On Pascha · §1.2

The name of the Passover

For since on this feast the people come out from Egypt, it is accordingly called phas, that is, crossing. Now the name itself cannot be spoken in Hebrew through the Greek tongue. The Greeks cannot say phas with the heavier breathing the Hebrews use. So the name was Hellenized. In the prophets it is said phasek. When it has been more fully Hellenized, it has been named pascha.

Greek

Ἐπεὶ [γ]ὰρ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ [ἑο]ρτῇ ὁ λαὸς ἐξ Α[ἰγύπτου] ἐξ[έρχε]ται, ἀκολούθως φ[ας] κα[λ]εῖ[ται, τοῦτ' ἔσ]τιν διάβασ[ις]. Οὐχ οἵ[ου] τε οὖν ὄντος διὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος φωνῆς [α]ὐτὸ ἑβραϊκῶς λ[έγεσ]θαι τὸ ὄνομα, [οὐ] δυναμ[ένων Ἑλ]λήνων π[α]ρὰ τὸ μὴ ἰ[σχύειν τ]ῇ δασείᾳ τ[ῇ] παρ' Ἑβρα[ίοις] με[ί]ζονι λέγειν φας, ἐξηλ[λη]νίσθη τὸ ὄνομα, καὶ ἐν μ[ὲν τ]οῖς προφήταις φασὲκ [εἴ]ρηται, τελειοτέρω[ς] δὲ ἐξελληνισθὲν πάσχα ὠνόμασται.