BOOK 10 the Time of the Reign of Augustus
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BOOK 10 The Time of the Reign of Augustus 1. (227) In the 42nd year ard the fourth month of the reign of Augustus our Lord God Jesus Christ was born, eight. days before the Kalends- of January, on 25th December, at the seventh hour of the day, in a city of Judaea named Bethlehem, which is near Jerusalem, in-the year 42 according to the calendar of Antioch the Great, while Quirinius · 2BC the ex-consul was governor of Syria, Octavian and Silvanus were consuls, and emperor Herod was toparch, or emperor, of Judaea. 2. Thus from Adamto Phalek, the son of Heber, the total is 2533 years, and . from Phalek until the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus caesar (228) 2967 years, so that the total from Adamthe first-created until the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus caesar is 5500 years. Then our Lord God passed 33 years on earth among men, as is recorded in the scriptures, so that from Adamuntil the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and his crucifixion there were 5533 years. For Phalek, according to the prophetic words of Moses, is said to be at the mid-point in time before the future coming of Christ, For just as he created man on the sixth day, as Moses stated, he recorded this too in his writings, "One day for the Lord is as a thousand years", It was on the sixth day, as scripture said, that God created man and man fell into sin, so it is plain that it was on the sixth millennium day that our Lord Jesus Christ appeared on earth, and saved man through the Cross and resurrection. This has been written by Clement, Theophilos and Timotheos, the learned chroniclers, who agree among themselves. The chronicler Eusebios Pamphilou, most dear to God, who became bishop of caesarea in Palestine, also says (229) that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all, appeared in the sixth millennium, corresponding to the 1. Bo 227.1-9; LM426.20-21, 35-427,2, Hes 1-2, Ke 304.17-18; Slav: 1st 3, 1-8, Soph 89, December (227.3): 'Apellaios-December' LM, Slav. Quirinius (227.6; corr): 'Kyrinios' Ba, cf LH. emperor Herod (227.9): 'Herod the Great' LM, Slav. 2. Bo 227.10-229.12: LH 427,3-36, Hes 3-end; Slav: 1st 3.8-4.14, Soph 89, 2533 (227.11): '3000' LM, Hes, cf Bo 34,13 and Gelzer, 1885, 130-2. 5500 (228.4): '5967' LH, Slav, cf Hes. Adam(228.7): Slav adds 'the first-created'. Crucifixion (228,8): LM, Slav add 'and Assumption'. 5533 (228,8): 'fully 6000' LH, Hes, Slav. he recorded (228,11;corr) cf LH: 'having recorded' Ba. it is plain that (228.15): LH, cf Hes, adds 'as it was on the sixth day that man, created in paradise, fell into sin, so'; see Hommsen, 1897, 487. 122 Book 10 number · of the six days of Adam's creation. But he said that it was before the completion of the year 6000 that our Lord .Gpd Jesus Chdst appeared on. earth to redeem the human race. He wasborn ardmade man; he said, in the year 5500. Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and rose again and · ascended into heaven in the year 5533. All agree that the Lord appeared in the year 6000. So, in spite of variations up and down, they said that he appeared in the sixth year, in accordance with the . words of prophecy; and even if those who have made statements about the number of years do not agree, he appeared at the end of time, as the sacred scripture shows •• _ . • 3. During . the reign . of the revered Augustus Caesar a city in Palestine . named ~!amine suffered from the wrath of God. AugUstus restored the city andcalled it Diospolis. 4. Herod,· the tciparch or emperor of Judaea, in that year was iriforined that· spies, maqoJ°from Persia, had entered the land of Juda.ea. He ordered that they should be arrested; The ml,qoi had come from Persia because cif the star which had appeared, proclaiming in the East'the Incarnation · oC Christ the Saviour; they had learnt of the star because they had mystic knowledge and they were bringing gifts (230) to Christ as .~ great and·. victtldotis emperor. · They cameto the East and ask~; · "Where is he· who is born emperor of. the Jews?" Rumours about them spread among the Jews. - When the lllaqoi were recognized, they were arrested and brought before the emperor Herod .. He asked them, "Whyhave ypU become spies against the land of Judaea?" The 1118qoitoid him ,:1bout the wonder of · the star and that a great emperor had been born in the world and, "We have come bearing gifts for him as a great emperor, and to offer to .him as G¢, the gifts which we bring with us. For we have seen his star in the East and have come to \iorship him". ·When Herod heard these things he was astounded, wondering, "What kind of power does the emperor who has been' born have in relation to·Augustus Caesar?" the 1\02 magoi • had come to Jerusalem in the consulship of Vinicius and Varus. ·Herod discovered from them the exact time when the star had appeared and said to the mago.i, t1If you find him, come and tell me, so that I too ~y go and worship him", The 111aqoiwerit away. guided by the star which they · had seen in the East, · and found Jesus and his mother in the city of Bethlehem. Falling to the ground, they worshipped the Saviour Christ. For they said among themselves, "This star, which we honour as a god, is 5500 (229.6) Hes: '5502' LM, '502nd year' (ie of the sixth millennium) Slav. 5533 (229.7): perhaps '5335', cf '5305' Slav, '5534' LM. AU ( 229. 8): •all the accurate writers· Hes; this reads like an attempt to make sense of this sentence, an attempt with which one can sympathize. sixth year (229.9): 'the year 6000' LH, Slav, Hes. and even if (229.10; corr von S) LH, Hes, 'and' Ba. J. Bo 229.13-16; I GM294.10,14; . Slav: Ist 4.15-18. ~vered (229.13): Slav adds 'Octavian' •. 4. Bo 229.17-231.11; LH 427.37-428.27; Slav: Ist 4.18-h.10. tQ the F.a.st. (230.1): 'from the East' LH, cf 'to Jerusalem' Slav. Vinicius (230.14; corr): '.Vindicius' Ba, LH. · Vanis (230.14; corr): 'Valerius' Ba, 'Varius' LM, cf Slav. .