Kohathites and the veiled holy of holies
On the word Do not let the tribe of the Kohathite clans be destroyed from among the Levites: the Lord answers Moses and Aaron lest the Kohathites die when they draw near the holy of holies. By the letter: when camp is broken, Aaron and his sons first cover the holy things with veils; only then do Kohath’s sons lift on their shoulders what priestly hands have wrapped. To touch the bare holy things would be destruction. Rise to the Spirit: Moses knew the true circumcision, knew that the true Passover is Christ, knew true sabbaths — yet veiled them under bodily figures. He handed on the holy of holies covered, to be carried. So in the church we bend the knee, pray toward the east, and perform the rites of eucharist and baptism: all must do them, though the reason is not open to all; we carry what is veiled on our shoulders while we fulfill them.
Latin
De eo quod scriptum est: nolite disperdere de tribu sua populum Caath de medio Levitarium. Dominus Moysi et Aaron respondet ne Caathitae moriantur cum accedunt ad sancta sanctorum. Secundum litteram: cum castra moventur, Aaron et filii eius prius operiunt sancta sanctorum velaminibus; deinde filii Caath humeris portant quae sacerdotes texerunt. Nuda sancta contingere exterminium esset. Ascende ad spiritum: Moyses sciebat veram circumcisionem, verum pascha Christum, vera sabbata, sed corporalibus figuris velabat. Sancta sanctorum cooperata tradidit portanda. In ecclesia genua flectimus, ad orientem oramus, eucharistiae et baptismatis ritus gerimus — omnes facere necesse est, ratio non omnibus patet; operta in humeris portamus dum implemus.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia V on Numbers (Rufinus’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–3.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII (GCS 30, 1921), Rufinus’s Latin of Homilia V. Scheck FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Homilia V §§1–3 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII = GCS 30 (1921) (Latin · Homilia V §§1–3)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.