~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Sibylline Oracles, Translated from the Greek into English Blank Verse by Milton S. Terry; New York: Hunt & Eaton, Cincinatti: Cranston & Stowe’s, 1890; pp. 31-50.
BOOK I.
[32]CONTENTS OF BOOK I.
___________
THE SIBYLLINE ORACLES.
___________
BEGINNING with the earliest race of men,
Even to the latest, I will prophesy
Of all things past, and present, and to come
In the world through the wickedness of men,
5
And first, God bids me utter how the world
Came into being. And do thou declare,
O crafty mortal — prudently delare,
Lest ever thou disparage my commands —
How the celestial King, who made the world
10
And all things, said: Let it be, and it was.
For he the earth established, casting it
Round about Tartarus; and he gave forth
Although first in order, this book is doubtless one of the latest of the collection. It is obviously of Christian origin, and belongs probably to the third century A. D.
Line 3. Past, present, and to come. — The Sibyl’s pompous purpose is in painful contrast with the intrinsic value of her prophecy. This is quite characteristic of the pseudepigraphal prophecies generally.
Line 5. God bids me. — She claims to be the passive and helpless organ of a higher power. Comp. Book ii, 1-6; iii, 1-10.
Line 12. Tartarus, the prison of the Titans, here conceived as encompassed by the earth, and forming its interior. Hesiod (Theog., 720 ff) represents it as surrounded by a brazen fence and situated far beneath the earth as earth is beneath the heaven; it would require nine days and nights, he says, for an anvil to fall from heaven to earth, and as many more for it to fall from earth to Tartarus. Comp. Homer, Il., viii, 13-16. Virg., vi, 577-581. It will be seen in line 123 and elsewhere that Gehenna is regarded as a part of Tartarus or identical with it, and Hades (line 97) comprehends the abode of all the dead.
The soft sweet light, and raised the heaven on high,
And spread abroad the ocean’s blue expanse,
15
And crowned the pole with hosts of brilliant stars,
And decked the earth with plants, and mixed the sea
With rivers, and the air with vapors fused,
And watery clouds. And then another race
He put forth, fishes in the seas, and gave
20
Birds to the blowing winds, and to the woods
The shaggy beasts, and crawling dragons vile,
And all things whatsoever now are seen.
These made he by his word, and all was done
Quickly and well. For he as self-produced
25
Existed sole, and looked from heaven down;
And the world was complete. And then again,
He fashioned afterward a living work,
Man, after his own image, newly formed,
Beautiful, godlike, whom in Paradise
30
Ambrosial he assigned a dwelling-place,
Where elegant labors might become his care.
But in that verdant field of Paradise
He was alone; discourse he longed to hold,
And much desired another form to see
35
Like to himself. Then opened God his side
And from it took a bone, and made fair Eve,
His wedded spouse, and in that Paradise
Brought her to dwell with him. On her he gazed,
And a great admiration held his soul,
40
Being suddenly rejoiced to look upon
A pattern so exact. And with wise words
He answered, words that flowed spontaneously;
For God cares for all things. And neither lust
Obscured their minds, nor from a sense of shame
Line 29. Paradise. — Here referring to the Garden of Eden as described in Gen. ii, 8.
Were they clothed, but remote from evil hearts,
Even like beasts they walked with limbs exposed.
Then to them also God commandments gave,
And showed them that they must not touch the tree.
But the vile serpent led them off by guile.
50
To meet the doom of death, and to receive
Knowledge of good and evil. But the wife
First became traitress to him; she gave him,
And foolishly persuaded him to sin;
And he, persuaded by the woman’s words,
55
Forgetful of the immortal Maker grew,
And treated plain commandments with despite,
Therefore instead of good received he evil,
According to his deed. And then, the leaves
Of the sweet fig-tree sewing, they prepared
60
Garments for one another, and concealed
The sexual parts, because they were ashamed.
But on them the Immortal set his wrath,
And forth he cast them from the immortal field.
For it was now appointed unto men
65
To dwell upon the soil, since he kept not
The word of God, the Immortal, Mighty, High.
Then went they forth upon the fertile globe,
Moistened with tears and sobs, and God himself,
The Immortal, spoke these memorable words:
70
“Increase and multiply, and work on earth
With skillful hand, that by your toilsome sweat
Ye may receive sufficiency of food.”
Thus spoke he; but the author of deceit
Prone on the dusty earth he made to crawl,
75
And harshly banished; and dire enmity
He sent between them; this to save his head
Lines 49-51. Cited by Lact., Div. Inst., ii, 13, [L., 6, 325.]
Is watchful; man his heel; for death is near,
Neighbor of men and poisonous vipers sly.
And then the race was multiplied, as bade
80
Himself the almighty Ruler, and increased
One nation with another far and wide.
Houses of various sorts they reared aloft,
And cities and their walls they builded well
And wisely. And a long-continuing day
85
Was given them for the life they loved so much.
For they died not by grievous ills consumed,
But as o’ercome by sleep. Happy the men
Of great soul whom the immortal Saviour loved,
The King most high. But also they transgressed,
90
And gave themselves to folly; for bold-faced
They mocked their fathers, and their mothers shamed;
Acquaintances they knew not, and they met
Brothers with treason. Then became they vile,
And armed with helmets red with human gore
95
They also made wars; and upon them fell
The last calamity from heaven sent forth,
And took life’s fears away, and Hades then
Received them. Hades it was called where first
Adam arrived when he had tasted death
100
And earth had covered him on all sides round.
Therefore all earthborn men are said to go
Into the halls of Hades. But all these
Having arrived in Hades have received
Honor, for they to the first race belonged.
Line 84. Long-continuing day. — Reference to the remarkable longevity of the patriarchs as given in the genealogy of Gen. v.
Line 98. Hades — The conception of Hades here set forth, as the great receptacle of the souls of men after death, is in essential harmony with both the Jewish and the Christian doctrines. The derivation of the name from Adam is noticeable as a purely arbitrary conjecture. Comp. book iii, 30, note; comp. Plato’s explanation of the word in Cratylus.
But when these he had taken, then again
Of the surviving and most righteous men
Another race he formed, much varied, which displayed
Works pleasing, good, and fair, and high respect,
And thorough wisdom. They brought forward arts
110
Of all kinds, meeting difficulties with skill.
And one devised to till the land with plows,
Another worked in wood; one sailed the deep,
Another made a study of the stars;
Another practiced augury with birds;
115
Sorcery and magic arts were others’ care;
Others intently practiced other arts,
Watchful inventors, worthy of the name
Because within they held a sleepless mind.
Immense in body, and to look upon
120
Compact and huge were they, but they went down
Under Tartarean chambers terrible,
Held in strong chains to expiate their crimes
In the Gehenna of burning, quenchless fire.
And after these again appeared a race,
125
Mighty-souled, third race of perfidious men.
Fearful and many were the evil deeds
They wrought among themselves. And these by war
And carnage and calamity were slain.
Continually, having a haughty heart.
130
And from these afterward another race
Proceeded, late completed, fit for war,
Line 114. Augury. — Augurs were Roman priests who predicted the future from the flight and song of birds. See Cicero, de Divinatione i, 17; Livy, i, 36.
Line 125. Third race. — The successive races here mentioned appear to be in imitation of Hesiod’s ages or races of mankind. Hesiod applies to them the epithets of golden, silver, brass, and iron. See Works and Days, 108-190, and comp. Aratus, Phœnom., 100-134; Ovid, Met., i, 89-150; Juvenal, Sat., xiii, 27-30.
Murderous and rash; of the fourth race were they.
Much blood they shed, nor feared they God or man,
For fierce, excessive passion urged them on,
135
And impious wickedness. And they by wars,
Carnage, and strife were hurled to Erebus,
Wretched and impious men. Them that survived
The heavenly God himself in wrath removed
Out of his world, and in vast Tartarus
140
Cast down, beneath the bottom of the earth.
Again thereafter yet another race
Much worse than men he made, for whom no good
Will ever the immortal God prepare,
Since they wrought many evils. For they were
145
Wanton and violent beyond compare,
Giants perverse, uttering foul blasphemies.
Single among all men, most just and true,
Was Noah, faithful, and to all good works
Attentive. And to him the Lord himself
150
From heaven spoke these things: “Noah, be thou bold,
And preach repentance to the people all,
That they may all be saved. But they will not
Regard it, having souls devoid of shame,
And all the impious race will I destroy
153
With mighty floods of waters. But straightway
I bid thee from the non-imbibing root
An indestructible house of wood to build.
I will put understanding in thy heart,
And skill in art, and measurement, and space,
Line 136. Erebus. — The name of a deity of the lower world came to be used as a designation of the lower world itself. In Homer Erebus is conceived as the region between earth and Hades. See Iliad, viii, 368. Tartarus was still lower down. Comp. note on line 12.
Line 146. Giants — The mighty nephilim mentioned in Gen. vi, 4, whose wicked violence brought on the flood.
160
And in all things will I have anxious care
That thou be saved and all that with thee dwell.
Now I am he who is (and in thy heart
Meditate it); I clothe me with the sky
And cast the sea around me; and to me
165
Earth is a footstool. Round my form I pour
The air, and all around me dance the stars.
Nine letters have I, and four syllables.
Mark me: The first three have two letters each,
The other has the rest, and five are mutes.
170
Of the whole sum the hundreds are twice eight,
And thrice three tens, with seven. Know who I am
And be not unacquainted with my love.”
Thus he spoke, and a mighty trembling seized
Line 167. Nine letters. — The connection shows that the name intended must be some title or designation of the Creator, but no word has been discovered that fully meets the conditions of the puzzle. The nearest solution is found in the word ἀνέκφωνος. This word has nine letters, four syllables, and five mutes, or consonants. The first three syllables have two letters each, and the sum of all the letters taken at their numerical value is, 1,696. But the number stated in the text is twice 800, plus three times thirty (= 90) and seven = 1,697. Ἀνέκφωνος must also be supposed to be a shortened form for ἀνέκφωντος, used in ecclesiastical Greek writers to denote the unutterable name, Jehovah. Another name proposed is θεὸς Σωτἠρ, but an obvious objection is that we have here two words, not, as the text suggests, one word of four syllables. Besides, these letters amount to only 1,692. There is perhaps an error in the text. If for the words with seven (line 171) we read with two, the numerical difficulty of the last-named solution would be met; or if we read with six, then the word ἀνέκφωνος solves the problem. Comp. The similar puzzle in lines 383-387 of this same book and the well-known enigma of the number of the beast in Rev. xiii, 18. A like example is also found in Capella (book ii, 193), who thus addresses the sun: “Hail, thou veritable face and paternal countenance of God, eight and six hundred in number, whose first letter forms a sacred name, a surname and a sign;” which Kopp explains by the letters φρη (= 608), representative of the Egyptian name of the sun. Comp. also the designations of the Roman emperors in book v, 16, and following.
Him who heard such things, and then in his mind,
175
Having prepared each matter, he implored
The people and began with words like these,
“O men, filled with all unbelief and fallen
In madness great, ye will not hide from God
Whate’er ye do, for all things he beholds,
180
Immortal Saviour, all-surveying. He
Bade me exhort you that ye perish not.
Be sober, cease ye from your wicked deeds,
Nor fiercely fight, nor hold a murderous heart,
Nor moisten many a land with human gore.
185
Adore, O mortals, the supremely great
And fearless heavenly Maker, the great God,
Imperishable, whose dwelling is the sky;
And him let all entreat, for he is good;
Entreat him for the life of all the world,
190
Of cities and four-footed beasts and birds,
That unto all he may be merciful.
For when the whole vast world of men shall be
By waters ruined, ye’ll wail a dreadful song.
And suddenly to you the ambient air
195
Will be unsettled, and the wrath of God
Will come from heaven upon you; and be sure
On men the immortal Saviour it will send,
Unless God ye appease, and now repent,
And unto one another be no more
200
So petulant and wicked and unjust,
But with a holy life be fortified.”
But when they heard him each turned up his nose;
Line 175. Implored the people. — The O. T. narrative of the flood records nothing of Noah’s preaching, but in 2 Peter ii he is called a "preacher of righteousness" (comp. 1 Pet. iii, 20), and Josephus (Ant., i, iii, 1) confirms this tradition of the Jews. Comp. also Theophilus, ad Autol., iii, 19 [G., 6, 1.145].
They called him mad, a man with frenzy fired.
And then again did Noah sound this strain:
205
“O cowardly, vile-hearted, wavering men,
Forsaking reverence and loving shame,
Rapacious tyrants, violent transgressors,
Liars, filled with all unbelief, untrue,
Workers of evil, sly adulterers,
210
Flippant, and pouring slanders forth, the wrath
Of God ye do not fear, and ye are kept
To the fifth generation to atone.
Ye nowise weep, ye monsters, but ye laugh.
Sardonic smiles will ye laugh, let me say,
215
When God’s approaching fearful flood shall come;
When a pure race on earth the wave renews,
Springing perennial from the dry, dead roots;
In one night root and branch becomes unknown,
And cities with their people from the deep
220
The Earth-shaker scatters and their walls destroys.
And then the whole world of unnumbered men
Shall die. But how will I weep, how lament
In wooden house! How mingle tears with waves!
For if the waters at God’s word shall come,
225
Earth shall swim, hills swim, even air shall swim;
Water shall be all over, and all things
Shall be destroyed by waters. And the winds
Shall stand still, and a second age shall dawn.
O Phrygian, from the lofty water first
Line 214. Sardonic smiles. — Expression supposed to have originated from a Sardinian plant so bitter as to cause the face of the eater to writhe in pain, though he might attempt to laugh.
Line 220. Earth-shaker — In the Greek poets an epithet of Poseidon (Neptune), the god of the sea, here evidently applied to the God of Noah.
Line 229. Phrygian . . . first — Comp. the statement of Herodotus (ii, 2) that the Phrygians were the most ancient of mankind.
230
To go forth, thou another race of men
Shalt nourish up, as from another new
Beginning, and shalt be a nurse for all.”
But when he to that lawless generation
Had vainly spoken thus, then the Most High
235
Revealed himself, and called again, and said:
“The time has come, O Noah, to make known
Each thing, whatever daily I to thee
Have promised and decreed; to execute
In all the world, because of human guilt,
240
All things, whatever myriad wrongs were done
By former generations. But do thou
Make haste and enter with thy sons, and wife,
And their wives. Call as many as I bid,
The tribes of beasts and creeping things and birds,
245
And in the breasts of such as I ordain
To keep alive will I then straight impart
The prompt and willing mind to enter in.”
Thus he spoke; and he went and cried aloud.
And then his spouse and sons and their young wives
220
Entered the house of wood. And then straightway
Went every other thing, even as God willed.
But when the key was fitted to the lid,
Adjusted crosswise in its polished place,
Then was the will of the celestial God
255
Accomplished. Then he drove the gloomy clouds
Together, and concealed the sun’s bright disk,
And moon and stars and circle of the heavens,
Obscuring all things; and loud thunders rolled,
Terror of mortals, and the lightnings flashed;
260
And all the winds together were aroused,
And all the streams of waters were unloosed,
And from heaven opened mighty cataracts,
And earth’s recesses and the tireless deep
Disclosed their myriad waters, and the wide
265
Illimitable earth was covered o’er.
But that divine house floated with the storm,
And, tossed by many a furious wave and swept
By blast of winds along, rose fearfully.
But still the keel cut through the mass of foam,
270
While the loud-murmuring waters dashed around.
But when the whole world God had drowned with rains,
In Noah’s mind ’twas given to understand
The purpose of the Immortal; and he went
Sufficiently in Nereus. But straightway
275
The lid he lifted from the polished wall,
Where crosswise it was joined with skillful stays,
And, looking out upon the mighty mass
Of boundless waters, Noah’s eyes surveyed
Death all around. Fear seized him, and his heart
280
Quaked mightily. And then the wind was stayed
A little, for it had toiled many days
To wet the whole world; then it broke apart,
Disclosing, as if pale and stained with blood,
The great and fiery surface of the sky
285
Hard toil-worn. Noah difficultly held
His courage. And procuring then a dove,
He sent her forth alone to learn if the earth
Appeared yet solid; but with wearied wing
She flew around all things and returned again,
290
For the great water was not yet assuaged,
For greatly was it filling every place.
Line 269. Keel cut. — Comp. Homer, Iliad, i, 481.
Line 274. Nereus. — A sea-god dwelling in the bottom of the ocean, called in Homer (Iliad, i, 556) the “old man of the sea.” His daughters were nymphs of the sea and called Nereides. The Sibyl here declares that Noah went sufficiently far into the domain of this aged monarch of the deep.
But having rested other days, he sent
The dove again, to learn if yet had ceased
The many waters; and she flew afar
295
And went upon the earth, and having paused
To rest a little on the humid ground,
Again to Noah back she came, and bore
An olive-branch, the sign of tidings great.
Then was he full of boldness and great joy,
300
For earth he hoped to look upon again.
And thereupon another bird, black-winged,
He straight sent forth; and, trusting in his wings,
He promptly flew, and coming to the earth,
Remained there. Then knew Noah that the land
305
Was very near. But when the ark had tossed
Here and there on the furious waves, controlled
By skill divine, it swam o’er the sea’s surge,
And was made fast upon the narrow shore.
There is upon the Phrygian main-land dark
310
A steep, tall mountain, Ararat by name,
Because thereon all were to be restored;
And in it there is great and strong desire.
There the great river Marsyas draws his streams.
There the ark rested on the lofty height,
315
The waters ceasing. Then again from heaven
Uttered the holy voice of the great God
This word: “O rescued Noah, faithful, just,
Come boldly forth with thy sons and thy wife
And their three young wives, and fill all the earth,
320
Increasing, multiplying, rendering justice
Line 310. Ararat. — Comp. the legends of this mountain and the remains of the ark in Josephus, Ant., i, iii, 6.
Line 313. River Marsyas. — Two rivers of antiquity bear this name, one a branch of the Mæander in Asia Minor, the other a branch of the Orontes in Syria. Neither of these seems to meet the conditions of our text.
One to another, on from age to age,
Until to judgment all the race of men
Comes, for a judgment shall be unto all.”
Thus spoke the heavenly voice, and Noah rushed
325
As from his couch forth boldly on the earth,
And his sons with him, his wife, and their wives,
And creeping things, and birds, and quadrupeds;
And all else from the wooden house went forth
Into one place. And then, most just of men,
330
Went Noah forth, the eighth, having fulfilled
Upon the waters twice one hundred days
And one; such was the will of the great God.
Then a new age of life again appeared,
First golden, which was now the sixth and best
335
Since man was first formed; heavenly it was called,
Because in all things it had care toward God.
O prime race of the generation sixth!
O mighty joy which I shall then obtain
When I escape dire ruin, having been
340
Much tossed with mine espoused, and brothers-in-law,
And husband’s father and with husband’s mother,
And having suffered with the wives like me.
Now I will sing: a many-colored flower
Shall on the fig-tree bloom, and in mid-time
345
The royal power and scepter it shall show.
Line 331. Twice one hundred days. — From Gen. vii, 11, compared with Gen. viii, 13, 14, it appears that Noah must have been over a year in the ark.
Line 334. Sixth. — "The Erythræan Sibyl says that she lived in the sixth age after the flood," says Eusebius, Orat. ad Sanct., xviii [G., 20, 1285]. Here we note that she assumes to be a daughter-in-law of Noah. Comp. close of book iii.
Line 343. Many-coloured flower. — Here employed as an image of the fertility of the royal race of whom she is about to sing.
For three kings, great-souled and most just of men,
Shall show the lots and reign full many a year,
Awarding justice unto men, to whom
Labor and amiable deeds are dear.
350
And earth productive shall show many fruits
Spontaneous, and yield much corn for the race.
And then the nursing fathers, far apart
From cold dire plagues, shall not be growing old
All their days; they will die as cast in sleep,
355
And pass down to the Acheronian shores,
In Hades’ habitations, and down there
Shall they have honor. For they were a race
Of blessed ones, fortunate heroes, whom
The God of Sabaoth gave a noble mind;
360
And they shall ever in his counsels share.
And blessed shall they be, even though they come
To Hades. Then again rose fierce and strong
Another second race of earthborn men,
The Titans. Like in form were each and all,
365
In aspect, size, and nature; and their speech
Was one, like that which from the earliest race
God formerly implanted in their minds.
But these with haughty heart against the Highest
Took counsel, hastening to destruction on,
370
And waging war against the starry heaven.
Line 346. Three kings. — The three sons of Noah would seem to have been identified in the Sibyl’s thought with Kronos, Titan, and Japetus of the Greek mythology. Comp. book iii, 130.
Line 355. Acheronian. — Acheron was a river of the lower world. Virg. Æn., vi, 295.
Line 364. Titans. — Mythical sons of heaven and earth who figure much in Greek legend and poetry. See book iii, 130-185. Lactantius records a number of the legends and observes: “The truth of this history is taught by the Erythræan Sibyl, who says almost the same things, varying only in a few unimportant details.” Div. Inst. i, xiv [L., 6, 190].
And then would the great ocean’s flood have poured
Its maddened waters on them, but the great
Sabaoth checked and held it, though incensed,
For he had promised not to bring again
375
A deluge on malevolent mankind.
But when the many waters’ boundless flood,
Wave rolling here and there on wave, he made
From wrath to cease, the great high-thundering God
In other depths of ocean, less profound,
380
Marked off the land by harbors and rough shores.
* * * *
And then the Child of the great God to men
Shall come incarnate, being fashioned like
To mortals on the earth. And he shall bear
Four vowels, and the consonants in him
385
Two times are told; and the whole sum I name:
For eight ones, and as many tens to these,
And yet eight hundred will the name reveal
To men who are given up to unbelief.
Now do thou in thy heart consider Christ,
390
The Child of the immortal God most high;
He shall fulfill God’s law, and not destroy;
His image he shall bear, and teach all things.
To him shall priests come bearing gold and myrrh
And frankincense; for all things will he do.
395
But when a voice shall come through desert land
Line 381. The Child. — Jesus, whose name in Greek letters is indicated by the enigma which immediately follows. The sudden introduction of this reference to Jesus Christ makes it probable that a passage once immediately preceding it has fallen out of the text.
Line 384. Four vowels. — The name Jesus in Greek, Ἰησοῦς, contains four vowels and the consonant s twice told, and the numerical value of all the letters is 888. Comp. line 167, and note.
Line 395. A voice. — Comp. Isa. xl, 3; Matt. iii, 3.
Preaching to men, and all, with a loud cry,
Make straight the ways, and cast forth wickedness
Out of the heart, and let men’s bodies all
By water be illumined, that, being born
400
From above, they may never more at all
Turn from the righteous (now, won by the dance,
His head will one of barbarous mind cut off,
And give for a reward), then shall a sign
Suddenly be to men, when, guarded well,
405
From Egypt’s land shall come a beautiful stone,
At which the Hebrews shall be scandalized,
But nations shall be gathered, led by him,
For God who rules on high shall be made known
Through him, and a way in a common light.
410
For life eternal he’ll show men elect,
But for the lawless lasting fire prepare.
And then the sick will he heal, and all men
Worthy of blame, who will show faith in him.
Then shall the blind see, and the lame shall walk,
415
The deaf shall hearken, and the dumb shall speak,
Demons be cast out, and the dead be raised,
Billows he’ll walk, and in the desert place,
Line 399. Illumined. — An expression relating to Christian baptism quite common with the early fathers, many of whom understood the word φωτισθέντες in Heb. vi, 4, as referring to baptism. Justin Martyr, i Apol., lxi [G., 6, 421], says: “This washing is called illumination, inasmuch as those who learn these things have their understanding illuminated.” Cyril of Jerusalem wrote eighteen books of religious instruction, which are entitled Catechesis of the Illuminated [G., 33, 369-1060]. See also Apost. Const., viii, 8. For other references see Suicer, Thesaurus, under φώτισμα.
Line 401. Dance. — See Matt. xiv, 6-10.
Line 404. Guarded. — By God and angels, as told in Matt. ii.
Line 405. From Egypt’s land. — See Matt, ii, 13-15, 21. Stone. — Comp. Matt. xxi, 42, 44, and 1 Pet. ii, 4-8; Zech. iii, 9.
Line 409. Common light. — Comp. John i, 4-9.
From five loaves and a fish of the deep sea,
Will sate five thousand, and what then remains
420
Will fill twelve baskets for the virgin pure.
And then will Israel, drunken, not perceive,
Nor shall they hear, weighed down by sickly ears.
But when the burning wrath of the Most High
Upon the Hebrews comes, and from them faith
425
Be taken away, because the heavenly Child
Of God they injured, then will Israel give
With foul lips buffetings and scorn to him.
For food gall, and for drink strong vinegar
Impiously they give, with evil madness stricken
430
In breast and heart; not seeing with their eyes,
More blind than moles, more terrible than beasts
That crawl envenomed, fettered by deep sleep.
But when he stretches out his blameless hands
And metes out all things, and a crown of thorns
435
Bears, and they pierce his side with spears —
For which dark night prodigious in midday
Three hours shall come — then shall the temple
Of Solomon disclose great signs to men,
And then shall he in Hades’ mansion walk,
440
And resurrection to the dead proclaim.
But in three days he’ll come to light again
And show his form to men, and teach all things,
And in the clouds ascending will depart
Into a heavenly mansion, having left
445
Unto the world the gospel covenant,
And in his name shall a new sprout bloom forth
Among the nations, guided by a great law.
Line 414-420. Comp. book viii, 256-259 and 339-346, which is quoted in Div. Inst., Lact., iv, 15 [L., 6, 493]. Instead of the reading for the pure virgin in line 420, book viii, 346, has for the hope of the people. The whole concluding part of this book should be compared with book viii, 356-403.
But also after these things have transpired,
Apostles shall be guides; and afterward
450
Of prophets a cessation there shall be.
But when the Hebrews their ill harvest reap,
Much gold and silver will the Roman king
Plunder from them. And other princes then
Continually will be, as kings expire,
455
And they will oppress mortals. Great will be
The fall of those men when they shall commence
Unrighteous insolence. But when the temple
Of Solomon on ground divine shall fall,
Hurled down by barbarous men, in brazen mail,
460
The Hebrews shall be driven from the land,
Wandering afar, and plundered, and much tares
In the wheat will they mingle, and will stand
An evil faction among all mankind.
And all their cities, outraged, will lament
465
Each other, since an evil work they wrought,
Receiving the great God’s wrath in their hearts.
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