:8)
Palladius: And what is the matter of the mirrors? And who then also are the ones who fasted?
Cyril: Many of the things that have become do not have a clear narration in the divine Scripture. Yet it is somehow signified from a running-by, just as indeed also this in hands. For where, or who have fasted when the holy tent was raised, Moses has not spoken. Yet that it has become, one would not hesitate; for it has been said, even if not clearly. But having set this aside, let us go upon that, if it seems good.
Palladius: What sort?
Cyril: Of what would the women who have fasted be unto a type? And what is the molding of the bronze laver from the mirrors?
Palladius: And indeed, yours already somehow also to say this.
Cyril: Hear already; Those from Israel have served idols, having endured the slavery under the Egyptians, and living through with those ones’ laws, they have finished long times. So then a custom of Egyptians especially for women is to go into temples, arranged in linen clothing, and consecrated in a priest-fitting way with a mirror in the left and a sistrum in the right, who
Greek
τὸ καθαρὸν καὶ ἀκίβδηλον ὑποσημαίνουσιν. Τουτὶ δὲ ἡμῖν ἐξησκηκόσιν, ἐφεῖται μὲν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν σκηνὴν, προσκομίζειν δὲ τῷ Θεῷ θυσίας πνευματικὰς, καὶ ὡς ἐν τάξει θυμιαμάτων τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς πολιτείας καθιεροῦν οἱονείπως τὴν εὐοσμίαν. Παρεγγυᾷ δὲ χρησίμως ἀπονίζεσθαι δεῖν τοὺς εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων εἰσελαύνειν ἐθέλοντας, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ἔργων ἐπιμελητὰς, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωσιν. Χρῆμα γὰρ ἐπισφαλὲς καὶ ἐπιζήμιον ἀληθῶς, τὸ ἐγγίζειν Θεῷ μὴ κεκαθαρμένους. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ σοφὸς ἡμῖν ἐπισκήπτει Παῦλος, εἰ τῆς μυστικῆς εὐλογίας μεταλαχεῖν ἐθέλοιμεν, ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζειν, προσιέναι τε οὕτω λοιπόν. Πρᾶγμα δὲ ὅτι καὶ κινδύνου μεστὸν τὸ ἀτημελὲς ἐν τούτοις, ἐκκαλύπτει λέγων· «Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄῤῥωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί. Εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα. Κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Κυρίου, παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἄραρεν οὖν ὅτι τὴν διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος ὁ ἱερὸς ἡμῖν λουτὴρ προκατεδείκνυε χάριν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὧδε ἔχει· μὴ γὰρ ἐνδοιάσῃς ὅλως. Καὶ τόν γε τῆς τούτου κατασκευῆς περιαθρήσας τρόπον, κατατεθηπὼς ἂν, οἶμαι, καὶ ἔτι μειζόνως ἔσῃ. Γέγραπται γὰρ ὡδὶ περὶ τοῦ Βεσελεὴλ, τοῦ τὰ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τετεχνουργηκότος· «Οὗτος ἐποίησε τὸν λουτῆρα τὸν χαλκοῦν, καὶ τὴν βάσιν αὐτοῦ χαλκῆν, ἐκ τῶν κατόπτρων τῶν νηστευσασῶν, αἳ ἐνήστευσαν παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἔπηξεν αὐτήν. Καὶ ἐποίησε τὸν λουτῆρα, ἵνα νίπτωνται ἐξ αὐτοῦ Μωσῆς τε καὶ Ἀαρὼν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς πόδας, εἰσπορευομένων αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου, οἳ ὅταν προσπορεύωνται εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, λειτουργεῖν, ἐνίπτοντο ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ συνέταξεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Μωσῇ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ τί τῶν κατόπτρων τὸ χρῆμα; τίνες δὲ ἄρα καὶ αἱ νηστεύσασαι;
{ΚΥΡ.} Πολλὰ τῶν γεγενημένων σαφῆ μὲν οὐκ ἔχει παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ τὴν ἀφήγησιν. Σημαίνεται δέ πως ἐκ παραδρομῆς, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ τόδε τὸ ἐν χερσί. Ποῦ γὰρ, ἢ τίνες νενηστεύκασι τῆς ἁγίας ἐγηγερμένης σκηνῆς, οὐ λελάληκεν ὁ Μωσῆς. Ὅτι δὲ γέγονεν, οὐκ ἐνδοιάσαι τις ἄν· εἴρηται γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ σαφῶς. Ἀλλὰ τουτὶ δὴ μεθέντες, ἐπ' ἐκεῖνο ἴωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Τὸ ποῖον;
{ΚΥΡ.} Τὰ νενηστευκότα γύναια τίνος ἂν εἶεν εἰς τύπον; τί δὲ τὸ ἐκ τῶν κατόπτρων τὸν λουτῆρα πλάττεσθαι τὸν χαλκοῦν;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ μὴν, σὸν ἤδη πως καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἄκουε δή· Λελατρεύκασιν εἰδώλοις οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, τὴν ὑπὸ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἀνατλάντες θητείαν, καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνων διαβιοῦντες νόμοις, μακροὺς διατετελέκασι χρόνους. Ἔθος τοίνυν Αἰγυπτίων μάλιστα γυναιξὶν, εἰσφοιτᾷν ἱεροῖς, λινῇ μὲν ἐσθῆτι κατεσταλμέναις, κατόπτρῳ δὲ τὴν ἀριστερὰν, καὶ σείστρῳ τὴν δεξιὰν ἱεροπρεπῶς κατεστεμμέναις, αἳ ὅτι
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 9 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 9 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 9)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 9)
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.