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things beyond the ocean, hut attend only to what is near you; and be content rather to examine yourself without flattery.
How, then, will you find out what you want, even if you are successful? Go with full exercise of your intellect to Charran, that is, to the trench which is dug, into the holes and caverns of the body, and investigate the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, and the other organs of the external senses; and if you wish to be a philosopher, study philosophically that branch which is the most indispensable and at the same time the most becoming to a man, and inquire what the faculty of sight is, what hearing is, what taste, what smell, what touch is, in a word, what is external sense; then seek to understand what it is to see, and how you see; what it is to hear, and how you hear; what it is to smell, or to taste, or to touch, and how each of these operations is ordinarily effected. But is it not the very extravagance of insane folly to seek to comprehend the dwelling of the universe, before your own private dwelling is accurately known to you? But I do not as yet lay the more important and extensive injunction upon you to make yourself acquainted with your own soul and mind, of the know- ledge of which you are so proud; for in reality you will never be able to comprehend it.
Mount up then to heaven, and talk arrogantly about the things which exist there, before you are as yet able to compre- hend, according to the words of the poet, " All the good and all the evil Which thy own abodo contains;" and, bringing down that messenger of yours from heaven, and dragging him down from his search into matters existing there, become acquainted with yourself, and carefully and diligently labour to arrive at such happiness as is permitted to man. Now this disposition the Hebrews called Terah, and the Greeks Socrates; for they say also that the latter grew old in the most accurate study by which he could hope to know him- self, never once directing his philosophical speculations to the subjects beyond himself. But he was really a man; but Terah is the principle itself which is proposed to every one, according to which each man should know himself, like a tree full of good branches, in order that these persons who are fond of virtue might without difficulty gather the fruit of pure morality, ON DREAMS BEING SENT FROM GOD. 305 and thus become filled with the most delightful and saving food.
Such, then, are those men who reconnoitre the quarters of wisdom for us; but those who are actually her athletes, and who practise her exercises, are more perfect. For these men think fit to learn with complete accuracy the whole question connected with the external senses, and after having done so, then to proceed to another and more important speculation, leaving all consideration of the holes of the body which they call Charran. Of the number of these men is Abraham, who attained to great progress and improvement in the comprehen- sion of complete knowledge; for when he knew most, then he most completely renounced himself in order to attain to the accurate knowledge of him who was the truly living God. And, indeed, this is a very natural course of events; for he who completely understands himself does also very much, because of his thorough appreciation of it, renounce the uni- versal nothingness of the creature; and he who renounces himself learns to comprehend the living God.
XI. We have now, then, explained what Charran is, and why he who left the well of the oath came thither. We must now consider the third point which comes next in order, namely, wrhat the place is to which this man came; for it is said, " He met him in the place."* Now place is considered in three ways: firstly, as a situation filled by a body; secondly, as the divine word which God himself has filled wholly and entirely with incorporeal powers; for says the scripture, " I have seen the place in which the God of Israel stood,"} in which alone he permitted his prophet to perform sacrifice to him, forbidding him to do so in other places. For he is ordered to go up into the place which the Lord God shall choose, and there to sacrifice burnt offerings and sacrifices for salvation, and to bring other victims also without spot.
According to the third signification, God himself is called a place, from the fact of his surrounding the universe, and being surrounded himself by nothing whatever, and from the fact of his being the refuge of all persons, and since he himself is his own district, containing himself and resetibling himself alone. I, indeed, am not a place, but I am in a place, and every existing being is so in a similar manner. So that which * Genesis xxviii. 11. t Exodus xxiv. 10.
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is surrounded differs from that which surrounds it; but thi Deity, being surrounded by nothing, is necessarily itself its owi place. And there is an evidence in support of my view of thi matter in the following sacred oracle delivered with respect t< Abraham: " He came unto the place of which the Lord Go< had told him: and having looked up with his eyes, he sav the place afar off."* Tell me, now, did he who had come to the place see it afa off? Or perhaps it is but an identical expression for tw< different things, one of which is the divine world, and th( other, God, who existed before the world. But he who was conducted by wisdom comes to the former place, having found that the main part and end of propitiation is the divine word, in which he who is fixed does not as yet attain t( such a height as to penetrate to the essence of God, but sees him afar off; or, rather, I should say, he is not able even tc behold him afar off, but he only discerns this fact, that God is al a distance from every creature, and that any comprehension of him is removed to a great distance from all human intellect, Perhaps, however, the historian, by this allegorical form of expression, does not here mean by his expression, " place," the Cause of all things; but the idea which he intends to convey may be something of this sort; — he came to the place, and looking up with his eyes he saw the very place to which he had come, which was a very long way from the God who may not be named nor spoken of, and who is in every way incom- prehensible.
XII. These things, then, being defined as a necessary pre- liminary, when the practiser of virtue comes to Charran, the outward sense, he does not " meet " the place, nor that place either which is filled by a mortal body; for all those who are born of the dust, and who occupy any place whatever, and whc do of necessity fill some position, partake of that; nor the third and most excellent kind of place, of which it was scarcelj possible for that man to form an idea who made his abode a the well which was entitled the " well of the oath," when the self-taught race, Isaac, abides, who never abandons hi: faith in God and his invisible comprehension of him, but wh< keeps to the intermediate divine word, which affords him th * Genesis xxii. 4.
ON DREAMS BEING SENT FROM GOD. 307 best suggestions, and teaches him everything which is suit- able to the times.
For God, not condescending to come down to the external senses, sends his own words or angels for the sake of giving assistance to those who love virtue. But they attend like physicians to the diseases of the soui, and apply themselves to heal them, offering sacred recommendations like sacred laws, and inviting men to practise the duties inculcated by them, and, like the trainers of wrestlers, implanting in their pupils strength, and power, and irresistible vigour. Very properly, therefore, when he has arrived at the external sense, he is represented no longer as meeting God, but only the divine word, just as his grandfather Abraham, the model of wisdom, did; for the scripture tells us, "The Lord departed when he had finished conversing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place."* From which expression it is inferred, that he also met with the sacred words from which God, the father of the universe, had previously departed, no longer displaying visions from himself but only those which proceed from his subordinate powers. And it is with exceeding beauty and propriety that it is said, not that he came to the place, but that he met the place: for to come is voluntary, but to meet is very often involuntary; so that the divine Word appearing on a sudden, supplies an unexpected joy, greater than could have been hoped, inasmuch as it is about to travel in company with the solitary soul; for Moses also " brings forward the people to a meeting with God,"f well knowing that he comes invisibly towards those souls who have a longing to meet with him.
XIII. And he subsequently alleges a reason why he " met the place;" for, says he, " the sun was set.";}; Not meaning the sun which appears to us, but the most brilliant and radiant light of the invisible and Almighty God. When this light shines upon the mind, the inferior beams of words (that is of angels) set. And much more are all the places perceptible by the external senses overshadowed; but when he departs in a different direction, then they all rise and shine. And do not wonder if, according to the rules of allegorical description, the sun is likened to the Father and Governor of the universe; for in reality nothing is like unto God; but those things * Genesis xviii. 33. + Exodus xix. 17. £ Genesis xxviii. 11.
which by the vain opinion of men are thought to be so, are onl two things, one invisible and the other visible; the soul beinj the invisible thing, and the sun the visible one.
Now he has shown the similitude of the soul in anothe passage, where he says, " God made man, in the image of Go< created he him." And again, in the law enacted against homi cides, he says, " Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shal his blood be shed in requital for that blood, because in thi image of God did I make him."* But the likeness of the sui he only indicates by symbols. And it is easy otherwise b] means of argument to perceive this, since God is the first light " For the Lord is my light and my Saviour," f is the Ian guage of the Psalms; and not only the light, but he is also th< archetypal pattern of every other light, or rather he is mor< ancient and more sublime than even the archetypal model though he is spoken of as the model; for the real model wa< his own most perfect word, the light, and he himself is like tc no created thing. Since, as the sun divides day and night, 8( also does Moses say that God divided the light from the dark ness; for " God made a division between the light and betweer the darkness." { And besides all this, as the sun, when he arises, discovers hidden things, so also does God, who created all things, nol only bring them all to light, but he has even created whal before had no existence, not being only their maker, but alsc their founder.
XIV. And the sun is also spoken of in many passages oi holy writ in a figurative manner. Once as the human mind., which men build up as a city § and furnish, who are com- pelled to serve the creature in preference to the uncreated God, of whom it is said that, " They built strong cities foi Pharaoh and Peitho,"§ that is, for discourse; to which per suasion (rb mikiv) is attributed, and Rameses, or the out ward sense, by which the soul is devoured as if by moths for the name Rameses, being inteq)reted, means, " th shaking of a moth;" and On, the mind, which they called Heli opolis, since the mind, like the sun, has the predominanc over the whole mass of our body, and extends its powers lik the beams of the sun, over everything.
$ Genesis xi. 4. || Exodus ill.
ON DREAMS BEING SENT FROM GOD. 309 But he who appropriates to himself the regulation of cor- poreal things, by name Joseph, takes the priest and minister of the mind to be his father-in law; for says the scripture, " he gave him Aseneth, the daughter of Peutephres, the priest of Heliopolis, for his wife."* And, using symbolical language, he calls the outward sense a second sun, iuasmucli as it shows all the objects of which it is able to form a judg- ment to the intellect, concerning which he speaks thus, " The sun rose upon him when he passed by the appearance of God."f For in real truth, when we are no longer able to endure to pass all our time with the most sacred appearances, and as it were with incorporeal images, but when we turn aside in another direction, and forsake them, we use another light, that, namely, in accordance with the external sense, which in real truth, is in no respect different from darkness, which, after it has arisen, arouses as if from sleep the senses of seeing, and of hearing, and also of taste, and of touch, and of smell, and sends to sleep the intellectual qualities of prudence, and justice, and knowledge, and wisdom, which were all awake.
And it is for this reason that the sacred scripture says, that no one can be pure before the evening, J as the disorderly motions of the outward senses agitate and confuse the in- tellect. Moreover, he establishes a law for the priests also which may not be avoided, combining with it an expression of a grave opinion when it says, " He shall not eat of the holy tilings unless he have washed his body in water, and unless the sun has set, and he has become pure."§ For by these words it is very clearly shown that there is no one whatever completely pure, so as to be fit to be initiated into the holy and sacred mysteries, to whose lot it has fallen to be honoured with these glories of life which are appreciable by the external senses. But if any one rejects these glories, he is deservedly made conspicuous by the light of wisdom, by means of which he will be able to wash off the stains of vain opinion and to become pure.
Do you not see that even the sun itself produces opposite effects when he is setting from those which he causes when rising? For when he rises everything upon the earth shines, and the things in heaven are hidden from our view; but, on * Genesis xli. 45. t Genesis xxxii. 31.
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the other hand, when he sets then the stars appear and the things on earth are overshadowed. In the same manner, also, in us, when the light of the outward senses rises like the sun, the celestial and heavenly sciences are really and truly hidden from view; but when this light is near setting, then the starlike radiance of the virtues appears, when the mind is pure, and concealed by no object of the outward senses.
XV. But according to the third signification, when he speaks of the sun, he means the divine word, the model of that sun which moves about through the heaven, as has been said before, and with respect to which it is said, " The sun went forth upon the earth, and Lot entered into Segor, and the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire." For the word of God, when it reaches to our earthly constitution, assists and protects those who are akin to virtue, or whose inclinations lead them to virtue; so that it provides them with a complete refuge and salvation, but upon their enemies it sends irremediable overthrow and destruction.
And in the fourth signification, what is meant by the sun is the God and ruler of the universe himself, as I have said already, by means of whom such offences as are irremediable, and which appear to be overshadowed and concealed, are revealed; for as all things are possible, so, likewise, all things are known to God.
In reference to which faculty of his it is that he drags those persons who are living dissolutely as regards their souls, and who are in a debauched and intemperate manner, cohabiting with the daughters of the mind the outward senses, as pros- titutes and harlots, to the light of the sun, in order to display their true characters; for the scripture says, " And the people abode in Shittim;" now the meaning of the name Shittim is, " the thorns of the passions" which sting and wound the soul. " And the people was polluted, and began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab,"f and these who are called daughters are the outward senses, for the name Moab is interpreted, " of a father;" and the scripture adds, " Take all the chiefs of the people, and make an example of them unto the Lord in the face of the sun, and the anger of the Lord shall be turned from Israel. "J For he not only desires that the * Genesis xix. 23. f Numbers xxv. 1. X Numbers xxv. 4.
ON DREAMS BEING SENT FROM GOD. 8 I 1 wicked deeds which are hidden shall be made manifest, and therefore turns upon them the beams of the sun, but he also by this symbolical language calls the father of the universe the sun, that being by whom all things are seen beforehand, and even all those things which are invisibly concealed in the recesses of the mind; and when they are made manifest, then he promises that he who is the only merciful being, will become merciful to the people. Why so? Because, even if the mind, fancying that though it does wrong it can escape the notice of the Deity as not being able to see everything, should sin secretly and in dark places, and should after that, either by reason of its own notions or through the suggestions of some one else, conceive that it is impossible that anything should be otherwise than clear to God, and should disclose itself and all its actions, and should bring them forward, as it were, out of the light of the sun, and display them to the governor of the universe, saying, that it repents of the perverse conduct which it formerly exhibited when under the influence of foolish opinion (for that nothing is indistinct before God, but all things are known and clear to him, not merely such as have been done, but even such are merely hoped or designed, by reason of the boundless character of his wisdom), it then is purified and benefited, and it propitiates the cnastiser who was ready to punish it, namely, conscience, who was previously filled with just anger towards it, and who now admits repent- ance as the younger brother of perfect innocence and freedom from sin.
XVI. Moreover, it appears that Moses has in other passages also taken the sun as a symbol of the great Cause of all things, of which I see an instance in the law which is enacted with respect to those who borrow on pledges: let us recite the law, " If thou takest as a pledge the garment of thy neighbour, thou shalt give it back before the setting of the sun: for it is his covering, it is the only covering of his nakedness, in which he lies down. If he cries unto me I will hearken unto him, for I am merciful."* Is it not natural that those who fancy that the lawgiver displays such earnestness about a garment should, if they do not reproach him, at least make a suggestion, saying, " What are ye saying, my good men? Do ye affirm that the Creator and ruler of the world calls himself merciful * Exodus xxii. 26.
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with respect to so trivial a matter, as that of a garment not being restored to the borrower by the lender?" These are the opinions and notions of men who have never had the least conception or comprehension of the virtue of the almighty God, and who, contrary to all human and divine law, impart the triviality of human affairs to the uncreate and immortal nature, which is full of happiness, and blessedness, and per- fection; for in what respect do those lenders act unreasonably, who retain in their own hands the pledges which are deposited with them as security, until they receive back their own which they have lent? The debtors are poor, some one will perhaps say, and it is right to pity them: would it not then have been reasonable and better to enact a law in accordance with which a contribution should be made to assist their necessities, rather than allow them to appear as debtors, or else one which should forbid the lending on pledges at all?
But the law which has permitted the lending on pledges, cannot fairly be indignant against those who will not give up the pledges which they have received before the proper time, as if they were acting unjustly.
But if any one having come, so to say, to the very farthest limits of poverty, and, being clothed in rags, loads himself with new debts, neglecting the pity which he receives from the bystanders, which is freely bestowed, upon those who fall into such misfortunes, in their own houses, and in the temples, and in the market-place, and everywhere; such an one brings and offers to his creditor, the only covering which he had for his shame, with which he has been wont to cover the secret parts of his nature, as a pledge for something. For what, I pray? Is it for some other and better garment? For no one is unprovided with necessary food as long as the springs of the rivers bubble up, and the torrents flow abundantly, and the earth gives forth its annual fruits.
Again, is any creditor so covetous of riches, or so very cruel, or so perverse, as not to be willing to contribute a tetradrachm, or even less, to one in distress? Or is anyone so stingy as to be willing to lend it, but to refuse to give it? or as to take the only garment that the poor man has as a pledge? which indeed under another name may fairly be called running away with a man's clothes;* for men who do this are accustomed to * The Greek word is \u7rodvr's'j. A Xojtto^vti]^ was oue who ON DREAMS BEING SENT FROM GOD. 3 t 3 put on other peoples' clothes, and steal them, and to leave the proper owners naked.
And why has the law provided so carefully that the debtor may not be without his clothes by night, and that he may not lie down to sleep without them, but has not paid the same attention to the fact of his being indecorously naked by day? Are not all things concealed by night and darkness, so as to cause less shame, or rather none at all at that time, but are they not disclosed by day and by light, so as then to compel persons to blush more freely? And why does the law not use the expression " to give," but "to restore?" For restoration takes place with respect to the property of other persons, but pledges belong rather to those who have lent on them than to those who have borrowed on them. Moreover, do you not perceive that the law has not enjoined the debtor, who has received back his garment that it may serve as bed-clothes, to bring it back again to his creditor at the return of daylight? And, indeed, if the exact propriety of the language be con- sidered, even the most stupid person may see that there is something additional meant beyond what is formally expressed. For the injunction rather resembles a maxim than a re- commendation. For, if a person had been giving a re- commendation, he would have said: " Give back to your debtor, at the approach of evening, the garment which has been pledged to you, if it be the only garment that he is possessed of, that he may have something with which to cover himself at night." But one who was laying down a maxim would speak thus; as indeed the law does here, " For it is his garment, the only covering of his nakedness, in which he will he down to sleep."
XVII. These things then, and other things of the same kind, may be urged in reply to those assertors of the literal sense of a passage; and who superciliously reject all other explanations. We will now, in accordance with the usual laws of allegorical speaking, say what is becoming with respect to these subjects.
We say, therefore, that a garment is here spoken of symbolically, to signify speech; for clothes keep off the injuries which are wont to visit the body, from cold and heat, and they frequented the baths for the purpose of stealing the clothes of the bathers.
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also conceal the unmentionable parts of nature, and moreover, a cloak is a fitting garment for the body. In much the same manner, speech has been given to man by God, as the most excellent of gifts; for in the first place, it is a defensive weapo; against those who would attack him with innovations. For as nature has fortified all other animals with their own appro- priate and peculiar means of defence, by which they are able to repel those who attempt to injure them, so also has it bestowed upon man that greatest defence and most impregnable pro- tection of speech, with which, as with a panoply, every one who is completely clothed, will have a domestic and most appropriate bodyguard; and employing it as a champion, will be able to ward off all the injuries which can be brought against him by his enemies.
In the second place, it is a most necessary defence "against shame and reproach; for speech is very well calculated to conceal and obscure the faults of men.
In the third place, it conduces to the whole ornament of life: for this is the thing which improves every one, and which conducts every one to what is best; for there are many disgraceful and mischievous men, who take conversation as a pledge, and deprive its proper owners of it, and utterly cut off what they ought to seek to increase; like men who ravage the lands of their enemies, and who attempt to destroy their corn and all the rest of their crops, which, if it were left unhurt, would be a great advantage to those who would use it.
For some men carry on an irreconcilable and never-ending war against rational nature, and utterly extirpate its every shoot and beginning, and destroy all its first appearances of propa- gation, and render it, as one may say, utterly unproductive and barren of all good practices. For sometimes, when it is borne onwards towards sacred instruction with irresistible impetuosity, and when it is smitten with a love of the speculations of true philosophy, they — out of jealousy and envy, fearing lest, when it has derived strength from its noble aspirations and has been elevated to a splendid height, it may overwhelm all their petty cavils and plausible devices against the truth, like an irresistible torrent — turn its energy in another direction by their own evil artifices, guiding it in another channel to vulgar and illiberal acts: and very often they seek to blunt it or to hedge it in, and in this way leave the nobility of its nature ON DREAMS BEING SENT FROM GOD. 3 1 5 uncultivated, just as at times wicked guardians of orphan children have rendered a deep-soiled and fertile land barren.