Law, tabernacle, priesthood in the wilderness
And in the wilderness Moses received from God the Law — the ten commandments written by the finger of God on tablets of stone (in the Holy Spirit), and then the statutes of the Law and the judgments he ordered the children of Israel to keep. (Ex 31:18; Dt 9:10; finger of God)
And at God’s command he made the tabernacle, a visible work on earth after the pattern of what is spiritual and invisible in heaven — a figure of the Church and a prophecy of things to come. (Ex 25:40; Heb 8:5) It held the vessels, the altars, and the ark with the tablets.
He also appointed priests — Aaron and his sons — and entrusted the priesthood to their whole house: they were of Levi’s line. (Ex 28:1) By God’s order he set that same tribe to serve in the worship of God’s temple. He gave them the Levitical law to show the qualities and conduct required of those continually occupied in ministry in God’s house.
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About this text
Irenaeus’s short handbook of the apostolic preaching (Epideixis), preserved in Armenian. English here is a densified reading translation for study. Prior English exists (Robinson / Wilson) — this is not an Original English Translation.
English follows the Armenian of Patrologia Orientalis XII.5. Barthoulot’s French was used as a sense-check only. Robinson (1920) and Wilson’s prior English exist and were checked for independence — this page is densified English, not Original English Translation / no-previous-English.
Witnesses
- Copy-text PO XII.5 Epideixis (Armenian, Matenadaran M3710) (Armenian · §§1–10)
- Checked print Barthoulot French (PD) (French · §§1–10)
- Prior English Check Robinson 1920 / Wilson English (English · full work (prior complete English exists))
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.