ARGUMENTS OF THE GLAPHYRA OF ST. CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, ON GENESIS
A BOOK I. That the mystery of Christ is signified enigmatically throughout all the writings of Moses. Concerning Cain and Abel. Gen. iv.
BOOK II. Concerning Noah and the ark. Gen. vi, vii, viii. Concerning the nakedness of Noah, and Cham (Ham). Gen. ix. Concerning Abraham and Melchisedec. Gen. xiv.
BOOK III. Concerning Abraham, and the promise regarding Isaac, and how the mystery of faith was prefigured by them. Gen. xv, xvi, xvii, xxi. Concerning Abraham and Isaac. Gen. xxii. Concerning Isaac and Rebecca. Gen. xxiv. Concerning Esau and Jacob, how they are set as a type of two peoples, namely, the Israeliticized, and those who are such through faith in Christ. Gen. xxv.
BOOK IV. Concerning the patriarch Jacob. Gen. ii, vii, xxviii. More on the same. Gen. xxix, xxx.
BOOK V. Concerning Jacob. Gen. xxx, xxxi. Concerning the poplar and nut rod, etc. More on Jacob. Gen. xxxiii. Still on the same. Gen. xxxiii, xxxiv, xxxv.
BOOK VI. Concerning Joseph. Gen. xxxvii. Concerning Juda and Thamar. Gen. xxxviii. More on Joseph. Gen. xl, xli. Concerning Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Gen. xlviii.
BOOK VII. Concerning the blessing of the XII patriarchs. Gen. xlix. Concerning Ruben. Concerning Juda. Concerning Isachar. Concerning Gad. Concerning Nephthalim. Concerning Benjamin. Concerning Simeon and Levi. Concerning Zabulon. Concerning Dan. Concerning Aser. Concerning Joseph.
ARGUMENTS OF THE GLAPHYRA
ON EXODUS
LIB. I. Of the birth of Moses as applied to Christ. More concerning Moses. Exod. I. Of the vision of Moses in the bush. Exod. II, III.
LIB. II. Of the host of the lamb. Exod. XII. Of the consecration of the firstborn. Exod. XIII. Of Merrha, and the wood which was shown to blessed Moses. Exod. XV. Of the manna and the quail. Exod. XVI. Of the three wondrous things performed by Moses. Exod. III, IV.
LIB. III. Of the struck rock. Exod. XVII; Num. XX. Of God’s descent onto Mount Sinai, and the attendance of Israel. Exod. XIX. Of the ascent of Moses and Aaron onto the mountain, and likewise Nadab, Abiud, and the seventy elders of the people of Israel. Exod. XXIV. Of the calf which Israel cast. Exod. XXXII. Of the veil on the face of Moses. Exod. XXXIV.
ON LEVITICUS
That Christ’s passion is salutary. Levit. II. That we, having been made participants of the mystical blessing, shall be altogether and entirely holy and divine. Levit. VI, XVII. Of the cleansing of leprosy. Levit. XIV; Num. V. Of the Synagogue of the Jews, how it has fallen through contumacy. From Levit. XIV, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc. Of the fact that Aaron does not always enter the Holy of Holies. Levit. XVI.
ON NUMBERS
Of Christ, and the Synagogue of the Jews, from Num. XII, Hosea VII, Jerem. XIII, etc. Of those who explored the land of promise. Num. XIV; Deut. I; Josue. That Christ has become for us the bread of life. Num. XV. Of the red heifer burned outside the camp. Num. XIX. Of the brazen serpent. Num. XXI; John III.
ON DEUTERONOMY
Of the heifer whose nerves were cut in the valley. Deut. XXI. Of the captured woman, shaven and with nails trimmed. Deut. XXI, 10. Of him who battles against enemies. Deut. XXIII. Of the twelve stones plastered with lime beyond the Jordan. Deut. XXVII. Of the election of Josue. Deut. XXXI.
OUR HOLY FATHER CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, BOOK ONE.
A That the mystery of Christ is signified figuratively throughout the entirety of the writings of Moses.
"Search the Scriptures," Christ proclaimed to the crowds of the Jews; clearly declaring that there is no other way for any to attain to eternal life, unless, like those digging up some treasure, they examine closely the legal letter so as to find the pearl hidden within it, that is, Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," according to the voice of the blessed Paul. Solomon also spoke elsewhere of this so venerable and admirable wisdom or knowledge: "If you seek it as silver, and search for it as for treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." And there could be nothing equal to this for those who praise a blameless life, and who wish to be occupied with the best and most excellent of deeds, and who have filled their own minds with divine light. For this reason, one ought to take delight without ceasing in those things which have been written concerning God, and appoint for oneself the sacred Scripture like a lamp, according to the holy Psalmist who cries out and says: "Thy law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths." Since, therefore, the accurate investigation of the mystery of Christ clearly and openly procures eternal life, and is a straight road for us unto every tranquility of soul, come then, adding again a profitable labor, and before all else for our own sakes, let us likewise gather together those things through which the mystery of Christ may be signified to us in the best possible way.
A Let us endeavor to explain how each thought stands, so that our statements may have subtle conceptions, and may sometimes be a good opportunity for the more learned to contemplate more true things, and in a way, like steps, may lead them up to that more excellent and most sublime knowledge. We shall therefore profitably set forth what happened historically, and by applying a suitable explanation to them, and transforming the narrative as if from a type and shadow, we shall make it clear and manifest, our discourse tending toward the mystery of Christ, and having it as its goal: since it is true that Christ is the end of the law and the prophets. If, however, in such great subtlety and obscurity of contemplations, it should happen that we deviate from those things which are more appropriate, it is fair that we should find indulgence with the reader. But let this also be known, that since we have written seventeen books *On Adoration and Worship in Spirit and Truth*, and have embraced in them a great abundance of contemplations, we have deliberately omitted from this present work the chapters contained therein and have left them unexamined, even though it sometimes happens that we mention one of them for necessary reasons. We shall therefore begin with those things in Genesis which are more elegant and select; and thus, successively running through the remaining books of Moses, we shall investigate them accurately, along with those things from the other commentary which conduce to the purpose proposed to us.
Concerning Adam.
C 1. The truly learned in the law and most holy Paul, having the mystery of salvation through Christ most thoroughly explored, says that there will be a recapitulation in Him of all things in heaven and on earth, in the good pleasure and will of God the Father: that is to say, the renewal of all things and the restoration of those things which were corrupted to their original state, naming it by the term "recapitulation." He remembered, as is right, God speaking elsewhere through the voice of the prophets: "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I do a new thing, which shall now spring forth, and you shall know it." Therefore he himself, as one nurtured in divine discourses, showed that the things foretold to us in these have already found their end in Christ, saying: "If therefore any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." For we have been refashioned in Christ, and have become a new creature; and in Him, and in Him alone, we have obtained a new name. For we have been called Christ's. For this reason the same divine Paul says of us again elsewhere: "But they that are Christ's have crucified their flesh with the passions and desires." For the life of those who live in Christ is holy, and superior to carnal passions and earthly impurity. That the new name to be bestowed upon us in Christ was about to come upon us, would be manifest, God having proclaimed through the voice of the saints: "To those who serve me, a new name shall be called"