The ephod’s emerald stones, an image of heaven
Cyril: …of the shoulder pieces, which is on it, shall be of one piece with it in its workmanship, of gold and blue and purple and spun scarlet and twisted fine linen’ (Exodus 28:8). Having given the woven work the material already named, he goes straight on: ‘And you shall take the two stones, emerald stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six names on the one stone and the remaining six names on the second stone, according to their birth. As the work of the stonecutter’s craft, as the engraving of a seal, you shall engrave the stones with the names of the sons of Israel. And you shall set the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod; they are stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel’ (Exodus 28:9–12).
Palladius: The meaning in these contemplations runs deep, it seems. But first try to tell me this: what is the thing called the ephod, and how would it have been made?
Cyril: He commanded that a woven garment be made, shaped like a tunic and reaching down to the chest, laid over the garments beneath it, those worn next to the skin that reach to the feet, so that, flashing with the gleam of gold and purple, it might stir in the eyes of those who saw it a wonder both august and fitting for holy things. He called it the ephod, that is, the shoulder piece, because, I think, the work was short and barely stretched across both shoulders. On this ephod, then, he plainly prescribed that two stones be set, stones of emerald, bound very tightly with fine threads, with the names of the tribes skilfully engraved on them, so that six were written on one stone. And the reason for this he himself made plain to us when he said: ‘And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel before the Lord on his two shoulders, a remembrance for them’ (Exodus 28:12).
Palladius: And what, once again, shall we take the stones and what is on them to signify?
Cyril: Listen, then. The emerald is a pale stone. Deep within it something bright swims, and light is blended, as it were, with darkness, each drawing the victory toward itself against the other. Well then, Palladius, when the bodily eye looks up to the heights above and strains into the depths toward the upper air and heaven, will it not meet with just such a sight? For the uppermost air, very high above, is pale, I think, dark as it were in its depths, and mingled with a moderate light.
Palladius: That is so.
Cyril: So holy Scripture makes the stone an image of heaven. And do not be surprised when it likens heaven, in turn, to sapphire; for sapphire too is pale, and not far from the look of emerald. It is written thus in Exodus: ‘And Moses went up, and Aaron, and Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the place where the God of Israel stood; and what was under his feet was like a work of sapphire stone, and like the appearance of the firmament of heaven in its purity’ (Exodus 24:9–10).
Greek
ἐπωμίδων, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπ' αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν ποίησιν, ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔσται ἐκ χρυσοῦ καὶ ὑακίνθου καὶ πορφύρας καὶ κοκκίνου διανενησμένου καὶ βύσσου κεκλωσμένης.» Ὕλην δὲ τοῖς ὑφάσμασι δοὺς τὴν ἤδη προειρημένην, εὐθὺς ἐπιφέρει· «Καὶ λήψῃ τοὺς δύο λίθους, λίθους σμαράγδους, καὶ γλύψεις ἐν αὐτοῖς τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ἓξ ὀνόματα περὶ τὸν λίθον τὸν ἕνα, καὶ τὰ ἓξ ὀνόματα τὰ λοιπὰ ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τὸν δεύτερον, κατὰ τὰς γενέσεις αὐτῶν, ἔργον λιθουργικῆς τέχνης· γλύμμα σφραγίδος διαγλύψεις τοὺς λίθους ἐπὶ τοῖς ὀνόμασι τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ θήσεις τοὺς δύο λίθους ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων τῆς ἐπωμίδος· λίθοι μνημόσυνόν εἰσι τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Βαθὺς μὲν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς θεωρήμασι λόγος· πειρῶ δὲ πρότερον ἐκεῖνο εἰπεῖν, τί τὸ χρῆμα τῆς ἐπίκλην ἐπωμίδος, ἢ ποῖον ἂν ἔχοι τῆς κατασκευῆς τὸν τρόπον.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὕφασμά τι χιτῶνος ὡς ἐν εἴδει καὶ μέχρι στέρνου διῆκον γενέσθαι προστέταχεν, ὡς αὐτοῖς ἔσω τε καὶ ὡς ἐν χρῷ καὶ μέχρι ποδῶν ἐσθήμασιν ἐπενηνεγμένου, καὶ τὴν ἐκ χρυσοῦ καὶ πορφύρας ἀπαστράπτων αὐγὴν, τοῖς τῶν θεωμένων ὀφθαλμοῖς σεπτόν τε καὶ ἱεροπρεπὲς ἐντέκοι τὸ θαῦμα. Τοῦτο κέκληκεν ἐπωμίδα, διὰ τὸ, οἶμαι, βραχὺ τοῦ τεχνήματος, καὶ τὸ ἀμφοῖν δὴ μόλις ἐπιτάννυσθαι τοῖν ὤμοιν. Ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ οὖν τῇ ἐπωμίδι δύο λίθους, σμαράγδου δὲ αὗται, κλώσμασιν ἰσχνοῖς εὖ μάλα διεσφιγμένας ἐνερείδεσθαι δεῖν διετύπου σαφῶς, ἐνορωρυγμένων εὐτέχνως ὀνομαστὶ τῶν φυλῶν, ὡς ἓξ ἐν μιᾷ γράφεσθαι λίθῳ. Καὶ τίς ὁ τοῦδε λόγος, αὐτὸς ἡμῖν διεσάφει λέγων· «Καὶ λήψεται Ἀαρὼν τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἔναντι Κυρίου ἐπὶ τῶν δύο ὤμων αὐτοῦ, μνημόσυνον περὶ αὐτῶν.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Νομιοῦμεν δὲ τί διά τε τῶν λίθων καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑποδηλοῦσθαι πάλιν;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἄκουε δή· ὠχρὰ μὲν λίθος ἡ σμάραγδος. Ἐννήχεται δὲ αὐτῇ τὸ αὐγοειδὲς ἐν βάθει, καὶ οἱονεὶ σκότῳ συγκέκραται φῶς· ἑκατέρου πρὸς ἑαυτὸ τὸ νικᾷν ἀνθέλκοντος. Ἆρ' οὖν, ὦ Παλλάδιε, πρὸς τὸ ὑψοῦ τε καὶ ἄνω βλέπων ὁ τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ κατατείνας εἰς τὸ βαθὺ πρὸς αἰθέρα καὶ οὐρανὸν, οὐχὶ τοιᾷδέ τινι προβαλεῖ θεωρίᾳ; ὠχρὸς γάρ που καὶ ὡς ἐν βάθει μέλας, καὶ φωτὶ μετρίῳ συμμιγὴς, ὁ ἀνωτάτω λίαν αἰθήρ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὧδε ἔχει.
{ΚΥΡ.} Εἰκόνα δὴ οὖν οὐρανοῦ τὴν λίθον ποιεῖται τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερόν. Καὶ μή τοι θαυμάσῃς ὅτε καὶ σαπφείρῳ παρεικάζει πάλιν αὐτόν. Ὠχρὰ γὰρ ἡ σάπφειρος, καὶ τῆς ἐν σμαράγδῳ θέας οὐ μακράν. Γέγραπται δὲ οὕτως ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ, «Καὶ ἀνέβη Μωσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ Ναδὰβ, καὶ Ἀβιοὺδ, καὶἑβδομήκοντα τῆς γερουσίας Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ εἶδον τὸν τόπον οὗ εἱστήκει ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ ἔργον λίθου σαπφείρου, καὶ ὥσπερ εἶδος στερεώματος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τῇ καθαρότητι.»