Incense altar = Christ; incorrupt body; horns = cross; apostles as carriers
Cyril: …of the veil that is upon the ark of the testimony, in which I will be known to you there as God; and Aaron will burn upon it compound thin incense in the morning, morning; when he overshadows the lamps, he will burn upon it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he will burn upon it incense of continuity through all before the Lord unto their generations. And you will not bring up upon it another incense; a fruit of sacrifice, and a drink-offering you will not pour upon it. And Aaron will propitiate upon it upon its horns, once of the year from the blood of the cleansing of the sins of the propitiation. Once of the year he will cleanse it unto their generations; it is Holy of holies to the Lord.’
Palladius: Will we then also receive this unto a type of Christ?
Cyril: Very much so, O Palladius. For it is true that the matter is his honored and deep mystery; it would show also very easily to those who have chosen to busy themselves with such things thinly and with a file. For it had been made from unrotting woods, and had been entirely anointed with gold. For the body of Christ is incorruptible, and enriched in itself with the divine nature; ‘For the Word became flesh, and tented among us.’ And Christ is our firstfruit, and a root of the race being remade unto incorruption through the union toward God, even if the matter should be understood exceptionally upon him. And horns for the altar, and as hands stretched out, and pre-molding the shape of the honored cross. And if someone should say the horns are four, it wrongs nothing, at least unto understanding uprightly for the one loving to learn. For the altar happening to be square and equal-sided everywhere, the sight of the horns is equal from every side; and what is the word of this? For in every place Christ is known, and this one crucified; and this is a bright boast for those who believe unto him. And indeed the divine Paul, ‘And for me may it not become to boast, except in the cross of Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.’ And there has been added to the craft the things finishing unto adornment—a twisted crown; for truly ‘Fair in beauty beside the sons of humans’ is Emmanuel. And the things unto need for it have also been brought on—the carriers and the rest. For the divine altar needed to be carried in the world according to the times of the breakings-camp. And the divine disciples were also doing this, carrying Christ around through the preaching both seemly and according to order, as servants of God and stewards of mysteries of Christ. ‘And you will set,’ he says, ‘the altar opposite the veil that is upon the ark of the testimonies, in which I will be known to you from there.’
Palladius: Then what is the necessary also of the places themselves, I think, that have been ordered?
Cyril: How deep the word, and very dim; yet I will say as is possible, trusting God who also makes wise
Greek
τάσματος τοῦ ὄντος ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, ἐν οἷς γνωσθήσομαί σοι ἐκεῖ Θεός· καὶ θυμιάσει ἐπ' αὐτοῦ Ἀαρὼν θυμίαμα σύνθετον λεπτὸν τὸ πρωΐ, πρωΐ· ὅταν ἐπισκιάζῃ τοὺς λύχνους, θυμιάσει ἐπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὅταν ἐξάπτῃ Ἀαρὼν τοὺς λύχνους τὸ ὀψὲ, θυμιάσει ἐπ' αὐτοῦ θυμίαμα ἐνδελεχισμοῦ διὰ παντὸς ἔναντι Κυρίου εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν. Καὶ οὐκ ἀνοίσεις ἐπ' αὐτῷ θυμίαμα ἕτερον· κάρπωμα θυσίας, καὶ σπονδὴν οὐ σπείσεις ἐπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐξιλάσεται ἐπ' αὐτοῦ Ἀαρὼν ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ, ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τοῦ ἐξιλασμοῦ. Ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καθαριεῖ αὐτὸ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν· Ἅγιον τῶν ἁγίων ἐστὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εἰς τύπον ἄρα Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦτο παραδεξόμεθα;
{ΚΥΡ.} Πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ὦ Παλλάδιε. Ἀληθὲς γὰρ ὅτι τὸ χρῆμά ἐστι, τὸ τίμιον αὐτοῦ καὶ βαθὺ μυστήριον ἐνδείξ[ει]εν ἂν καὶ μάλα ῥᾳδίως τοῖς γε ᾑρημένοις τὰ τοιάδε πολυπραγμονεῖν ἰσχνῶς τε καὶ κατεῤῥινημένως. Πεποίητο μὲν γὰρ ἐκ ξύλων ἀσήπτων, χρυσῷ δὲ ὅλον ἀλήλ[ε]ιπτο. Ἀδιάφθορον γὰρ τὸ σῶμα Χριστοῦ, καὶ φύσιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν θείαν καταπλουτοῦν· «Γέγονε γὰρ σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν.» Ἀπαρχὴ δὲ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ῥίζα τοῦ γένους ἀνακτιζομένου πρὸς ἀφθαρσίαν διὰ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἑνώσεως, εἰ καὶ ἐξαιρέτως ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ χρῆμα νοοῖτο. Κέρατα δὲ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ, καὶ οἱονεὶ χεῖρες ἐκπεπετασμέναι, καὶ τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ τὸ σχῆμα προαναπλάττοντα. Εἰ δὲ δὴ τέτταρά τις εἶναι λέγοι τὰ κέρατα, ἀδικοῦν οὐδὲν, εἴς γε τὸ νοεῖν ὀρθῶς τὸν φιλομαθῆ. Τετραγώνου τε γὰρ καὶ ἰσοπλεύρου πανταχῆ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τυγχάνοντος, ἴση πανταχόθεν τῶν κεράτων ἡ θέα· καὶ τίς ὁ τοῦδε λόγος; ἐν παντὶ γὰρ τόπῳ Χριστὸς γινώσκεται, καὶ οὗτος ἐσταυρωμένος· αὔχημα δὲ τοῦτο λαμπρὸν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτόν. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, «Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ.» Πρόσκειται δὲ τῷ τεχνήματι, τὰ τελοῦντα πρὸς κόσμον, στεφάνη στρεπτή· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθῶς «Ὡραῖος κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων» ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ. Ἐπενήνεκται δὲ καὶ τὰ εἰς χρείαν αὐτῷ, οἱ ἀναφορεῖς τε καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Φέρεσθαι γὰρ ἐν κόσμῳ κατὰ τοὺς τῶν ἀναζεύξεων καιροὺς τὸ θεῖον ἔδει θυσιαστήριον. Ἔδρων δὲ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταὶ, Χριστὸν περιφέροντες διὰ τοῦ κηρύγματος εὐσχημόνως τε καὶ κατὰ τάξιν, ὡς Θεοῦ διάκονοι καὶ οἰκονόμοι μυστηρίων Χριστοῦ. «Θήσεις δὲ,» φησὶ, «τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἀπέναντι τοῦ καταπετάσματος τοῦ ὄντος ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τῶν μαρτυρίων ἐν οἷς γνωσθήσομαί σοι ἐκεῖθεν.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εἶτα τί τὸ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ χώρων αὐτῶν οἶμαι, τῶν τεταγμένων;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὡς βαθὺς μὲν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ἀμυδρὸς ἄγαν ἐρῶ δὲ ὡς ἔνι, Θεῷ πίσυνος τῷ καὶ αὐτοὺς σοφοῦντι
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 9 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 9 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 5 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 9)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 9)
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.