Clay vessels broken; wood washed; spring clean; wet seed unclean
Palladius: How?
Cyril: For if into a clay vessel something of the unclean should fall, it will be broken; and if into wooden or garment or skin, it will be washed in water and unclean until evening. And a spring and a cistern of a gathering of water will be clean; and the one touching their carcass unclean until evening. And if of their carcasses should fall upon every seed being sown, clean it is; and if water should be put upon seed, and of their carcasses should fall upon it, unclean it is for you.
Palladius: And what the word of these?
Cyril: Clay vessels easily broken signal those easily corrupted unto uncleanness and not enduring washing; wooden and skins those able to be washed and restored. Spring and cistern of living gathering stay clean—type of baptismal and ecclesial waters not defiled by contact-accident. Dry seed stays clean if carcass falls; wetted seed becomes unclean—type of the mind already soaked in passion receiving pollution (Leviticus 11:33–38).
Greek
μαίων αὐτῶν, καὶ εἰ ἐπαφῷτό τις μόνον, ἀκάθαρτον ἔσεσθαί φησιν, οὔτε, τὸν μετασχόντα τῆς ἐκείνων νεκρότητος, μώμου καὶ γραφῆς ἀπαλλάττων, οὔτε μὴν ἀναίτιον εἶναι λέγων, καὶ εἰ ἀγχοῦ τις ἴοι καὶ πλησιαζόμενος. Χρῆναι γὰρ οἶμαι νηφαλέως ἀποφοιτᾷν, οὐχὶ δήπου μόνης τῆς πρὸς φαύλους ταυτοεργίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συνιέναι μόνον. «Ὁ γὰρ ἁπτόμενος πίσσης, μολυνθήσεται,» φησί. Καὶ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος· ὅτι δὲ εἰς ἠθῶν ποιότητα τὰ ἐκ τῶν παραδειγμάτων χρήσιμα τῷ νόμῳ παρείληπται, ἀναμάθοι τις ἂν ἐκ τῶν ἐπενηνεγμένων. Ἔφη γὰρ πάλιν· «Καὶ οὐ μὴ βδελύξεσθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἑρπετοῖς τοῖς ἕρπουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οὐ μιανθήσεσθε ἐν τούτοις, καὶ οὐκ ἀκάθαρτοι ἔσεσθε ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν.» Ὁποῖον γὰρ ἂν ἐποίησε μολυσμὸν τῇ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχῇ, τὸ ἐκτεθνάναι ζῶον, καὶ τοῦ τεθνεῶτος ἀποθίγειν; Τί γὰρ ἂν ἠδίκησε βρῶσις, ἡ εἰς κοιλίαν χωροῦσα καὶ ἐκπεμπομένη πρὸς ἀφεδρῶνα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνήν;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Οὐδὲν, ὡς ἐγῷμαι· νοεῖς γὰρ ὀρθῶς.
{ΚΥΡ.} Χρῆναι δὴ οὖν ἔγωγέ φημι, κατὰ τοὺς τῶν πλωτήρων εὐτεχνεστάτους, πάντα σείοντας κάλων, ἔξω φέρεσθαι μολυσμῶν, ἠρεμαῖαν δὲ ὥσπερ ἀκτὴν καὶ ἀκύμονα πρὸς τὴν Θεῷ φιλαιτάτην εἰσελαύνειν ζωήν. Προσιτὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν οὐχ ἑτέρως ἢ οὕτως ἂν γένοιτο καὶ μόνως, ἀληθὲς δὲ ὅτι τὸ χρῆμά ἐστιν, ἀταλαίπωρον ἰδεῖν. Γέγραπται γὰρ πάλιν ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ· «Καὶ Μωσῆς ἦν ποιμαίνων τὰ πρόβατα Ἰοθὸρ τοῦ γαμβροῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἱερέως Μαδιὰμ, καὶ ἤγαγε τὰ πρόβατα ὑπὸ τὴν ἔρημον· καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὸ ὅρος Χωρήβ. Ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐν πυρὶ φλογὸς ἐκ τοῦ βάτου, καὶ ὁρᾷ ὅτι ὁ βάτος καίεται πυρὶ, ὁ δὲ βάτος οὐ κατεκαίετο. Εἶπε δὲ Μωσῆς· Παρελθὼν ὄψομαι τὸ ὅραμα τὸ μέγα τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐ κατακαίεται ὁ βάτος. Ὡς δὲ εἶδε Κύριος ὅτι προσάγει ἰδεῖν, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν ὁ Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ βάτου, λέγων· Μωσῆ, Μωσῆ· ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Τί ἐστιν; Ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Μὴ ἐγγίσῃς ὧδε, λύσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου· ὁ γὰρ τόπος, ἐν ᾧ σὺ ἕστηκας, γῆ ἁγία ἐστί.» Συνίης οὖν ὅπως οὐκ ἂν ἀγχοῦ γένοιτό τις τοῦ πανάγνου Θεοῦ, μὴ οὐχὶ πάντα ῥύπον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προαπονίζων ψυχῆς· νεκρότητος δὲ ἁπάσης τῆς ὡς ἐν πράγμασι νοουμένης, ἀπολύων τὸν πόδα, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τὴν εἰς τὰ πρακτέα βάδισιν νοητήν; Ἢ γὰρ οὐχὶ τὸ ὑπόδημα, νεκροῦ ζώου λείψανον;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
{ΚΥΡ.} Τύπος οὖν ἄρα νεκρότητος τὸ χρῆμά ἐστιν, ἣν εἴπερ τις ἀποφορτίσαιτο, τὰ δι' ὧν ἂν ἐξοίχοιτο διαῤῥήξας δεσμὰ, ἥξει τε ἀγχοῦ καὶ οἰκεῖος ἔσται Θεῷ, καὶ πρός γε τὸ σώζειν ἑτέρους δύνασθαι λοιπὸν, ἐπιτηδείως ἔχων. Προσεχειρίζετο γοῦν ὁ Μωσῆς εἰς ἀποστολὴν, καὶ πρὸς ἐκλύτρωσιν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Ἱερὸς δὲ ἡμῖν ὑποπεφώνηκε λόγος· «Υἱὲ, ἐὰν σοφὸς γένῃ, σεαυτῷ σοφὸς ἔση καὶ τῷ πλησίον σου.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ λέγεις.
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 14 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 14 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 14 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 14)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 14)
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.