The blue robe: incorruption from above
Cyril: …before the Lord on his breast continually’ (Exodus 28:30).
Palladius: True.
Cyril: He orders that a vestment be made, fit for a priest and worthy of admiration, saying: ‘And you shall make a full-length robe, all of blue. Its opening for the head shall be in the middle of it, with a border all around the opening, woven work, the joining woven together from the same piece, so that it may not be torn. And beneath the hem of the robe, below, you shall make little pomegranates like those of a pomegranate in bloom, of blue and purple and spun scarlet and twisted fine linen, beneath the hem of the robe all around. Of the same pattern as the pomegranates, golden bells between them all around: beside each pomegranate a golden bell and a flower, on the hem of the robe all around. And when Aaron ministers, its sound shall be heard as he goes into the holy place before the Lord and as he comes out, so that he may not die’ (Exodus 28:31–35). By ‘full-length robe’ he clearly means a long tunic, well suited to cover the body, reaching from the neck itself to the tips of the feet. It is of blue because this is a symbol of the incorruption from above, that is, of Christ. For the inspired David too proclaimed something of this kind beforehand, speaking as in the person of God about those who serve as priests in the churches: ‘Her priests I will clothe with salvation’ (Psalm 132:16). And the wise Paul writes to us, ‘Put on our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 13:14). And this, I think, is our dwelling from heaven, which we long to put on (2 Corinthians 5:2), the tunic of gladness, the garment of salvation, as the prophet says (Isaiah 61:10). It has been clearly stated that the color blue is a figure of heaven. This account is true when it is applied to ourselves, for we have been clothed with the incorruption from above. But if Christ himself should be understood as the one wearing the full-length robe, as in the person of Aaron, our account is no less true. For the Only-begotten, being God by nature, makes his own body incorruptible; and, clothing it with the life from above, he set it entirely beyond the greed of death. That incorruption and life are in Christ by nature, and not by participation, you will understand from this as well. For, as one who is God by nature, he said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (John 11:25). But as one who is given life in respect of his humanity, he says, ‘For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself’ (John 5:26). So even if Christ himself is understood as the one said to be clothed with the incorruption from above, the interpretation would not stray from what is fitting. On the lower parts are pomegranates and bells, set alternately: the pomegranates woven in, and the bells of gold, so that they would truly ring out well, and, when Aaron hurries into the Holy of Holies, would make his entrance very noticeable. This too is a symbol of the saving and wise dispensation; I mean of the divine Gospel…
Greek
ἔναντι Κυρίου ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους αὐτοῦ διὰ παντός.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἱεροπρεπὲς δέ τι καὶ ἀξιάγαστον ἄμφιον κατασκευάζεσθαι δεῖν ἐπιτάττει λέγων· «Καὶ ποιήσεις ὑποδύτην ποδήρη, ὅλον ὑακίνθινον, καὶ ἔσται τὸ περιστόμιον ἐξ αὐτοῦ μέσον, ὤαν ἔχων κύκλῳ τοῦ περιστομίον, ἔργον ὑφάντου, τὴν συμβολὴν συνυφασμένην ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ῥαγῇ. Καὶ ποιήσεις ὑπὸ τὸ λῶμα τοῦ ὑποδύτου κάτωθεν, ὡσεὶ ἐξανθούσης ῥόας ῥοΐσκους ἐξ ὑακίνθου, καὶ πορφύρας, καὶ κοκκίνου διανενησμένου, καὶ βύσσου κεκλωσμένης, ὑπὸ τοῦ λώματος τοῦ ὑποδύτου κύκλῳ. Τὸ αὐτὸ εἶδος τοῖς ῥοΐσκοις, καὶ κώδωνας χρυσοῦς ἀναμέσον τούτων περικύκλῳ παρὰ ῥοΐσκον χρυσοῦν κώδωνα, καὶ ἄνθινον ἐπὶ τοῦ λώματος τοῦ ὑποδύτου κύκλῳ. Καὶ ἔσται Ἀαρὼν ἐν τῷ λειτουργεῖν ἀκουστὴ ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ, εἰσιόντι εἰς τὸ Ἅγιον ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξιόντι, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ.» Ὑποδύτην μὲν οὖν καὶ ποδήρη, χιτῶνα μακρὸν, εὐφυᾶ τε πρὸς περιστολὴν, καὶ τὸν ἐκ δειρῆς αὐτῆς εἰς ἄκρους ἰόντα πόδας, ὀνομάζει σαφῶς· ἐξ ὑακίνθου δὲ, ὅτι τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀφθαρσίας σύμβολον, τουτέστι Χριστοῦ. Τοιουτονὶ γάρτοι καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Δαβὶδ προαναπεφώνηκε λέγων ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἱερουργούντων· «Τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτῆς ἐνδύσω σωτηρίαν.» Ἐνδύσασθε τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ ὁ σοφὸς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλει Παῦλος. Καὶ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἔστι τὸ οἰκητήριον ἡμῶν τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ὃ ἐπιποθοῦμεν ἐνδύσασθαι, ὁ τῆς εὐφροσύνης χιτὼν, τὸ ἱμάτιον τοῦ σωτηρίου, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου φωνήν. Οὐρανοῦ δὲ τύπος τὸ χρῶμα τὸ ὑακίνθινον εἴρηται σαφῶς. Καὶ ἀληθὴς μὲν ὁ λόγος, ὡς ἐφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν. Περιβεβλήμεθα γὰρ ἀφθαρσίαν τὴν ἄνωθεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς νοοῖτο Χριστὸς, ὡς ἐν Ἀαρὼν τὸν ποδήρη τὸν ὑποδύτην ἔχων, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἡμῖν ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος Θεὸς γὰρ ὢν κατὰ φύσιν ὁ Μονογενὴς, ἄφθαρτον ἀποτελεῖ τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα, καὶ ζωῇ τῇ ἄνωθεν περιβαλὼν αὐτὸ, τῆς τοῦ θανάτου πλεονεξίας ἐτίθει που πάντως ἐν ἀμείνοσιν· ὅτι γὰρ φυσικῶς τε ἅμα καὶ ἀμεθέκτως ἐν Χριστῷ καὶ ἀφθαρσία καὶ ζωὰ, συνήσεις κἀντεῦθεν. Ἔφη μὲν γὰρ ἅτε δὴ καὶ ὑπάρχων κατὰ φύσιν Θεὸς, «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή.» Ζωοποιούμενος δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, «Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ,» φησὶν, «ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτω καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ δέδωκε ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ.» Οὐκοῦν κἂν εἰ αὐτὸς νοοῖτο Χριστὸς, ὁ ἀφθαρσίαν τὴν ἄνωθεν περιβεβλῆσθαι λεγόμενος, οὐχὶ τοῦ πρέποντος ἐξοίχοιτο ἂν ὁ λόγος. Πρὸς δέ γε δὴ τοῖς κάτω τυχὸν μέρεσι, ῥοΐσκοι καὶ κώδωνες παραλλάσσοντες τὰ ἐγκείμενα· καὶ ῥοΐσκοι μὲν ὡς συνυφασμένοι, χρυσοῖ δὲ οἱ κώδωνες· ὡς ἂν εὔηχοί τε εἶεν κατὰ τὸ ἀληθὲς, καὶ μὴν καὶ εἰσθέοντος Ἀαρὼν εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, ἐπισημοτάτην αὐτοῦ ποιῶνται τὴν εἰσδρομήν. Σύμβολον δὲ καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τῆς σωτηρίου καὶ σοφῆς οἰκονομίας, φημὶ δὴ τοῦ θείου τε καὶ εὐαγγελικοῦ